Havana is filled with musical Cubans eager to delight any audience with the sounds and rhythms that make up the heartbeat of Cuba. The island nation spends 10% of its annual budget on education, compared with 4% in the United Kingdom and just 2% in the US. School attendance is compulsory from ages 6 – … Read more
Cubans are incredibly creative people, and most Cubans enjoy making music in just about any setting. For Cubans, music has a physical dimension as the mastery of a craft but there is also a metaphysical dimension that is a cultural connection to an eclectic blend of histories and influences stretching back hundreds of years. Turn … Read more
The Harlem/Havana Music & Cultural Festival will bring Cuban artists to New York in August for a week of performances and other events – followed by a similar cultural exchange in Havana in February. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, a longtime Cuban Embargo opponent, have been working for years on … Read more
Presidente beer today announced an official partnership with Gente de Zona, the most popular Cuban music duo in the world. The official partnership will have a dedicated focus on Hispanic consumers primarily residing in the eastern United States. The musical duo, famous for its raggaeton sound, found its first international success following their collaboration with Enrique … Read more
The DC Film Festival this month featured the premiere of Ron Chapman’s “The Forbidden Shore”. Director Ron Chapman and his documentary capture five decades of Cuban cultural, artistic, and political stories through music. More than 40 concerts and interviews are featured throughout the film. Forbidden Shore Trailer from CHAPMAN PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo. Award-winning filmmaker, Ron … Read more
SXAméricas will present the Sounds of Cuba showcase, the first of its kind in the 30 year history of SXSW. Five Cubans acts – a record – will play at SXSW. The showcase will take place on Friday, March 18 at Speakeasy (412 Congress Ave). The Cuban groups come from the hip-hop and jazz genres … Read more
Last year, The Dead Daisies, a US-Australian rock band, played in Cuba to an energetic crowd. They spent a week playing two sold out shows, visiting music schools, recording music and taking in the rich local music culture-a first for a band after President Obama announced the re-establishment of US – Cuba relations. All Daisies … Read more
Tommy Emmanuel’s has announced a Cuban guitar getaway, a five day/four night performing arts retreat in Havana, Cuba, September 15-19, 2016. The event will feature guitar great Tommy Emmanuel, alongside special guests Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo, and Pancho Amat, Cuba’s leading Tresero. Registration for the event will open on March 10 at 9:00am Eastern at … Read more
Cuba’s Christmas celebration is changing as a reflection of a broader evolution for Cuba to animate its past and invent a future. Christmas Eve remains overshadowed among Cubans by the New Years’ celebration – which happens to coincide with the day of the 1959 revolution – although many Cubans get together with their families for … Read more
The word “Guantanamera” translates into, “girl from Guantánamo.” The song was originally written by José Fernández, who used it in his radio programs. Some claim Herminio “El Diablo” García Wilson should be credited as a co-composer. Fernández claimed the song was about a woman who rejected his romantic interest. Garcia claimed the song describes an … Read more
