A Snowy Morning, a Spinning Record, and the Rhythms That Took Me to Cuba
By Chaz Chambers, Founder of Havana Music Tours
Itโs a snowy spring morning in Coloradoโthe kind that makes you pause, sip your coffee a little slower, and let the moment unfold. My six-month-old son is hanging out with me in the living room, and weโve got an Afro-Cuban jazz record spinning on my new Rega Planar 1 Plus. Itโs the first real high-quality turntable Iโve ever owned, and I didnโt realize how much of a difference it would make. This morning, everything sounds clearerโcrisper. Itโs the first time Iโve truly heard this record.
I bought this album years ago, probably around 2015 or 2016, when I was touring with Ringling Brothers Circus as a drummer. I canโt remember exactly whereโsome record store along the roadโbut I do remember picking it up with a kind of curiosity. At that point, I had already studied a little bit of Cuban musicโthings like the difference between rumba and son, or playing basic variations of guaguancรณ. But in music school, we never really dove into Afro-Cuban jazz or talked much about Chano Pozo. My interest came more from listening and exploring on my own.
When I found that record, something clicked. The rhythms pulled me in deeper than anything Iโd heard before. Even though I didnโt know it at the time, that record was one of the things that nudged me closer to Cubaโto wanting to go there, learn more, and see it all for myself.
And the funny thing is, I didnโt even know it was possible to go to Cuba. Like most Americans, I assumed travel there was off-limits. But within a year or two of buying that album, I found myself walking the streets of Havana, studying music firsthand, and falling in love with the depth and soul of Cuban culture.
Listening this morning, on a much better sound system, I can hear so much more in the groovesโespecially in the drums. The crispness of the congas, the phrasing of the horns, the way the percussion drives the whole thing forward with power and precision. It reminds me how much Afro-Cuban jazz owes to innovators like Chano Pozo, who fused the folklore and street rhythms of Cuba with the harmonic complexity of American bebop. He wasnโt even alive for the recording of the album Iโm listening toโhe died tragically in 1948โbut his influence is everywhere in the music.
Sharing this record with my son this morning also meant a lot. His momโmy wifeโis Cuban, and he is growing up half-Cuban, with a culture and musical legacy thatโs deeply personal to our family. Even though heโs still too young to understand the music, I hope he can feel something in it. The rhythm. The history. The love. Itโs important to me that he grows up with this music around himโnot just because itโs part of my journey, but because itโs part of his.
Moments like this remind me how circular life can be. From a random record store on tour, to my first trip to Havana, to building Havana Music Tours, and now to quiet snowy mornings with my baby sonโthis music has been there the whole time. Itโs guided me, challenged me, inspired me.
And especially in moments of stress, uncertainty, or just the chaos of life, itโs important to slow down for a secondโput on a record, listen deeply, and appreciate small things. Music like this has a way of grounding us, reminding us who we are, and where weโre headed.
The 40th edition of the Havana Jazz Festival is shaping up to be one of its most significant editions yet. Organizers have planned a lineup that celebrates the festivalโs rich history while spotlighting new voices in jazz. Special tributes to iconic performances from past festivals will complement cutting-edge collaborations and original compositions.
