MIAMI \u2014 It\u2019s a movement you can feel and a sound you can\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s percussion. It\u2019s connection.<\/p>\n
This is Miami Bloco.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can carry the drum and you can follow direction, you\u2019re welcome,\u201d said Miami Bloco Creative Director and co-founder, Suom Francis.<\/p>\n
Click here<\/a> to see more from Miami Bloco. <\/p>\n You can jump in or just watch.<\/p>\n Seasoned musicians play alongside first-timers in this community percussion orchestra that\u2019s as much about connection as it is about sound.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a living organism that allows you to do very little and recognize how big it gets when you\u2019re all together,\u201d Francis continued. <\/p>\n That collective energy is shaped by Miami itself, through a samba scene historically grown underground as resistance.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we\u2019re doing this in Miami, it has a different swing and a different feel to it. We have all these other cultures here in Miami that you don\u2019t find in most places in the United States and in most places in the world,\u201d said Artistic Director and Miami Bloco co-founder, Dr. Brian Potts.<\/p>\n Potts is a classically trained percussionist from the University of Miami, who found his rhythm in Brazil \u2014 toured and brought that passion back, along with a vast collection of drums that needed some tender love and care. In steps Francis.<\/p>\n \u201cI would do very impromptu rehearsals at BBQs, capoeira studios – wherever – just to get the drums out and playing a little bit,\u201d said Potts. \u201cBy that time I had met Suom. We were living together for a while and she came in and said, \u2018Let\u2019s do this together. I think we can make something bigger and better out of this,\u2019 and she was 100% right.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Miami Bloco performs with major names in the samba world and beyond, taking the stage at festivals and venues across South Florida. But the heartbeat of the group still lives in its weekly rehearsals \u2014 where the doors stay open and connections are formed. <\/p>\n Participants can join casual sessions or audition for bigger roles in the group. Members study their parts at home and then bring them to life during meetups. <\/p>\n For all the ways you can get involved with Miami Bloco, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI never played drums before, I thought it looked so fun,\u201d said new member, Giuliana Debbaudt. \u201cI already loved the music, but I never played drums before so for me — that was always a barrier of me joining, so I was like, \u2018Oh, I don\u2019t know if I can do this\u2019 \u2026 then when I learned about the batteria academy, I was like, \u2018OK, I can learn.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody has a voice and everybody has a beat,\u201d said Francis. \u201cEverybody is responsible for their single responsibility but the real power comes when everything interlocks together and you do it on time.\u201d<\/p>\n To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n