Cuba Music Holiday

Join our Cuba Music Holiday in Santiago de Cuba, the undisputed home of traditional Cuban music. Enjoy specialist Cuban music tuition and masterclasses on your chosen instrument taught by one of our professional music tutors.  Learn about traditional Cuban and Latin music throughout the week, refine your skills and join in with a group performance at the end to demonstrate your new musical skills!

Nights out to top live bands, cultural visits and excursions and plenty of time to relax and recharge your batteries too, all in a relaxed and tropical Caribbean atmosphere. A holiday you will never forget! Our 1 week Cuba Music holiday  has been taking place since 1998 in Santiago de Cuba, the ideal place to hear and learn about live music.

This Cuba Music Holiday is an authentic and joyous cultural experience that will strengthen your knowledge and understanding of globally revered Cuban music in good company.

  Jazz Plaza Festival (late January each year):  

• The Jazz Plaza music festival takes place in both Havana and Santiago de Cuba in the last week of January each year
• A wide range of international and Cuban jazz musicians will be playing
• Ticket prices are very accessible to overseas visitors and provide an opportunity to listen to world class musicians, often in small intimate venues such as the Iris jazz club in Santiago de Cuba

 Pepe Sanchez Trova Festival (each year in mid March):  

• The Pepe Sanchez Trova Festival is one of the longest running music events in Cuba, with the first festival taking place in 1962
• The festival is named after the Cuban musician and singer Jose Sanchez, also known as Pepe, the father of Trova music
• Pepe Sanchez, born in 1856, was a naturally talented composer and inspired many musicians who, like him, had no formal training in music but wrote and played their own music. These musicians became know as trovadores (troubadours) and they made their living singing and playing the guitar in public spaces in Santiago and Cuba’s Oriente region
• Trova music became increasingly popular with the radio. Traditional trova songs were often sentimental but an emerging modernised trova music, known as Nueva trova, took a more political stance following the Cuban revolution in the 1960s
• The Pepe Sanchez Trova Festival is a tribute to Cuba’s trovadores. Throughout the festival trova artists come together in Santiago de Cuba to play concerts across the city in parks, squares, theatres and music venues. International musicians are also invited, pairing traditional trova music with more contemporary trova music styles
• A highlight of the festival is a parade through the city to the Santa Ifigenia cemetery where Pepe Sanchez is buried amongst other trova artists. This is known as the Ruta del Trovador
• If you are looking to immerse yourself in traditional Cuban music, the Pepe Sanchez Trova Festival is not to be missed

 Matamoros Son Festival (usually in May):  

• The Matamoros Son Festival takes place every two years in Santiago de Cuba
• The festival is named after the Cuban musician and singer Miguel Matamoros, famous for writing the words to Son de la Loma and Lagrimas Negras, amongst many other hit songs
• Miguel Matamoros was born in 1894 and was a prolific song writer. He was part of the Matamoros Son Trio which, for over 40 years, helped to popularise Son music
• The Matamoros Son Festival lasts for 5 days and brings together Cuban and international musicians to play in scheduled concerts and impromptu gatherings all over the city venues
• Son music originated in the Oriente province of Cuba, of which Santiago de Cuba is the capital, and it is wonderful music for dancing as well as listening to for enjoyment