Tis’ the season! It’s another holiday musical adventure through the tropical spectrum with Rum & Coke. The Miami-based DJ collective has been delivering electrifying tropical rhythms for over a decade. What began as a local party series has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, bridging the musical genres of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The collective, composed of Kumi, Harold Fandino, and Jesús Rodríguez, has become a staple of the Miami nightlife scene, with their unique blend of soul-stirring beats and deep-rooted cultural connections. In honor of the unexpected twists and turns of the holiday rhythms and sounds from all over the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa, Rum & Coke bring you a playlist you can vibe to here with songs from Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
We caught up with the members of Rum & Coke to talk about their journey, their love for tropical music, and how they are shaping Miami’s epically candela soundscape.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How was Rum & Coke born, and who are its members?
KUMI: Rum & Coke is currently made up of myself, Harold Fandino, and Jesús Rodríguez. The party originally started at a venue in Miami named Gramps about 10 years ago by DJ Patrick Griffin, aka Action Pat. Pat would sometimes do a tropical edition of his Southernmost Soul Party, where DJ Le Spam and I were always invited to play. After Pat decided to make it a permanent monthly party, he asked me to join him in 2016, and that’s how I became a part of it. He later moved to Chicago and asked if I’d be interested in taking over the party. Of course, I said yes! Very soon after, I felt it was only right to bring Harold and Jesús on with me.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Tell us about the group’s musical genre identity and the type of sounds that move you.
KUMI: We explore the various musical genres of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean spanning from the late ’60s to the late ’80s.
JESUS: In a nutshell, the group’s genre identity and focus spans the entire spectrum of tropical music. It’s exploring the music of the Caribbean and Latin America through an African lens and connecting that with African music, which has been in constant conversation with the region for centuries. Imagine an evening where you go from Nigerian afrobeat to psychedelic Haitian Konpa, to Latin funk from Mexico, to merengue from the Dominican Republic, to heavy salsa from Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela, to funky calypso from Trinidad, and to Música Popular Brasileira (MPB).
TIGRE SOUNDS: How are some ways you are helping to build the music culture in Miami’s music scene?
KUMI: We use our platform to highlight our cultural identities, allowing people to easily connect this to our group’s image and theme. It doesn’t get more “Miami” than that. Our parties bring so many different people together, and we love that! Miami is very rich in Afro-Caribbean and Latin American heritage, and the music from these cultures is so congruent with the records we play that it only comes naturally for us to celebrate and represent it wherever we go.
JESUS: Miami, being the capital of Latin America, has never fully created a true musical smorgasbord of the tropics. What we do at our events is present not just the music people are familiar with but also explore the unknown. This allows us to connect musical dots in a way that doesn’t feel intimidating or elitist, creating a powerful narrative of our music.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What is the inspiration behind this playlist?
KUMI: I simply grew up listening to this music as a child and when my family gets together for the holidays, these tunes are always in rotation and are timeless to my family in regards to the holidays.
HAROLD: These selections reflect the spirit of Christmas in Barranquilla, Colombia. For as long as I can remember, these tracks have been the heartbeat of the festive season in my culture. I just got back from Colombia, where I celebrated the Immaculate Conception Eve, or Día de las Velitas. During this special time, people light candles in lanterns on their balconies, sidewalks, and porches, often starting just after midnight or even before dawn. Friends and families come together for celebrations marked by events and fireworks, signaling the unofficial start of the holiday season in Colombia. Over the five days I spent there, these songs filled the air, and many of them were played during a memorable night at a gig and later at a gathering with friends. That was home to me, and I’m excited to share these tracks with you here
JESUS: Bottles of coquito and home-made Alexander. Family Christmas parties in Santo Domingo.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Which genre-bending artists are you really excited about right now?
KUMI: I’ve been digging this artist from New Jersey named Mk.gee. His style is a hybrid of indie, lo-fi, R&B, and soft psychedelia. He reminds me of a mix of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince. At our Rum & Coke parties, we’ve also been playing a series of 12” singles from Chouk Bwa Libète & The Ångströmers, combining Haitian Congo rhythms with Dub. It’s truly mind-cracking music!
HAROLD: We love what our brother Yasser Tejeda is doing. His music celebrates Afro-Caribbean roots, and his latest album, La Madruga, is a perfect reflection of this. I highly recommend checking out “Todo Va Marchar” and “Amor Congo,” which highlight intricate polyrhythms and killer Kompa guitar riffs.
JESUS: There are quite a few. Riccie Oriach from the Dominican Republic is someone who modernizes traditions in a way that feels like a logical progression. Artists like Sessa (Brazil), Daymé Arocena (Cuba), and Yasser Tejeda are all creating a beautiful continuum between past, present, and future.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How do your unique backgrounds shape the group’s energy, and what qualities does each member bring to the group?
KUMI: Our backgrounds give us flavor and the diversity to curate soulful, striking DJ sets from the heart. We pride ourselves on bringing different audiences together and giving voice to a new generation. That inspiration is our quality, whether it’s through the records we play or the lives we live outside of DJing.
JESUS: Each member brings a unique energy to their set. Kumi mixes Afro-Cuban music with influences from Nicaragua and Brazilian music, while Harold brings his knowledge of the Picotero Sound System Culture from Barranquilla, combining champeta, salsa, and dancehall. I, being Dominican, always have merengue on deck, but I love blending that with Latin funk, rock, and French Caribbean music. Together, it creates something truly unique.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What is the live set collaboration of your dreams?
KUMI: Madlib, Tito Puente & Orchestra, and The Love Unlimited Orchestra. That would be sick!
JESUS: Oh man… I have a few variations of this. However, this feels impossible to answer!
TIGRE SOUNDS: What are some of your favorite music venues in Miami and why?
KUMI: Big shout out to Dante’s HiFi, our official home base. The place feels warm and inviting, and the audio quality is amazing. The DJ setup is on point, and the staff has become like family.
JESUS: Dante’s HiFi is a Miami miracle. The musical programming is world-class, and it’s a privilege to call it home.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What songs are you listening to on repeat?
KUMI: Eddie Henderson’s “Beyond Forever” and Serge Gainsbourg’s “Requiem Pour Un Con.”
JESUS: Fuubutushi’s Meridians album created a lot of beautiful moments for me this year. I’ve also got Wu-Lu’s Learning To Swim on Empty EP, Allysha Joy’s The Making Of Silk, Ka’s The Thief Next to Jesus and Meshell Ndegeocello’s No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin on repeat. In the Rum & Coke universe, I’m revisiting all my favorite Christmas merengues as we get ready for our final party of the year.
TIGRE SOUNDS: This will be the third edition of your Edición Navideña, what makes this one so unique and special?
JESUS: I think the atmosphere in general is different this time of year. People are festive, there’s joy in the air. The music that we play that night matches that, it creates a synergy that I don’t really know how to describe. We just all feel it. I also think about how some of us can’t be home for the holidays, and how that night has become our true Christmas celebration. The free coquito. It’s also the only night where we play Willie Colon’s “La Murga” about six to eight times throughout the night. Did I mention the free coquito?
TIGRE SOUNDS: What does the future hold for Rum & Coke?
KUMI: We plan to do more touring and collaborate with our friends in Miami and abroad.
JESUS: It’s been a special year for us, from performing at both the Miami and Switzerland editions of the Montreux Jazz Festival, our first ever European tour, to our year-long collaboration with Fania Records for their 60th. Anniversary. I hope we can continue to expand and deepen these partnerships and to continue to provide a musical universe that we can all simply call home.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What epic shows or projects do you have coming up that we should look out for?
JESUS: You already know about the Christmas party, but we urge you to save the date for our first event of the new year. On Sunday, January 26th, 2025 we celebrate the 3-year anniversary of our residency at Dante’s HiFi. We’re also very excited to announce we will be travelling to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to perform at the Isle of Light Festival on March 15th, 2025. We’re very excited about a few other things in the works that can’t wait to share with you when ready!
ABOUT RUM & COKE
Inspired by the vintage and archival music of their Latin American homelands, Rum & Coke is a DJ collective and party based in Miami consisting of Jesus Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), Harold Fandino (Colombia) and James Alvarez-Bacon, better known as DJ Kumi (Nicaragua).
Rum & Coke’s mission is to explore the Afro-Caribbean roots of Latin popular music, along with the African sounds that shaped, influenced and intersected with the region. Gathered from thousands of hours of digging for records and childhood memories spent in the sunny tropical climes of the Caribbean, their song selections span classics and rare grooves from Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, Afrobeat, Soukous, Latin Funk, Zouk, Compas, and other genres, with a particular focus on the 1960s-80s “Golden Age” of Latin music.
For the past three years, Rum & Coke has been holding a monthly residency at Dante’s HiFi, a popular listening bar in Wynwood, Miami. Their parties feature special guests and notable appearances, including the likes of Grammy-nominated and Juno award-winner artist Daymé Arocena. Beyond their Miami roots, the trio has taken their party on the road to Toronto, Mexico City, and Santo Domingo. Additionally, they performed in the first Miami Edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Alongside their live events, Rum & Coke has collaborated with brands and institutions such as Spotify, Warner / DC Comics, and Santa Teresa Rum, as well as homework gallery. Additionally, they spread their groovy sets through their monthly radio show, Radio Karibe, broadcasted on Mixcloud.
Photos by Anoush Abrar and Brooke D’Avanzo