Welcome to Cuba!
A concert tour of Havana, Cuba will surely enrich the musical education of any ensemble.
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture on this exploration of Cuban musical traditions. Learn the fascinating history of the rhythms that characterize Cuban music. Additionally, enjoy interactive workshops with Cuban directors and rehearsals with Cuban singers and instrumentalists.
Explore the undoubtedly fascinating and ever-shifting international relationships between Cuba and the United States. Reach out to the Cuban people to forge new friendships. Foster connections through shared concerts in magnificent venues. Take interactive outings to houses of art and music. Perform goodwill concerts with Cuban hosts. There is no better time to visit this musically rich, as well as enchanting, destination. Experience all that Havana, Cuba has to offer as you share your music with local people.
Itinerary
Welcome to Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean Sea! Arrive in Havana’s José Martí Airport, named after the national hero whose lyrics resonate in the popular song Guantanamera. Your Music Contact International tour manager and Cuban guide will be waiting to greet you. Together, board a private motor coach and enjoy an introduction to intriguing Havana.
Check into a comfortable hotel and refresh before embarking on an orientation walk through the historic streets of Havana Vieja. See the glorious Cathedral of Havana, fortifications around Plaza de Armas, charming courtyards and brilliantly colored homes, shops, galleries and restaurants pulsing with music.
This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner of local specialties as your tour manager previews the days ahead. Cuban dance lessons may be arranged.
Begin your first full day in Havana with a music workshop led by a talented Cuban director. Learn and practice Cuban rhythms with a pro!
Next, enjoy lunch. Rehearsal can be scheduled this afternoon.
At night, participate in a friendship concert with a local ensemble whose members will perform, share music and socialize with you. Dinner will be arranged and tickets for jazz and cabaret shows can be organized upon request.
Today, visit one of Cuba’s renowned performing arts institutions. Meet and collaborate with local musicians and experience firsthand Cuba’s exemplary commitment to teaching and integrating the arts into daily life.
In the afternoon, spend time in one of Havana’s premier museums: Museo de Bellas Artes, with its contemporary works by Cuban and international artists, or Museo de la Revolución, housed in the former Presidential palace, which chronicles the events of the Cuban revolution.
In the evening, perform a concert for the Cuban people. Venue possibilities include some of the finest in the city: Teatro Amadeo Roldan, Basilica San Francisco, as well as more intimate churches and community theaters.
Start the day with a community concert. You may sing as part of a worship service or outreach activity.
After lunch, stop across the bay at Morro Castle (Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro), the largest fortress in the Americas, affording excellent group photo opportunities and views and peruse the local crafts market.
Tonight, a festive farewell dinner rounds out your memorable stay in Cuba.
Return home with wonderful memories of your concert tour!
Concert Tour Highlights
FRIENDSHIP CONCERTS IN CUBA
Our friendship concerts are a featured experience on our tours and are at the heart of our mission to foster cultural connections through music. We benefit from a vast international network in the choral world built over our thirty years' experience of helping choirs share their music both in the United States and abroad. Your choir will share a venue and a concert program with a host choir from the region. Your singers will have the chance to hear their host choir's repertoire (often showcasing local musical styles) and to share your own repertoire in turn. Fellowship time usually follows the friendship concert, giving both choirs the chance to mingle and enjoy the camaraderie of creating cross-cultural connections through a shared love of music.
HAVANA
Havana, Cuba’s capital, was founded in 1514 by the Spaniard Diego Velazquez. To protect the city, the Spanish built a wall and constructed huge fortresses at the entrance to the harbor. Both the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro are still standing today. Together with the wall, they constitute the perimeter of Havana Vieja (Old Havana)—the heart and soul of the capital city and a UNESCO International Heritage site. Other sections of Havana include Vedado, which is primarily occupied by offices and hotels; Centro Habana, the residential area where much of life takes place on the streets; and Miramar, home to expensive hotels, restaurants and foreign embassies.
OLD HAVANA
Old Havana is a delightful district of narrow cobblestone streets, fine architecture and Spanish-style town squares. The Plaza de Armas was the first public square built in the city. The square holds a deep religious significance for many of the citizens of Havana. Not only was it said to be the venue for the first public mass, but it is also home to the hallowed ceiba tree, a tree that is regarded as sacred in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. Close by is one of the most beautiful squares in the Caribbean, the Plaza de la Catedral, which is surrounded by the finest Baroque architecture in the country.
DIGNA GUERRA
Born in Havana, Digna Guerra’s career in choral conducting and education spans 50 years. She has served as director of the Choir of Radio and Television and the National Opera Choir of Cuba and currently directs the Coro Nacional of Cuba, Entrevoces (a chamber choir which has received numerous international awards), and the National Youth and Children’s Choirs of Cuba. She has taught courses and workshops in various countries in cooperation with festivals and educational institutions.