Stories about Cuban music, culture, travel and the people behind the traditions. Browse artist profiles, listening guides, historical reporting and practical trip-planning advice from the Havana Music Tours archive.
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By Rosi del Valle (Cuban musician) For more than a century, the transverse flute has been one of Cuban music’s leading and most exciting instruments. Its prominence ranges from the so-called Charanga orchestras to the most contemporary Jazz, having virtuous…
Buena Vista Social Club: From Local Phenomenon to Global It´s never too late if happiness is good. By Rocío de Lucía (Cuban Musicologist) Throughout its history, the Son -as the Cuban Rumba- took longer to achieve institutional recognition, even though they…
Buena Vista Social Club: The vindication of Cuban music By Rocío de Lucía (Cuban Musicologist) In a marginal neighborhood of Havana in the 1930s, an “alluring mestiza” danced in a black social club, eventually packing the most important and distinguished stages in…
Venue guide published in 2020. Confirm current opening times, programs and availability before making plans. For a new trip, see our current tours and current U.S. Cuba travel guide. Music Venues in Havana By Chaz Chambers(Musician, Tour Guide Leader, and Director…
Havana’s Annual Percussion Festival ByYami Cabrera (Cuban musicologist and Business Development Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways) Fiesta del Tambor is the Havana’s Annual Percussion Festival. This Music Festival finds space in every corner of Havana to begin the “rumba” and celebrate.…
The life story of glory Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, more widely known as Celia Cruz, was a famous Cuban singer and left a footprint in history as one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Often…
Let‘s admit it, we all love music. And with so many different genres, sub-genres, techniques, sounds, and historical aspects, sometimes it can seem like a vast ocean, almost endless. But when it comes to Cuba, and discovering its culture, one particular style stands…
This article looks back at the 2019 festival and previews the 2020 program. For a new trip, see our current tours and current U.S. Cuba travel guide. Cuba Music Festival By Chaz Chambers(Musician, Tour Guide Leader, and Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical…
Breve historia de la música cubana con enfoque al período previo a 1959 ByYami Cabrera (Cuban musicologist and Business Development Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways) La música cubana ya cuenta con poco más de 500 años de historia,…
We are happy to announce that Havana Music Tours is a proud sponsor of the Havana Film Festival in New York. The nonprofit film festival has been around for 20 years and they are doing great with helping to…