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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This article was published in 2021; references to current performers and regular shows describe that period. For a new trip, see our current tours and current U.S. Cuba travel guide. The Buena Vista Social Club Today By Rocío de Lucía (Cuban…
A Reflection about Female Musicians For Women’s History Month By Rosi del Valle (Cuban musician) Last year was one of the most difficult for artists, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, music events were not possible. However, the artistic movement…
ByYami Cabrera (Cuban musicologist and Business Development Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways) The rumba is one of the most important and universal Cuban styles of music. Many travelers and music lovers go to the island of Cuba to…
Tonadas Trinitarias, Cuban Folk Music ByYami Cabrera (Cuban musicologist and Business Development Director of Havana Music Tours and Musical Getaways) Trinidad is a beautiful city in the center of Cuba. There we can find a very distinctive genre of this city, known…
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…