Music

Music

César (Pupy) Pedroso, sharing stories and revealing scoops

BY ROXANA CONSUEGRA / PHOTOS: COURTESY THE ARTIST AND JOSÉ (TITO) MERIÑO

For César (Pupy) Pedroso, choosing music as a career path was not a difficult decision. Grandson of Julio Pedroso, flutist of the Orquesta Cuba, and son of César (Nene) Pedroso, pianist of many groups, among them the Orquesta Sensación, his life developed from the beginning among harmonies, compositions and tumbaos.

Fiesta del Tambor, a dance festival as well

BY MARY COUTO / PHOTOS: JOSÉ (TITO) MERIÑO

The popular Fiesta del Tambor, celebrated in Cuba for the last two decades, besides being a faithful exponent of percussion, also offers an important space for dance, mainly in the casino and rumba genres.

Cancun Jazz Festival

By Antonio Callejo

Visiting Cancun from January to May will be a two-fold privilege, since while enjoying the fi nest, whitest and warmest sand of the Caribbean, a glorious sun and the best weather of the season, you will have the chance to attend a program of musical shows crowned with a music festival, nourished by the all-time best performers of dance genres.

27th Jazz Plaza Festival

By José Dos Santos

Initiated over four decades ago, this year the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival will strengthen its international category with an impressive participation of Cuban and overseas stars. Convened by the Cuban Institute of Music and the National Centre for Popular Music, the 27th edition of this musical festival will bring together in Cuba, from December 15th to 18th, a selection of the most representative jazz musicians in the country and many interpreters of great prestige on a worldwide level.

Ivette Cepeda, singing is a gift...

By Mercy Ramos, Photos by Jose (Tito) Meriño, Alejandro Palmarola, Abel Machado and Mark

When Ivette Cepeda decided three decades ago to become a teacher because she loved teaching and her country needed teachers at the time, she never thought her passion for singing would, years later, make her one of Cuba’s most admired singers.

Declared May 8 as Cuban Son Day

CubaPLUS

uban son rhythm, danceable vocal and instrumental genre, now officially has its day of celebration in the country

Cuban musicians stand out in nominees' list for Latin Grammy 2020

Prensa Latina

The tradition, sound, rhythm and flavor of Cuban music stands out today among the list of candidates for the 2020 Latin Grammys, with nominations from half a dozen groups from Cuba.

Faílde orchestra, from Cuba, new voting member of the Latin Grammys

Cubaplus: Courtesy of Prensa Latina

The Failde Orchestra, a staple of danzon national dance, one of Cuba's traditional musical genre, is currently on the list of voting members of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, awarder of the Grammy Latin awards.

Benny Moré, the Fantastic Rhythm

By Fabiana Matamoros

Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez (1919-1963), better known as Benny Moré, nicknamed Fantastic Rhythm and Greatest Cuban Sonero, was a Cuban singer and composer, born in the province of Cienfuegos.

Alexander Abreu: singer from Pueblo Grifo

By Roxana Consuegra, Photos: courtesy of Alexander Abreu

Not many know that the real beginnings of Alexander Abreu within the universal language, music, were as a singer. While he began studying as a trumpeter at 10 years old, he had already begun singing in his native city of Cienfuegos, in the choral group “Los chicuelos del mar”. At only 11 years old he joined this group directed by teacher Rosa Campo, who he remembers as an incredible woman.

The Drum Festival returns to the Cuban scene

By Mary Couto, Photos: courtesy of Giraldo Piloto and José (Tito) Meriño

In Cuba there is a saying that says: “he who doesn’t have from the Congo, has from Carabalí”, which reflects that behind every Cuban there is some ancestor who came from Africa, from whose continent were brought thousands of Africans to the island as slaves by the Spanish colonisers and, with them, they brought their music, rhythms and religion, within all of which percussion is an indisputable part.