Ticket prices for the exhibit are $18 for adults, $13 for children and $16 for students and seniors. Miami-Dade county residents will receive 15% admission prices with proof of ID. The museum is located at 3280 South Miami Avenue, Miami.

Music Musica’s “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music” is the first major Museum exhibition designed to tell the story of the profound influence and impact of Latinos on American popular music. The other component of the exhibit is “Music: Access All Areas,” which analyzes the physics and technology of music alongside the art form’s creators and audience. While both sections have already appeared separately in various parts of the world, Music Musica’s term at the Miami Science Museum marks the first co-presentation of these intellectually complementary exhibitions.

On Wednesday, October 22, BMI songwriters Nestor Torres and Ed Calle will perform at a private preview of the exhibition for museum guests and donors. Tickets can be purchased through the museum.

On Thursday, October 23, Latin superstars Albita and Pitbull will perform at the museum’s celebrity premiere. Ticket prices are $40 and include beverage, food, the exhibit preview and the showcase. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Miami Science Museum’s programming.

On Saturday, October 25, BMI will present Enrique Hidalgo y Botija (1 p.m.), Brendan Ohara (1:30 p.m.), Origen (2 p.m.), Sito (2:30 p.m.), Alih Jey (3:15 p.m.), Javier Garcia (4:15 p.m.) and Tatiana Klauss (5:15 p.m.) at a free street festival and concert for patrons of the Miami Science Museum. The festival will be held on South Miami Avenue, in front of the museum and will include live musical performances, a variety of popular foods, community booths, giveaways, rides and a children’s activity area.

"The Miami Science Museum is delighted to bring an exhibition of this caliber to south Florida, particularly due to the universal level of interest in music and the event’s cultural relevance to the local Hispanic community," says Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of the Miami Science Museum. "With our new museum in downtown Miami on the horizon, we are dedicated to bringing the most interesting and exciting exhibitions to our current location’s loyal membership and visitor-base.”

About the Miami Science Museum

The Miami Science Museum continues to bring special traveling exhibits to South Florida such as Amazon Voyage,Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and The Dinosaurs of China. The Museum aims to make a difference in people’s lives by inspiring them to appreciate the impact that science and technology can have on every facet of our world. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

For more information about the Museum, visit www.miamisci.org or call (305) 646-4200.

About the Performers

Nestor Torres- nestortorres.com

If a flute could talk and sing, it would certainly be in the voice of Nestor Torres, for he speaks through his instrument. Equally fluent in jazz, classical and Latin idioms, his fluid versatility sets him apart. Nestor’s total command of his instrument allows him a freedom of expression that is at once captivating and liberating, powerful and genuine. In his new album, Nouveau Latino, Nestor returns to his Latin roots with a fresh approach, impeccable musicianship, and irresistible improvisations. Featuring songs from stars like Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades, Torres’ interpretations of these great Latin hits appeal to those discovering the songs for the first time as much as those who remember them.

Ed Calle- edcalle.com

Saxophonist Ed Calle is known for his extraordinary ability to play bebop, Latin and contemporary jazz, and pop. Born in Caracas to Spanish parents, it was obvious from the start that he was a natural player and now, Calle can be heard on hundreds of recordings both as a sideman and soloist. He appears on Grammy-award-winning albums by Frank Sinatra, Vicky Carr, Arturo Sandoval, and Jon Secada, as well as on numerous television and motion picture soundtracks. He also has recorded and performed around the world with such artists as Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Michael Bolton, Bob James, Bobby Caldwell, Rhianna, Extreme, and Vanessa Williams. Among his many solo recordings, Ed Calle Plays Santana garnered a Latin Grammy Award nomination in 2005. His latest release In the Zone (2006) features original compositions and jazz standards and earned a Latin Grammy nomination in 2007.

Albita- albitaonline.com

Albita began her artistic career at a very young age, coming from a home of parents who were famous singers. As a young artist she turned heads as a revivalist and renovator of traditional Cuban music, composing, arranging and singing with very personal style. While performing in Little Havana she began to attract the attention of celebrities including Gianni Versace, Quincy Jones, Madonna, Sly Stallone, Paco de Lucia, Marco Antonio Muniz, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, among others, which led to her first contract with Emilio Estefan and Sony Music. In 2004, she created her own label dubbed Angel’s Dawn Records, under which she recorded and produced Albita Llego. The project was a critical and commercial success, winning two Grammys for Albita as artist and producer in the Best Contemporary Tropical Album of the Year category.

Pitbull- planetpit.com

When the Southern-flavored party rap called crunk took over urban radio in 2004, Miami rapper Pitbull decided it was time to seek stardom. The way Pitbull sees it, "crunk ain't nothin' but bass music slowed down" - Miami bass music, that is. His parents were first-generation Cuban immigrants who didn't let their son forget about his culture. They required him to memorize the works of Cuban poet José Martí, and Pitbull understood the power of words right away. In 2002, a Pitbull freestyle landed on Lil Jon's platinum-selling Kings of Crunk album, and the rapper's "Oye" track appeared on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack in 2003. Pitbull unleashed his debut, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004 on the TVT label with the Lil Jon-produced single "Culo" leading the way. Soon Pitbull was making guest appearances on tracks by everyone from the Ying Yang Twins to Elephant Man. The 2005 compilation Money Is Still a Major Issue collected the best of these collaborations along with some remixes and unreleased tracks. In 2006, the single "Bojangles" prepared fans for his next album, El Mariel. As the album landed on the shelves it was announced that his next effort would be entirely in Spanish and titled The Boatlift.

Alih Jey- myspace/alihjey

Singer, songwriter and vibrant musical bon vivant Alih Jey is very proud of her newly released independent EP Necia, a high-octane, six-song mini-compilation of material written over the past two years. It has now garnered a 2008 Latin Grammy nomination for Best Rock Solo Vocal Album. Alih Jey started singing when she still wore diapers. By the age of two, she was traveling all over her native Dominican Republic with her parents and sisters, singing in harmony ("it was like a Dominican version of The Partridge Family"). She began writing songs at an early age, too. Her wit and musical dynamism is amply displayed in song “Ingrata.” Edgy, seductive, intoxicating, and totally original, "Ingrata" is a no-holds-barred, hear-me-roar performance. Its snarky lyrics spawned a fun metaphor of a soon-to-be-released video that's sure to please. "I like to think of it as the ultimate homage to cattiness," Alih says with a smirk.

Tatiana Klauss- tatianaklauss.com

Leading the way with a desire to conquer the world, Tatiana Klauss wakes you up with a painless slap in the face. With a mix of sweet irony and tender aggressiveness, this 18-year-old bewitches you and makes you an accomplice in her distorted world. Tatiana’s project is being developed and managed by Ramón Arias (peermusic), Germán Ortiz (producer – Rayito, Fulano, Sacha Nairobi, Social Klash) and Sebastián Krys (associate producer – multiple Grammy® award winner, including the 2007 Latin Grammy for “Producer of the Year” – JD Natasha, Jeremias, Carlos Vives, Luis Fonsi). Tatiana is presently writing for the Sony BMG / Sony Entertainment Television program, Prom 1001, as well as for her own debut album scheduled for release in 2009.

Javier Garcia- javiergarcia.net

To explain why he isn't afraid of naming his second album 13, Spanish rocker Javier García brings up something Stevie Wonder says: “When you believe in things that you don't understand and you suffer, that's not the way, superstition ain't the way.” García firmly believes that the feared number can bring him good luck, explaining, “Sometimes those things that people fear are quite interesting to me.” Lately, García has seen the number 13 almost everywhere. His sensitivity to the number is heightened, especially considering that his frenzied friendship with the late singer Rodrigo, a popular Argentinean cuarteto (danceable folk songs) artist, still continues, somehow, and has left a scar on his soul. Javier simply talks about “repeated coincidences” after the car accident that took his friend's life in 2000, and says that since the fatal event, the number 13 has rolled over and over in front of his eyes.

Origen- origenweb.com

After the successful launch of their first album this summer, Origen has been accurately described as "a gateway drug into rock in Español". Origen's four members represent three different countries and cultures coming together to fuse their varied influences into pop-rock of the highest order. Their first single, "Te Quiero," debuted on CNN En Español, and was covered by both local, and national Hispanic media outlets and radio. "Coexiste," their second single from the self-titled debut, will be released in early 2009.

Sito- gosito.com

Sito’s infatuation with music was inspired by his father and four uncles, who were all musicians and singers in a salsa band in the late seventies. Having music in his life at such a young age made an impact on his life, and being raised around the multi-cultural streets of Miami have also influenced Sito’s diverse style. “I experienced the best of both worlds. Having a father who’s a percussionist led to my early education in the sounds of my Hispanic roots, and growing up in the streets of south Florida in the early 80s introduced me to the world of hip-hop,” he says. “I learned to appreciate all styles of music and was motivated by it all – I guess that’s why I feel my style is versatile.”

Brendan O’Hara- myspace.com/brendanohara

Brendan O’Hara makes music meant to move the masses: Whether that movement is out of their seats and on to the dance floor or into the streets to stand up for things worth fighting for, movement is, and will always be, O’Hara’s goal. A versatile singer/songwriter, Brendan beat boxes, plays the piano, guitar, harmonica, percussion, and even mimics a pretty good trumpet while delivering cleverly calculated lyrics and simple honest hymns. His vocal approach is soulful yet straightforward and at times, spoken with spitfire articulation. Borrowing from many genres including jazz, blues, folk-rock, and hip-hop, he wields an amalgamated a style all his own, original yet familiar. Brendan performs regularly along the eastern seaboard, comfortable on stage as an ingratiating storyteller, or a brash, badass bandleader.

Enrique Hidalgo- myspace.com/enriquehidalgo

Originally from Venezuela, poet and songwriter Enrique Hidalgo is the co-founder of Botija. Along with band members Yuly Asfar, Alejandro Lopez, Veleda Giron, Natalia Lovera and Jesus Rodriguez, Hidalgo explores Venezuelan folklore and embraces his Latin roots, creating expressive and innovative jazz-infused musical explorations of the everyday experience.

About the panelists:

KC Porter - This Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger and composer has chart-topping works with such Latin superstars as Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Ana Gabriel, and the late Selena. Porter has also worked his magic with English-language stars, including Lara Fabian, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, 98 Degrees, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men, crossing their hits over to Spanish-speaking and international audiences. One of his latest projects was co-writing and producing Ozomatli’s latest album, Don’t Mess with the Dragon.

Rafa Sardina – Sardina, a Los Angeles based, ten-time Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer has built an eclectic and impressive client list in the recent years: Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Dr Dre, Dru Hill, Jessy Moss, Mariah Carey, Luis Miguel, Sheryl Crow, Soul Coughing, Marc Antoine, Angie Stone and Alejandro Sanz, among others. He has worked with numerous high-profile artists and producers, including Dr Dre, Camara Kambon, Lulu Perez, Babyface, Scott Litt and David Foster. Most recently, Sardina has launched a production company focusing on developing new talent in his state-of-the art studio, open since 2006.

Mark Portman - This Los Angeles-based, Grammy Award-nominated producer/songwriter/musician has worked on over 130 albums, several movies and TV shows. His roster of Latin stars includes Luis Miguel, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Sanz, Jaci Velasquez, Cristian Castro, Luis Fonsi, Olga Tanon, Pedro Fernandez, Reik, Ednita Nazario, and Los Temerarios. He has collaborated and worked with renowned producers including David Foster, Phil Ramone, Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley and Latin producer Rudy Perez. Among his other roster of superstars are Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager, Blackstreet, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz and others.

Sebastian Krys - Based in South Florida, this multiple Grammy Award-winning producer has over 20 top ten Billboard Latin Hits, including 9 No. 1 singles and albums. Krys has worked with artists including Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Sandy & Junior, Shakira, Mana, JD Natasha, Jeremias, Long Beach Dub All Stars w/Black Eyed Peas, Aterciopelados, Ricky Martin, Will Smith, Obie Bermudez, Gian Marco, Luis Fonsi, Gloria Estefan, Soraya, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Lopez, and more.

Homero Patrón – This Grammy Award-winning musician, director and composer has worked with artists such as José José, Emmanuel, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Rocío Durcal, Ray Conniff, Barry White, Tom Jones, Nana Moskoury, Raphael, Nelson Ned, Juan Gabriel, Manoella Torres, Vicky Carr, Gualberto Castro, Angélica María, César Costa, Alberto Vazquez, Charles Aznavour, and Jose Luis Rodríguez “El Puma,” to name just a few. Patrón has also produced albums for such superstars as Juan Gabriel, Lucha Villa, Javier Solís, Angeles Ochoa, Ana Gabriel, Yuri, Pedro Fernandez, Vicky Carr, Olga Tañon, Vicente and Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Lucero, Alicia Villarreal, Pablo Montero, Ana Bárbara, Laura Flores, Nana Mouskouri and Marco Antonio Solís.

Kiko Cibrian - Multi-talented producer, musician and vocal producer who has worked with Luis Miguel, Christian Castro, and up-and-coming artists Innis, Jesse & Joy, Patricia Manterola, Souljahz, and Frankie J, Reik, along with projects such at Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of 1997, Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of Pop 1996, along with the Sinatra Duets.

Marco Flores - Flores has produced and written over 400 songs, four of which placed number one on Billboard's charts in the same year (2000), and has achieved an impressive 14 platinum albums and 22 gold albums. His roster includes works with Richard Marx, Luther Vandross, Selena, Barrio Boyzz, Donna Summer, Toni Braxton, Bonnie Raitt, Thalia, Gloria Estefan, Carlos Ponce, Jordi, Ricky Martin, Jose Feliciano, and many more.

All six bands are part of the "BMI Presents..." showcases set for March 15 at Maggie Mae's and March 16 at Opal's Divine during the 20th annual SXSW Music & Media Conference and Festival being held March 10-19.

Like the SXSW conference itself, the "See It Hear First" podcast has become an important tool for exposing new BMI songwriters and artists to key industry professionals and fans alike. Since its release in May 2005, one million listeners from around the world have tuned in to discover new music from a broad range of genres and regions. The industry is paying attention and we have the success stories to prove it: Singer/songwriter Brendan James, who was featured on the very first podcast, was signed to Capitol Records; rock band somedaynew, voted favorite new artist from podcast #1, is on the verge of signing a major label record deal; Latin hip-hop artist Cosculluela has the attention of the world's largest video game publisher; the music of Soulkid #1 was featured on the soundtrack to "The OC"; and recent podcast artist Zac Brown is being courted by several major Nashville labels.

All editions of the BMI podcast are available at bmi.com/podcast, as well as from iTunes at bmi.com/itunes and Yahoo's podcast directory at podcasts.yahoo.com or you can listen on the go with mobile podcasting services like Pod2Mob. The first in the music industry to be listed in Apple's podcast directory, "See It Hear First" is currently rated five out of five stars at Yahoo! and has won the "5 Star Award" from PodSpider, one of the world's largest podcast databases.

In addition to hearing great music from an array of vital new songwriters and artists, podcast listeners can also vote for their favorite artist to help them win a CD duplication package from Disc Makers, the leading CD manufacturer for the independent musician. Winners get 1,000 discs, a prize with a promotional value of more than $10,000.

Sons of William, made up of brothers and Louisiana natives Joe and David Stark, along with New Orleans bassist Annie Clements, combines a thirst for progression with respect for their predecessors. Named after the brothers' mentor and father Bill Stark, the trio is what everyone aches to discover-unpretentious and undeniable rock and roll. See for yourself on "Lucifer Hands."

Three-time Latin Grammy nominee JD Natasha brings her Spanish-language hit "Lagrimas" to the podcast line-up. Her debut album Imperfecta/Imperfect has earned the 18-year-old Latina rocker from Miami extensive critical praise and a large following of bilingual Hispanics in the U.S. who have finally found a homegrown artist to call their own.

Alternative rock band Glass Intrepid has gained a considerable following having played at major venues throughout their home state of Texas and sharing the stage with such big names as 3 Doors Down, Snow Patrol and Mudvayne. The Houston-based quartet is currently receiving continuous airplay on multiple radio stations nationwide. Check out "Your Regrets."

Singer/guitarist Newton Faulkner writes poignant lyrics that flow seamlessly over funky back beats, refusing genre classification. With a voice that glides from silky crooning and crisp raps to everything in between, the UK's newest guitar hero masters the fret board with both hands, creating an inimitable sound all his own. Take a listen to "I Need Something" to witness firsthand why guitar legend Jimmy Page calls Faulkner "a star of tomorrow."

White Stripes/Janis Joplin hybrid Nico Vega is one of the most talked about groups in their hometown of Los Angeles. Singer Aja Volkman's fervent vocal leadership conveys both tenderness and dominance, while guitarist Rich Koehler's rifts mirror the grit in Volkman's pipes and Mikey Pena steadily propels the group forward on drums. Hear what all the fuss is about with "Hollywood Sign."

If early 70s glam and late 70s post-punk had a love child in 2006, We Are The Fury would be it. With influences ranging from Bowie and T-Rex to Talking Heads and Television, WaTF reveals a truly unique sound and style, setting them apart in today's musical landscape. The Toledo, Ohio-bred quintet contributes "Better Off This Way" to podcast #8.]]> 2006-03-13T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/4047 Artists, Natasha, JD, Nirvana, Musical Styles, Latin, Pop, Musicworld, On The Scene After being instantly signed to a recording contract on the strength of a self-made demo and then chosen as the first artist for AOL’s “Impulsa” program, teenage Miami native JD Natasha quickly developed a large following of young, bilingual U.S. Latinos who have finally found a homegrown artist to call their own. Created from Natasha’s emotional poetry and musical composition influenced from her love of bands such as Radiohead, Nirvana and many more, her debut album Imperfecta/Imperfect found the introspective performing arts prodigy creating Spanish music “with some attitude instead of just ballads and love songs” and also looking to encourage other young Latinas to “embrace self-expression instead of emulating unrealistic images of ‘perfect’ pop stars.”

Upon release of the album, the young rock songwriter and guitarist quickly achieved extensive critical praise, and wide broadcast and online video play for her Spanish singles (“Lagrimas”-“Tanto”- “Plastico”) and English language tracks (“Imperfect” - “Not Healthy” and the fan favorite cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”). Now, with three Latin Grammy nominations under her belt, JD Natasha has solidified her place as one of Latin music’s top new artists.