MIAMI — It’s a movement you can feel and a sound you can’t ignore.

It’s percussion. It’s connection.

This is Miami Bloco.

“If you can carry the drum and you can follow direction, you’re welcome,” said Miami Bloco Creative Director and co-founder, Suom Francis.

Click here to see more from Miami Bloco.

You can jump in or just watch.

Seasoned musicians play alongside first-timers in this community percussion orchestra that’s as much about connection as it is about sound.

“It’s a living organism that allows you to do very little and recognize how big it gets when you’re all together,” Francis continued.

That collective energy is shaped by Miami itself, through a samba scene historically grown underground as resistance.

“Because we’re 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’t find in most places in the United States and in most places in the world,” said Artistic Director and Miami Bloco co-founder, Dr. Brian Potts.

Potts is a classically trained percussionist from the University of Miami, who found his rhythm in Brazil — toured and brought that passion back, along with a vast collection of drums that needed some tender love and care. In steps Francis.

“I would do very impromptu rehearsals at BBQs, capoeira studios - wherever - just to get the drums out and playing a little bit,” said Potts. “By that time I had met Suom. We were living together for a while and she came in and said, ‘Let’s do this together. I think we can make something bigger and better out of this,’ and she was 100% right.”

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 — where the doors stay open and connections are formed.

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.

For all the ways you can get involved with Miami Bloco, click here.

“I never played drums before, I thought it looked so fun,” said new member, Giuliana Debbaudt. “I 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, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can do this’ … then when I learned about the batteria academy, I was like, ‘OK, I can learn.’”

“Everybody has a voice and everybody has a beat,” said Francis. “Everybody is responsible for their single responsibility but the real power comes when everything interlocks together and you do it on time.”

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