TransAtlantic Festival Announces 2016 Lineup With Beirut, Troker, and EMEFE

“The sound of the world right now.”

That’s what you’ll be hearing at the North Beach Bandshell when the TransAtlantic Festival returns to the Magic City on April 8 and 9.

Going on its 14th year, the Rhythm Foundation – the organization behind the fest – will be bringing the brassy global beats of Santa Fe’s Beirut, the jazzy rock of Mexico’s Troker, and the funk-pop of New York City’s EMEFE to Miami. 

Last year's festival included Chilean MC Ana Tijoux, Colombia’s Puerto Candelaria, and New York’s Wild Belle along with Miami favorites Bluejay and My Deer. 

“We try to get musicians with the spirit of travel and exploration,” the Foundation’s director Laura Quinlan told New Times.

This year’s local acts will be Psychic Mirrors, Chantil Dukart, along with several others who have yet to be announced, but the headliners are enough to get us pumped up for the global party.

With the September 2015 release of its fourth studio album, No No No — the band's first album in four years — Beirut will embark on a six-day mini-tour this April, which will off course bring them to the 305, and eventually lead them to Turkey and Europe throughout the summer.

Breaking Mexican music stereotypes, Guadalajara's Troker will be bringing what they describe as "¡jazz mexicano de la tierra del tequila para el mundo!" — that's "Mexican jazz from the land of tequila for the world," for the gringos. 

From the Big Apple to the sandy shores of North Miami Beach, Brooklyn's EMEFE — the brainchild of Miles Arntzen, who toured with Arcade Fire's Will Butler as his drummer during his 2015 spring tour — will be making its 305 debut during this year's TransAtlantic fest.

“EMEFE has always been a great live band, but we never even thought about what it is to sort of craft a show,” Arntzen told our sister paper, the Village Voice last year. “We’re naturally energetic and naturally lively musicians, but once I saw [Butler’s performances] and put it into the EMEFE show, the shows have been above and beyond what they’ve ever been.”

With diverse, eclectic acts all lined up for this year's festival, Miami will definitely be in for a global explosion of sound. Do yourself a favor and don't miss it.

TransAtlantic Festival. Presented by the Rhythm Foundation. Friday, April 8, 6 p.m. with Beirut, Troker, and other acts TBA. Saturday, April 9, 6 p.m. with EMEFE, Psychic Mirrors, and Chantil Dukart. North Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-672-5202; northbeachbandshell.com. Weekend passes cost $50 plus fees via eventbrite.com. Visit transatlanticfestival.com.