Jazz at MOCA to Feature Jean P Jam in Celebration of Haitian Heritage Month
Friday, 05/31/2019 – 08:00 pm – 10:00 pm
MOCA Plaza
770 NE 125th Street,
Miami, Florida 33161
Website
Cost: Free

In celebration of Haitian Heritage Month, Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) is thrilled to present Jean P Jam Haitian Project as part of its monthly “Jazz at MOCA” series. Jean Almatas (“Pokito”), born and raised in Haiti, is a talented singer and songwriter who brings deeply rooted music and expands what we know as “world music.” He calls his music “Rootsy Juicy.”

At age 28, Pokito joined the Magnum band, one of the most prominent bands in Haiti. In 1987, the band was invited for a USA tour and Pokito remained in New York City to perform with them for two years. He has worked with notable artists such as Richie Booker, Cedella Booker and some of Florida’s leading musicians, working as a highly sought-after freelancer. After touring Japan with Richie Booker, Pokito created the band Jean P Jam where he introduced his original world beat style called “Deep Roots.” The band has played in several festivals including Bob Marley Fest, One Love Nutrifest, Bay Jama Fest and Grand Opening Big Nite in Little Haiti.

The public is invited to enjoy the deep roots of Jean P Jam, rain or shine. Guests may also walk through MOCA’s exhibition “PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince,” which brings together the work of many artists working in the Haitian capital. The exhibition highlights Port-au-Prince’s many diverse centers of cultural production, informal street life, religious heritage and mythologies to create a compelling portrait of a historically significant and intensely complex city in flux. Co-curated by Haitian-American artist and curator Edouard Duval-Carrié and British artist and curator Leah Gordon, PÒTOPRENS is a large-scale exhibition of sculptures, photographs, and films, accompanied by a recreated Port-au-Prince barbershop as well as extensive public programming.