Tuesday, December 25, 2007

From Chopin to reggae to Latin music, Miami is a city that grooves. No matter your music preference, Miami has a venue that will please you.

For jazz and R&B fans, Dade County's oldest saloon is the place to be. Tobacco Road (626 South Miami Ave, Miami) was a speakeasy during Prohibition, and a hangout for Al Capone and his compadres during the 1930s. Nowadays, Tobacco Road is known for its live music roster and acts that have played here include BB King, Koko Taylor, Junior Washington, and August Campbell. The Globe Café and Bar (377 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables) is known for its Saturday Night Jazz. At Bougainvillea's Old Florida (7221 SW 58th Ave, South Miami) live jazz and blues are performed throughout the week. This 1929 tavern is located on a quiet side street and the crowd is a mixture of local characters.

Latin sounds are a Miami specialty, and Miami's favorite stars Gloria and Emilio Estefan do it right at Bongos Cuban Café (601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami), which offers Cuban fare on the menu and a packed dance floor on weekend nights. At Mango's Tropical Café (900 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach) cabaret-style performances are the specialty. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Macarena Tavern (1334 Washington Ave, Miami Beach) features a popular flamenco show. The cigar lounge, Tropical Cigars of Sobe Inc (741 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach) lights up with live music at night, including latin and tropical rhythms.

If do-it-yourself music is your style, Studio (1801 Collins Ave, at The Shelborne Hotel, Miami Beach) is the biggest Karaoke club in the world, with over 22,000 songs in 20 languages, and was voted best Karaoke club by Miami New Times and WSVN Channel 7.

Don't want to limit yourself to one style of music? Jazid (1342 Washington Ave, Miami Beach) is a local favorite, with live music every night. Jazid's diverse music includes a multi-cultural mix of Latin and American jazz, funk, cumbia, reggae, rock, and more. The upstairs lounge offers a completely different vibe with DJs spinning deep house, funk, down-tempo, hip-hop, and other rare grooves.

Miami's Winter Music Conference (widely known as WMC) is the foremost networking event in the dance music industry, attracting professionals from over 62 different countries. With its high concentration of top international artists, DJs and industry professionals, WMC is one of the most publicized events in the music business. Venues throughout Miami feature a packed schedule of evening events, showcasing famous artists and DJs from around the world. Winter Music Conference also features the International Dance Music Awards, known as the premier annual awards event for the dance and electronic music industry. Ultra Music Festival, the largest music festival of its kind in the USA, is the official closing event for WMC. Check out the new web site by CRSHotels.com, featuring event information and Winter Music Conference hotels (details below).

For classical music lovers, Miami offers an amazing array of choices. The Miami Bach Society (Coral Gables) features the music of J.S. Bach and his Baroque contemporaries, and an International Baroque Music Festival held in March. The Chopin Foundation (Miami) presents many classical music concerts that are free to the public. The Miami Symphony Orchestra (Sunset Center, 10300 SW 72nd St, Miami) and the New World Symphony (541 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach) both present world-class orchestra concerts.

The Miami International Piano Festival (Lincoln Theater, 541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach) is a unique event, recognized as one of the most exciting recital series in the world today. The festival features extraordinary talents capable of mesmerizing listeners and focuses on artists who challenge convention.

If you are heading to Miami for music, CRSHotels.com has the perfect hotel for you. Choose the Shelborne Beach Resort, the Kent Hotel Miami South Beach, the River Park Hotel & Suites Downtown Miami, or the Beacon Hotel Miami. Stay at the Suites on South Beach, the Clinton Hotel & Spa, the Thunderbird Resort Miami, the Hotel St. Michel Miami or the Palms Hotel South Beach. Enjoy the Greenview Hotel Miami South Beach, the Travelodge Monaco Beach Resort, the Carlton Hotel South Beach, the South Beach Plaza Hotel or the Sovereign Oceanfront Hotel.