The “Voice of Venezuela” brings her powerhouse vocals, spirit-shaking percussion and pointed lyrics to Little Havana as Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Koubek Center presents Little Havana Social Club: Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 21.

Machado hails from a small village near Venezuela’s coast called El Clavo, where most of its 1,500 inhabitants are descendants of slaves who worked on the region’s cacao plantations. For generations, they’ve preserved aspects of African tradition and developed a uniquely Afro-Venezuelan heritage–particularly in their music, which includes intricate African polyrhythms and percussion, call-and-response singing and close harmonies.

Her band–which includes three cocoa farming brothers, a mother and son team and Machado’s sister–has played together for nearly three decades. They are masters of parranda, a style of community music born in joyous celebrations where musicians strolled through town, commenting on daily life (parranda is also a term for “party”). The music they create preserves the tambor genre, said to make dancers float.

“When Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo begin to sing, their layered harmonies and richly textured percussion are so vibrant, they swirl around your heart, soul and body so joyfully, it’s impossible to do anything but surrender and dance along.” -NPR

While the group has performed primarily at village ceremonies and celebrations, they recently made waves with debut appearances in North America–even catching the attention of the New York Times, which wrote: “The kind of group that world-music fans have always been thrilled to discover: vital, accomplished, local, unplugged, deeply rooted.”

The evening will include a complimentary pre-concert dance lesson, DJ’ed sets by Mr. Pauer, specialty food and cocktails for purchase, and more.

The Little Havana Social Club is a series dedicated to celebrating Latin American heritage through music and dance. The concerts/ dance parties promote community and engagement–from the dance floor to the domino tables. Each event features vibrant live bands, dance instruction, and vendors, all situated in the lush gardens of the historic Koubek Center mansion.

WHAT: Little Havana Social Club: Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo!

WHEN: Saturday, Apr 21, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: MDC Koubek Center | 2705 SW 3rd St Miami 33135

TICKETS: $20 advance / $25 day-of / $10 MDC Students Tickets at koubekcenter.org.

About The Koubek Center
The Koubek Center is an intellectual, cultural, and community hub in the heart of Little Havana. A historic landmark in South Florida, the revitalized mansion remains true to its pioneering heritage–celebrating its multicultural community with workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, concerts and more. In addition to the mansion, the iconic venue includes glorious gardens, the Koubek Theater, the ArtSpace gallery, classrooms, and mini performance spaces.

The programs of Koubek Center are made possible with the generous support of: Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissionaires; the State of Florida, Department of State , Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts; and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.