WOMAD artists keeping traditional Cuban music alive

20 Mar 2011


By Kim Choe


Cuba is known for three things: “Good cigars, good coffee, and good music.” This is the belief of singer Juan de Marcos González, and it’s hard to argue with him.

The two Cuban groups at this year’s WOMAD festival have vastly different historical foundations, but both prove there is much more to their country’s music than the Buena Vista Social Club.

But González’s links to Buena Vista are strong. His group, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, provided the backing for the 1997 landmark record.

González says the Buena Vista Social Club was significant because it was the first musical collaboration between Cubans and Americans since the Cuban Revolution in 1952.

But the All Stars’ purposes stretches far beyond the political.

“It’s about incorporating different generations to keep the music alive,” says González.

The group spans four generations of musicians, ranging in age from 13 to 81, ensuring the survival of older styles of music is guaranteed – even as contemporary music becomes increasingly more prevalent in the bars and streets of Havana.

The Creole Choir of Cuba also shares that aim of bringing traditional songs and music styles to modern audiences. But whereas the All Stars have their roots in the dance traditions of son montuno, rumba, and bolero, the Creole Choir preserves the haunting songs of their Haitian and Dominican ancestors, whose people flocked to Cuba in the mid-18th Century to work on the sugar plantations.

Choir member Emilia Díaz Chávez says it’s important to show people the country isn’t just about poverty and suffering - especially after Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010.

“We smile too,” she says.

The chance to travel the world and perform at festivals like WOMAD is crucial for both of these groups. And judging from the enthusiastic reception they have received, there is no danger of Cuban music being forgotten.