The first time I worked with Nery Quintana was about 11 years ago during my over-the-top, quite-embarrassing, I-can't-believe-I'm-posting-this Quince Fiesta. (For my non-Hispanics, think Sweet Sixteen, but earlier).
For over 20 years, Nery Quintana has been decorating weddings, showers, and all types of events with her company, Nery's Flowers. Coincidentally, Nery's Flowers was also Magic City Production Group's first client when we designed her spiffy new business card; website coming soon!
Mira! Mira!
At the Magic City Launch Party, she will be providing the decorations and also debuting her home art collection that features all kinds of "flower" art. Look out for her booth at the party, and preview some of my favorite of her pieces:
The minute I met Luis Iga, I could tell that his energy was a force to be reckoned with. A constant hunger for life, Luis always seems to be pouring his whole heart into any project he takes on.
In recent years, he began displaying his digital photography, and in my not-so-professional opinion, this is what he was born to do. The art speaks for itself, so for now I'll simply remind you to check him out at the Magic City Production Group Launch Party on 2/13/10.
I'd like to introduce you guys to another guest musician for the Magic City Production Group Launch Party: Joe Collado.
Joe was named best percussionist of 2009 by the Miami New Times Magazine, and also has a best-selling CD titled "Solo Joe." on which he plays Congas, bongos, timbales, piano and keyboards. The tracks range from sultry Latin jazz to lively salsa tunes, and I highly recommend it! As if that weren't enough, he also coaches youth baseball! Talk about a man with many talents!
Be sure to check him out at our show, where he will be playing during our performance art showcase, and also have copies of "Solo Joe" for sale.
The next photographer I'm about to announce for the MCPG Launch Party is very near and dear to my heart, simply because I've seen him develop from the day he got his first camera.
A few years ago, we'd play on the roof of the old D.A.D.E. office practicing taking shots of random things and thought they were the coolest thing ever. Now, David Cabrera is quickly becoming one of the biggest names Miami photography has ever seen. It truly makes me happy to be able to work with you again, DADEvid :)
His repertoire is as extensive as his interests; you can find him shooting flicks of an impromptu skate session, just as easily as you can find him on the set of the latest Usher/DJ Khaled video ("Fed Up"), and then later shooting a look-book for Illesteva Eyewear in the streets of Little Havana. Every few months he puts out a limited series of prints for sale and they are just as soon gone as they arrive. In addition, David's UpNUp Daily blog has been giving a daily dose of "fresh" to Miami's internet-addicted generation for years.
This Saturday, January 16th, his latest series, "Up In Smoke" will be displayed at Easy Street Gallery in Wynwood (3501 NW 2 Ave, Miami) and I definitely recommend it. Then of course you can catch some more of David's work at our fiesta!
Here are some of my favorite past works, and you can find the rest on his Flikr site.
Ok, so that last one is really old but if you look closely you might recognize the lil' lady! :)
Ok, so I've been crossing my fingers that this next artist would join our show, and finally it's CONFIRMED!
Many of you have already heard of Floyd The Rock Star, but for those of you who haven't: get ready!
So, here's the haps. This dude is a painter. But, oh no, that's just the beginning. His artform is known as motion art, so he brings along his band (the Digital Factory) and they do a half-hour set where the band plays and he paints according to what the music and the crowd inspire.
Pretty. Friggin. Cool.
I really could keep going, but I wouldn't do it justice when you can just see it for yourself. Check out the YouTube video of him performing at a Tito Nieves, Grupo Niche & Jerry Rivera concert last November, and don't miss him at the MCPG Launch Party!
I recently caught this next artist at a show where he was said to have "a voice that sounds like his mom fed him glass as a kid". I couldn't have painted a more graphic image of this dude's sound myself. And I friggin LOVE it.
A well-known figure among the local rap battle circuit since he was 15, Parable MC is still a staple in the national rap battle scene 10 years later. I could go on and on about his accomplishments, but I'd rather talk about what I saw first-hand and let you visit his fanpage for the bio.
So I'm at the show to check out the potential rapper for my own show, when Parable took the stage alongside his newest partners-in-rhyme, a band called Llama Beats. From beginning to end, them boys had the crowd at their will - hyped & jumpin one minute, mellow & vibin the next.
Parable's rhymes remind me of that old, relaxed, just lay-back-and-listen school of rap with just the right touch of grit. More than just a distinct voice, he's smart, too! Don't expect the same tired lines about cash & cuties the game's used to hearing lately... homeboy's about deeper, seamlessly-woven and colorfully painted stories instead. Oh yea, and he's pretty easy on the eyes, too, ladies (see below!) ;)
The Llama Beats' groovy vibe combined with Parable's edge make for a delicious combination that made an instant fan out of me... and everyone else in the room, for that matter. You can most definitely find me at their next show this Sunday .
This next group of artists that will be appearing at the MCPG Launch Party is very near and dear to my heart. I have worked with them for years, and from the start it has always been a "familia". Careful, anyone who messes with me, a.k.a. "Momma D.A.D.E." will have to answer to my band of big brothers!
Down and Dirty Ethics is a local brand gone international. Recognized by their notorious D.A.D.E. stickers on your nearest bumper, window or street corner, they rep the county of D.A.D.E. and it's streetwear scene to the fullest. Their designs are one of a kind and inspired by graffiti, skateboarding, politics, and pop culture alike. Nowadays, you can find people rocking D.A.D.E. everywhere from South Beach to South Korea!
In preparation for the launch of the company, my faaaavorite artist/designer/genius Pedro Claveria (profile on him coming in the next few days) and I are working on a lookbook of all the company's offerings.
For that, I got to assemble some wicked photoshoots with the help of Photographer & "Tattoo Artist" Pedro Claveria, Stylist Vanessa Llambes, Production Assistant Yaneys Sotomayor, Hair stylist Lysa Rodriguez, and Makeup Artist Kristina Caruso! Salon time was generously donated to us by Qiu Hair Salon and Too Sharp Barber Shop.
For the final pics, you'll have to wait until after the launch party - don't forget it's Feb 13th! For now, here are some flicks from the camera behind the camera :)
I met this lovely lady a few years ago at a job we both hated. In fact, I'm pretty sure she hated me too because I was always late and she had to cover for me (Sorry, D!!!). Since then, I'm happy to say she seems to have made great strides in the job likeability arena, and I've made slight improvement on my punctuality also :)
In the following years, Daisy was contracted by Dolphin Stadium - it'll always be Joe Robbie to me! - to cover their events. She's compiled a sick collection of sports action photography, so if you're a Miami sports fan, I highly recommend it.
Daisy also has her own photography company that is available for all types of events, portraits, art shows, etc.
Here are some samples of her work; you can see the rest at daisyoterophotography.com. Also, if you're a facebook afficionado, check out her fanpage.
For a while now we've been working on a craaaaazy awesome launch party. We're still in the planning stages, but I'm very excited!
So far we have Saturday, February 13th from 9pm-12am at the beautiful Klutch Nightclub in Miami!
The event will be a night full of "Magic City" themed art, including painters, photographers, fashion designers, florists, dancers, musicians, caterers, make-up artists and OPEN BAR! :) There will be a cocktail hour set for enjoying all the visual arts, food and drinks, followed by a little dance time, and then an ultra fab performance art showcase. Entry is set at $20.
We have many artists confirmed already, but I plan on dedicating a post to each of them from now until Feb. 13th so that they all get their own (much-deserved!) time to shine.
So, by now I've been asked a million times what I intend to do with my company, why I started it, etc. Time to set the record straight...
Basically, I have 3 main hobbies: dancing, socializing and writing. After years trying to fit them all into my life separately, I discovered I am happiest when I can combine them all and enrich people's lives while doing it. Also along the way, I noticed I've collected a neat little group of VERY talented friends who all lack one thing: organization (typical artists!)
Enter Magic City Productions.
The objective is to combine my experience with choreography and creative directing with Sabor Latino at UF and dance teaching at Salsa Caliente to offer dance lessons and performances.
During my 3 years at H2O Films, I earned my producer title and learned the intricacies of production and managing a business and happened to love it :) After their relocation to NYC, I decided to expand my production experience by dabbling in party planning with Nery's Flowers and SMAC Entertainment. While doing that, I got to work with a lot of my friends and their many talents, and it proved to be quite smooth and successful. Gooooood stuff!
Meanwhile, I've always been a closet poet, and began taking writing seriously while studying at FIU. I constructed my own blog, and later contributed to dadewear.com, H2OFilms.com, and built Smac Entertainment's blog.
In conclusion, life's many experiences have brought me to this wonderful place in my life where I can fulfill my dream of LOVING my job. Hopefully you guys will love my job too!
Welcome one and all to the Magic City Productions journey! Along the way, I will update all of the activities that the company is involved in... and look forward to your feedback!
We produce. We write. We dance. We blog. We market. We perform. We party. We teach. We plan. We think. We design. We solve. We lead. We invent. We strategize. We decorate. We photograph. We program. We inspire. We film. We consult. We capture. We create...
Aaaaand, we invite you to track us on our journey from the very first steps as we bring a little more magic to the beautiful city of Miami.
