From a music festival perspective, Miami-Dade County has a little something, something for everybody.<\/p>\n
Hip-hop heads have Rolling Loud. EDM fans have Ultra. Latin music lovers have\u00a0Calle Ocho<\/a>. Soca enthusiasts have Carnival. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n Still, there\u2019s nothing quite like Jazz in the Gardens. Held at Hard Rock Stadium March 11 and 12, the Miami Gardens festival brings together some of the brightest R&B acts past and present with a sprinkle of gospel. More than that, the festival showcases the\u00a0diversity of South Florida\u2019s Black community<\/a>. Aunties and activists. Bahamians and Haitians. Public servants and the public they serve. Wide swaths of the community flock to Miami Gardens to witness what can best be described as an in-person version of the Saturday morning cleaning soundtrack.<\/p>\n After a more\u00a0heavy hip-hop lineup in 2022<\/a>, the festival has returned to its R&B roots for 2023 with a splash of dancehall and the same sprinkle of gospel . There are a lot of heavy hitters on this list so it\u2019s tough to narrow down to five. No disrespect to Jilly from Philly, a legend in her own right with at least one classic album in \u201cWho is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1\u201d (mind your business if you see me belting my heart out to \u201cThe Way\u201d).<\/p>\n Without further delay, here are five acts you don\u2019t what to miss this who I\u2019m looking forward to seeing:<\/p>\n Erykah Badu (Sunday):<\/b><\/p>\n Miss. Badu is a neo-soul legend.<\/p>\n How many people can pull off\u00a0a music video<\/a>\u00a0in which they walk naked down a major city street?<\/p>\n Since she stepped on the scene, her music was the antithesis to the flashiness and hip-hop influence of \u201990s R&B. The same is even true about her aesthetic as her embrace of\u00a0\u201c<\/a>locs and \u2019fros\u201d\u00a0<\/a>and the \u201cnatural state,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0as she recently told Vogue, was an anomaly in the 1990s.<\/p>\n Badu truly is one of one: a style icon and four-time Grammy winner who didn\u2019t compromise. What a star.<\/p>\n Charlie Wilson (Sunday):<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019re probably thinking what does this 26-year-old know about Charlie Wilson. Besides being the go-to R&B O.G. for a hip-hop chorus, actually quite a lot: The Gap Band was a staple in my household growing up. Besides, I\u2019ve had to tell a few women you can\u2019t keep running in and out my life.<\/p>\n Still, the hip-hop fan in me has questions. Are we getting \u201cPeaches & Cream?\u201d \u201cEARFQUAKE?\u201d The absolutely beautiful \u201cBound 2\u201d chorus?<\/p>\n Can\u2019t wait to find out.<\/p>\n Ari Lennox (Saturday):<\/b><\/p>\n Lennox is a rising star in the genre of neo soul.<\/p>\n Across her first two albums, Lennox explores the ups and downs of contemporary dating with a silky, smooth soprano. It\u2019s clear, as she told\u00a0Apple Music ahead<\/a>\u00a0of the late 2022 release of \u201cage\/sex\/location,\u201d that she \u201cloves the idea of love.\u201d Still, Lennox\u2019s latest project finds her more self-assured than ever in her appreciation of self-love.<\/p>\n Her music sounds so soulful that it\u2019s tough to remember that the Washington, D.C., native is only 31. Then again, Dreamville\u2019s resident songstress\u2019 sound makes sense as she\u2019s part of a storied legacy of D.C. soul singers. And while comparison is the thief of joy, Lennox\u2019s future is boundless.<\/p>\n Sean Paul (Sunday):<\/b><\/p>\n You can\u2019t talk about dancehall without bringing up Sean Paul.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just not possible. \u201cDutty Rock\u201d turned 20 last November and that album still gets run to this day. \u201cI\u2019m Still in Love with You?\u201d Banger. \u201cLike Glue?\u201d Banger. \u201cGimme the Light?\u201d Banger. \u201cGet Busy?\u201d Banger. \u201cBaby Boy?\u201d Banger. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n Paul is one of the driving forces behind dancehall\u2019s growing influence in pop music. Out of the entire lineup, Paul could easily be the one that gets the entire crowd on their feet. It is called\u00a0dance<\/i>hall, after all. Start practicing your wine now before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n El DeBarge (Saturday):<\/b><\/p>\n Seven words: that high note in \u201cI Like It.\u201d<\/p>\n That alone deserves a spot on this list. Throw in \u201cAll This Love,\u201d \u201cRhythm of the Night\u201d as well as \u201cA Dream\u201d and \u201cStay With Me,\u201d the latter two being by the legendary\u00a02Pac<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Notorious B.I.G.<\/a>, respectively.<\/p>\n While many fans may prefer his work with the group DeBarge, his solo career has produced a few jams. \u201cCan\u2019t Get Enough,\u201d \u201cLay With You\u201d and his Quincy Jones collaboration \u201cThe Secret Garden\u201d specifically come to mind.<\/p>\n When:\u00a0<\/b>March 11 & 12, 2023<\/p>\n Where:<\/b>\u00a0Hard Rock Stadium (347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens, FL 33056)<\/p>\n Tickets:\u00a0<\/b>$135-$325 for two-day tickets, $105-$260 for single-day ticket or go to\u00a0https:\/\/jazzinthegardens.com\/firstact\/tickets\/<\/a>\u00a0for more information<\/p>\nIF YOU GO<\/h3>\n