By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, March 9, 2023
There's a party going on right here—the Miami Open final weekend will be a funk fest.
Legendary R&B band Kool & The Gang will rock the Hard Rock Stadium Saturday, April 1st after the Miami Open women's final.
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The Miami Open announced today its inaugural concert series during the final Friday and Saturday of the tournament, featuring Afro-Cuban Grammy nominated funk artist Cimafunk, and one of the nation's ultimate party bands R&B group Kool & the Gang.
“The Final Set presented by Stella Artois” concert series will kick off the festivities Friday, March 31st with Cimafunk’s electric Afro beats.
Fans who purchase tickets to Sessions 22 and 23 will be treated to the concert immediately following the conclusion of play or trophy presentation, each day.
The Miami Open presented by Itaú will take place Sunday, March 19 through Sunday, April 2. For tickets or more information, please visit MiamiOpen.com.
With the addition of a Sunday start this year, and the announcement of this concert series, fans will be able to enjoy the Hard Rock Stadium grounds’ extended hours at all on-site restaurants, lounges, shops and hospitality locations, while taking in the amazing music from legendary artists.
Play on Saturday (Session 23) will now commence at 12:30 pm with the men’s doubles finals, followed by the women’s finals starting not before 3:00 pm.
Doors and parking for ticketholders will remain open from 11 am onward. The schedule for Friday (Session 22) remains the same.
“The Miami Open has always been well known for mixing world-class tennis and entertainment,” said Miami Open Tournament Director James Blake. “Since moving the tournament to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019 we’ve taken both the tennis, and the food, beverage and entertainment to the next level.
"This concert series is the next step in showing our attendees we remain committed to continuing to evolve the tournament to create the best experience possible for them.”
Cimafunk is a Grammy nominated, Afro-Cuban rockstar, whose name refers to his heritage as a “cimarron,” Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of his music that aims to subvert classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat and hip hop.
Cimafunk has received overwhelming praise touring the U.S. and Europe, making a name for himself as one of today’s great showman, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his 9-person band from Havana. His live show is "a celebration of groove and an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience," the tournament touts. Cimafunk's latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
The legendary Kool & the Gang has been a mainstay in music for more than five decades with iconic hits like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame.
The band has inspired multiple generations of artists and their music is one of the most sampled in history. They’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, 31 gold and platinum albums, and in 2021 their party anthem Celebration was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
Photo credit: BestImage/Kool & The Gang Facebook