"One of the best bands. Their interactions with the audience is outstanding. What great showmanship."
A UNIQUE FLORIDA 5-PIECE BAND
Located in Southwest Florida - Tropical Avenue is patterned after the Tropical Bands you would find on South Beach and all around Miami! Performing Top 40 Dance, Latin Pop (in English & Spanish) are our specialties! We also sprinkle in some Calypso, Trop Rock, Motown, Classic Rock and even a few Top 40 Country tunes- always with a festive flair! Because of our versatile team, we can tailor our music to fit your Reception, Party, Festival or Event. Always with the utmost in professionalism and courtesy!
WEDDINGS
We make it our job to visit your venue to ensure we bring the right equipment for your special day and look forward to discussing what your expectations are. A timeline is drafted for your reception and ceremony and submitted for your approval prior to the wedding to make sure every detail is included and that the Reception is enjoyable for all who attend!
Tropical Ave makes sure to have proper pre-recorded music available for our breaks to keep your guests entertained and dancing!!!
We also "play well with others" and can coordinate with an outside Wedding Planner, Caterer, DJ or any other professionals you hire. One of the reasons Tropical Ave, receive referrals from several prestigious Wedding venues!!
YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB, FUNDRAISERS, SPECIAL EVENTS
Like our wedding clients, we are just as committed to our Special Event, Yacht & Country Clubs and Fundraisers!
Tropical Ave has been blessed to be "the" area band for many events that need a variety of music - from Standards to Today's Top 40 Hits! We have performed for the last 6 years for Mote Marine's Crystal Classic Fundraiser- Siesta Key Beach, were chosen by the Venice YMCA for their "Tropical Nights" event on Palm Island Resort, have performed for the last 3 years for Wobbly Feet Foundation-Pasta Bar for a Cure, and were selected the last 5 years to play at Dearborn Street Wine Walk- Fundraiser for Lemon Bay Arts Alliance! After visiting the location prior to the event date, we draft a timeline so that we are prepared to perform the proper songs at the proper time.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Tropical Ave chooses music for any performance that is danceable and most often fun!! Our team of musicians tries it's level best to keep the dance floor full and the festivities festive!! We also encourage and invite your guests to play bongos and other percussion instruments on select songs- continuing to make your event even more memorable for your guests!
We invite you to speak with us about your event to see if we may be the right fit for you!
GET TO KNOW THE BAND
JEFF HUGHES
Jeff began his musical journey in the Chicago area back in 1973, performing full-time throughout much his high school years. He later played in Miami, Milwaukee, and various other Midwest locations before settling in Southwest Florida, where he founded Tropical Avenue in 2007.
RHONDA BROWN-HUGHES
bass guitar
Rhonda is one of the founding members of Tropical Ave and her bass playing is a key element to the band's sound! She has a built in meter that anchors Tropical Ave in to the song's groove, which makes our band easy to dance to!!
She receives regular compliments from both touring & local musicians, as well as audience members!
DANAE FRANCO
Danae is a Cuban singer and vocal coach trained at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana, with a degree in Opera and Choir Direction.
After her graduation she worked at the Rodrigo Prats Lyric Theater of Holguín, where I received intensive training in dance, acting, and singing, further developing my stagecraft and earning professional evaluations as both a singer and actress.
Over the years, I have performed in productions such as Carmen, Les Misérables, The Drowsy Chaperone, and a wide repertoire of Cuban music. My career has taken me across Cuba and internationally, including performances in Egypt.
Now based in the United States, I dedicate my work to both performing and teaching.
JON CUNA
keyboards, vocals, Spanish guitar
Jon was in Tropical Avenue several years ago and has come back to play some of our most important events. He originally hails from the Dominican Republic and is a multi instrumentalist, recording engineer and high energy performer.
Jon sings in both English & Spanish and also plays Spanish guitar. He's composed lots of original music and his huge vocal range is a great fit to cover any Bruno Mars or Adam Levine song!
Cuna's Spanish Guitar playing on select songs is nothing short of amazing!!
We are so happy Cuna has returned to our lineup. He is playing our events from Sarasota up to the Tampa area.
JONATHAN SHRADER
drums
Jonathan Shrader has been playing with all of our area's top musicians for many years now!! Interestingly enough, we first heard Jonathan when he was a teenager playing with a very young band at the Siesta Key Crystal Classic. Our band was playing right after them and we were so impressed with Jonathan's drumming back then, we asked him to sit in on bongos with us! Neither Jon nor us ever thought we would all be in the same band together years later!
Jonathan has performed with many of Sarasota's top musicians including Kim Betts Band, Bri Rivera and for the last 6 1/2 years, Tropical Avenue! Jonathan's playing is so versatile, he is able to cover almost all Latin percussion along with R&B and Rock styles with ease. No matter what style we are playing, he makes it sound as if it's his specialty.
GUEST MUSICIANS
Tatia Kay
Keyboards and Lead Vocals
Tatia Kay is a distinguished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Her international career has seen her performing across Europe and the United States, with notable tours in Italy, Germany, Greece, France and Israel.
As a songwriter with a unique signature and style, Tatia has garnered a loyal following on social media, including over 10,000 music fan subscribers on her YouTube channel. She has written and recorded numerous albums, notably "Master and Margarita," recorded with the Tbilisi State Orchestra and published in Germany.
Tatia’s versatility shines through her diverse performances, ranging from solo acts to leading tribute bands, spanning genres from jazz to rock. Tatia has joined Jazz bands and participated in prestigious international jazz festivals, including the Black Sea Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Caucasian Jazz Festival, BGJI Jazz Festival, Sziget Festival, and many more. Throughout her career Tatia Kay has been awarded notable International music awards!
Tatia’s solo program spans a wide array of musical styles from every epoch and genre. She regularly performs at high-end country and golf clubs, corporate events, festivals, and venues across Florida.
In addition to her illustrious performing career, Tatia is a dedicated music educator. She imparts knowledge in music theory, advanced piano studies, audience engagement and stage performance, vocal technique, and music production. Tatia is a proud Dean's List alumna of Berklee College of Music, where she will soon graduate with highest honors.
NAIMA BARAKE GONZALEZ
Lead Vocals
Naima started singing very young as both of her parents are musicians! In fact, her Father Rafael is from the same town as Shakira and used to loan her some of his gear so she could play gigs!
Naima excels at straight ahead
Jazz styles, as well as Latin, Rock and Pop. She can sing Amy Winehouse tunes so similar to the original artist.
We first met Naima when she was only 17 years old. She filled in for our singer at the time. Several years later she joined us then left for a recording career in Louisville. When she returned to the area we asked her to fill in regularly!
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CHRIS POULIN
Keyboards - Lead Vocals
Chris is a dedicated musician from Massachusetts and has over a decade of playing experience as a pianist and vocalist. Chris brings a fresh layer of creativity and energy to the band!
While new to Tropical Avenue, he's no stranger to the stage and is excited to share his passion for music with our audiences!
