Spend your Thursday nights at Pérez Art Museum Miami! This week, kick off Miami Music Week with sounds by Smurphio featuring Eric Escanes on the waterfront terrace and happy hour specials at Verde restaurant and bar. Smurphio, of Afrobeta and Suenalo, and Eric Escanes, of Flo Rida and Electric Kif, will collaborate to set the mood for the weekend ahead.
Inside the museum, take a tour, participate in art-making activities with local artists, or explore new exhibitions and permanent collection galleries until 9pm.
Schedule:
5–7pm Smurphio featuring Eric Escanes
5–8pm Happy hour specials
9pm Museum galleries close
About “Smurphio”
Tony Laurencio, aka “Smurphio,” began his devotion to music at the age of four. As a student of classical piano and acoustic guitar, he developed a strong foundation in composition and arrangement. After hearing the synthesizer intro to Van Halen’s, “Jump,” he fell in love with the art of synthesis. Over the years, Smurphio has become a “master” of the synthesizer. His virtuosic style has landed him many prestigious jobs as a “hired gun” for many pop and Latin pop acts throughout the 1990s and 2000s such as Pitbull, whom he toured the world with for two years. Other acts include five-time Grammy Award winner Bacilos, whom he recorded and toured with for six years as a keyboard/guitars/sequence specialist. In 2003, he cofounded the Latin funk band Suenalo, a Miami staple for the last 18 years winning numerous Best of New Times awards.
In 2006, he cofounded the electro/pop/funk duo Afrobeta with vocalist Cuci Amador. With Afrobeta, Smurphio has found his main outlet for musical expression. In 2009, they signed a recording contract with Do IT Entertainment, who are also the founders of the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. This has opened many doors for Smurphio and Afrobeta such as performing at the biggest festivals around the world like Glastonbury, Burning Man, Camp Bisco, and Ultra Worldwide. Recently, Smurphio received an endorsement by Roland US, one of the largest and most renowned synthesizer/music companies in the world. Over the past couple of years, he has begun to do work scoring documentary films, recording voiceovers, and producing other artists. His devotion to merging organic and electronic music has made him an iconic figure in the South Florida music scene for the past 20 years. Over the past couple of years, he has begun to do work scoring documentary films, recording voiceovers, and producing other artists.
About Eric Escanes
Eric Escanes started playing guitar when he was 14 years old. At 19 years old, he attended C.I.A.M Music School for three years in Bordeaux, France, where he graduated with honors. While in France, he played and toured with different musical situations. Including styles ranging from jazz to funk and hip-hop. He moved back to Miami in 2005 and has been living as a professional musician ever since. Escanes has played in many different bands and projects over the years. At the moment he is playing and touring with national act Flo Rida and his main Project Electric Kif. He has played and recorded with artists such as George Clinton, Jack Splash, Bobby Caldwell, Brazilian Girls, The Hongs, Andy Garcia, Mayday, Robin Thicke, John Newman, Trombone Shorty, Jonathan Joseph, Doug Winbish, Nigel Hall, Way of the Groove, and many more. He has opened for many acts including Snarky Puppy, Ghost Note, Ice Cube, Robin Trower, Chaka Khan, The Wailers, and Pitbull. In 2020, he recorded guitars on the Valerie June album “Moons and Stars: Presciptions For Dreamers.” Escanes’ musical influences span from Jimi Hendrix to Scott Henderson, John Scofield, and Michael Landau.
