Music

Konpa — Haiti’s signature sound —is gaining widespread popularity and merging with genres like Afrobeats and soul, influencing artists in Palm Beach County. A new song released during Haitian Heritage Month reflects this movement.

Cimafunk brings funk and jazz to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, and gives a history lesson behind African Cimarrons.

What started as informal backyard drum sessions bloomed into a musical village of percussionists. Miamibloco, a samba percussion group, gathers musicians of all skill levels to build community and connection through Brazilian traditional music.

From her sailboat in the Keys, K Boswell records her brand of indie-pop, filled with electric guitars and electronic sounds. She is among the more than 100 South Florida artists who entered the beloved musical competition for 2025.

Using their classical music background to bend genres, brothers Malcolm and Umoja McNeish from Broward County energize audiences as the Sons of Mystro. Together, they wield their violin bows to freestyle and bring positivity through music.

The Cleveland Orchestra in Miami hosted students from HBCU’s to work one-on-one with musicians and also invited students from the Miami Music Project, which culminated in a pre-concert experience where the student musicians performed for an audience at the Arsht’s Knight Concert Hall.

For Miami singer-songwriter Inez Barlatier, world music is a healing practice. The Haitian-American multidisciplinary artist talks to WLRN about her emotional and vulnerable submission for NPR's Tiny Desk Contest and what it was like growing up in the Miami art scene.

Nu Deco Ensemble will mark its 10th anniversary with a concert at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The program features 40 musicians on stage, guest artists, an original anniversary suite, new musical collaborations, and, as the organizers say, several surprises.

Chasing your dream can be terrifying. That was the case for aspiring singer-songwriter Justin Koolik. The 22-year-old from Boca Raton traded in a future in Wall Street for a life behind the microphone. WLRN spoke to him about taking the big leap into music and why he’s taking part in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.

South Florida is home to a wide array of music genres from all types of musicians. But it can be hard to break through and it’s even easier to go unnoticed. That’s the idea behind NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, which aims to highlight unsigned, independent artists. WLRN is showcasing some of our favorite local submissions for this year's contest.

Iranian Shabnam Kamoii, who goes by Shab, has become one of the fastest-rising global pop stars in the West. In South Florida, she told WLRN how at age eight she fled alone to Germany to escape the dangers of the Iran-Iraq war.

Miami’s beloved Sweat Records is turning 20. It’s been a go-to spot for vinyl lovers, musicians, and families — more than a store, it’s a hub for the city’s music scene.