Music
Miami music is varied. Latin American Immigrants brought the conga and rumba to Miami from their homelands instantly popularizing it in American culture.
In the early-1970s, the Miami disco sound came to life with TK Records, featuring the music of KC and the Sunshine Band, with such hits as "Get Down Tonight", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" and "That's the Way (I Like It)"; and the Latin-American disco group, Foxy (band), with their hit singles "Get Off" and "Hot Number". Miami-area natives George McCrae and Teri DeSario were also popular music artists during the 1970s disco era.
Miami-influenced, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, hit the popular music scene with their Cuban-oriented sound and had huge hits in the 1980s with "Conga" and "Bad Boys".
Miami also had a huge place in hip-hop music since the mid-1980s, with its urban sound, rivaling that of New York City as the East Coast's prime hip-hop mecca. Miami's also the birthplace of Miami Bass and arguably the birthplace of Southern Rap. Notable hip-hop artists from Miami consist of 2 Live Crew, Dre, J.T. Money (of Poison Clan), Luther Campbell, Poison Clan, Trick Daddy, Trina, Pitbull, Rick Ross, Smitty, and the late DJ Uncle Al. Producers include Cool & Dre, The Diaz Brothers, Red Spyda. Will Smith based an entire song called "Miami" in his album "Big Willie Style"
Latin megastar Shakira did five concerts, from her US leg of the Oral Fixation Tour, in Miami's American Airlines Arena in 2006. December 6 was even declared "Shakira Day" by the mayor and she was given the key to the city.
Miami is also considered a "hot spot" for Freestyle, a style of dance music popular in the 80's and 90's heavily influenced by Electro, hip-hop, and disco. Many popular Freestyle acts such as Pretty Tony, Debbie Deb, Stevie B, Exposé, and Paris By Air originated in Miami.
Beginning in the late 1990s, there has been a slight upsurge of a genre of music known as reggaeton, originating from mainly Puerto Rican and Dominican influences. Artists such as Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel, Gina, and others, typify the genre, which has gained mainstream popularity in part due to the dedication of a new Radio Station, "Mega 94.9", to reggaeton.
Indie/folk acts Cat Power and Iron & Wine are based in the city.
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
