On Friday, March 1, I visited Coconut Grove for the inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival Miami, which was held on the idyllic waters of Regatta Harbour.
Strolling through the festival space for the first time, I immediately became enveloped in the salty breeze emanating from Biscayne Bay, as well as the buttery sounds of trumpets and saxophones coming from the DJ booth nestled in the VIP terrace.
Although this music festival may have been my first, I knew within minutes that Montreux Miami was unlike anything I had seen before.
Over the course of three nights, the melange of set lists which skirted across calypso, funk, jazz, reggae and many other genres, brought me to places I never would have anticipated — from dancing and laughing to crying and yearning.
“The goal of having Montreux in Miami is not to be big. It’s to be strong.”
The original branch of Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland welcomes nearly 250,000 people to the shores of Lake Geneva every year. Founded in 1967, the festival has garnered international acclaim over the years for welcoming musical legends to the stage such as Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Prince, Quincy Jones and others.
The arrival of the Montreux brand and legacy to the Magic City illustrates how Miami is heading towards music festival domination on the global stage. Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, said that Miami’s culture, environment and reputation within the art world made the city the perfect place to expand the festival.
While Montreux Miami may not pull in tens of thousands of people like rivals Rolling Loud and Ultra Music Festival, its presence in the city shows how the local music festival and general art’s scene is extending its global reach.
“The goal of having Montreux in Miami is not to be big. It’s to be strong,” said Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Other Miami music festivals such as Ultra and Rolling Loud are known for their high-energy and almost rowdy crowds.
Yet at Montreux Miami, guests — most of whom were middle-aged or elderly — mingled at small, charming white-table tops before the start of the first night’s performances. Alcohol and food flowed freely from the various on-site restaurant pop-ups, and the venue even offered complimentary water for all in attendance, packaged in sleek glass bottles.
“We’re not trying to step on anyone’s toes. We want to create an experience that’s totally different,” Jaton added. “Monteux’s a spirit, a moment where people can share their passion for music.”
“It was worth every penny, every dime and every nickel.”
At 5:00 p.m. on Friday, security finally opened the doors for attendees to access the main performance space — the Hangar at Regatta Harbour. Over the festival’s three days, I spoke with nearly 20 attendees at Montreux Miami, all of whom showered the festival with admiration and praise due to the venue’s intimacy, quality of the performances and overall elegance of the event.
Moments before the festival’s headliner and five-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste made his way to the stage, Imran Hylton, a 26-year-old performing arts teacher, and Jonathan Hopkins, a 45-year-old transportation consultant, found themselves crammed towards the front of the crowd.
The couple — who had their first date at a jazz club downtown — call themselves music fanatics. Hopkins purchased day-passes for Friday night as a surprise Christmas gift for Hylton.
“It was worth every penny, every dime and every nickel,” Hopkins said.
The couple said the music played by classical pianist Justin Kauflin and “jazz-rocker” ELEW at the beginning of the night left them astonished and wanting the night to never end — even though the pairing had primarily attended to see Batiste’s performance.
Both Hopkins and Hylton held high hopes for the future of Montreux Miami, considering the festival taps into a musical niche not offered by other festivals in the city.
“This festival will expand the minds of people in Miami and add another cultural layer to our beautiful city that’s already so diverse,” Hylton said.
“This is one of those festivals that puts Miami on the map.”
The second night featured a soothing performance from Mexican singer Adrian Cota, a lively show from Daniela Mercury and an electric set from Cuban Grammy-nominee Cimafunk.
Following these performances, 45-year-old Jessi Tamayo, a professor at the University of Miami’s School of Law, perched on a large rock away from the performance space to catch her breath.
After seeing an advertisement on Facebook for Montreux Miami in the weeks leading up to the event, Tamayo said she decided to purchase Saturday day-passes for herself, her grandmother and her daughter since the family shares a love for music.
Born and raised in Miami, Tamayo has witnessed first-hand the growth of the city’s music festival scene, a key driver in turning Miami into an international cultural destination.
“People are taking Miami more seriously as an arts and music city,” Tamayo said. “This is a different Miami than I was raised in.”
At the beginning of the festival’s third night, Kelsey Pulera, a 28-year-old digital media professional, sat outside with a friend for a refreshing cocktail. Pulera said she purchased a day pass for Sunday’s performance because she felt like the festival’s lineup provided a different experience from what other festivals in Miami have to offer.
Pulera, who is originally from Wisconsin and has only called the Coral Gables area home for three years, acknowledged how the Montreux name can boost Miami’s popularity and reputation in the arts world.
“This is one of those festivals that puts Miami on the map as a city that has something to offer for all sorts of demographics and cultures,” said Pulera. “The city is starting to cater to a more global audience and bring artists from around the world.”
“This may be the first edition, but it’s definitely not the last.”
Returning to the Montreux Miami stage, the third and final night of performances concluded with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall. Before Hall made his way to the stage, the stage-lights dimmed and morphed from a chilling blue to a euphoric violet hue.
“This may be the first edition, but it’s definitely not the last one,” Jaton said, introducing Hall on stage. “We will continue this festival here in Miami for many, many years to come.”
Once Hall began strumming his fingers on his electric guitar and playing the opening notes of 1982 hit “Maneater,” the crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer.
As the hit-single progressed, audience members bobbed their heads and danced to the song’s groovy baseline and soaring trumpets. The scent of liquor filled the room as people in the crowd downed Coronas with lime and fruity cocktails.
I looked around the room and recognized the tangible impact Montreux Miami could have on the city’s budding music festival scene. While this might’ve been Montreux Miami’s first year, I knew the festival would be back in the Magic City come next spring — and so would I.