Cuban Culture in New York City

Cuban New York City

The heart of Cuban New York City is Union City across the river in Hudson County, New Jersey.

Cuban Art in NYC

Cuban Artists Fund cubanartistsfund.org

Cuban Cultural Centers in NYC

Cuban Cultural Center New York

Cuban Dance in NYC

Ballet Hispánico, America’s leading Latin dance company, is led by Cuban American choreographer Eduardo Vilaro. 🇨🇺

Dance Theater of Harlem has some great Cuban dancers.

The Joyce Theater, New York’s busiest dance theater, has long developed contemporary dance in Cuba. Malpaso Dance Company is a Joyce Affiliate company.

New York City Center, one of New York’s leading dance theaters, has long developed contemporary dance in Cuba.

Latin Mondays at Taj is a salsa dance party that has a regular crew of Cubans who can really dance.

World Ballet Day usually goes behind the scenes with some Cuban dance companies.

Cuban Fashion in NYC

Evan Elkowitz is a New York fashionista who is very involved with fashion in Cuba. @stylebyevan

Cuban Festivals in NYC

• Carnival Cubano Parade
• Cuban Parade in Union City, New Jersey

Cuban Film in NYC

The African Diaspora International Film Festival has a Cuban co-founder.

The Havana Film Festival New York is the sister festival of Cuba’s Havana Film Festival.

Cuban Music in NYC

Cubans play a lot of jazz in New York City.

Cuban Restaurants in NYC

• Havana Central
• Guantanamo
• Victor’s Cafe

Cuban Theatre in NYC

“Buena Vista Social Club™” is a Saheem Ali musical about the retired musicians whose recording made the whole world want to dance again. It’s produced by the Atlantic Theater Company.

“On Your Feet!” the musical, is the Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan story.

Repertorio Español, one of New York City’s most successful Off-Broadway theaters, was founded by Cubans.

Cuban Artists

Axel Tosca is a Cuban timba and jazz pianist. 🇨🇺

Carmen Herrera was a legendary Cuban abstract artist who long lived in New York City. 🇨🇺

Celia Cruz, “The Queen of Salsa,” did more to popularize Latin music around the world, than anyone else. 🇨🇺

Dafnis Prieto is a Grammy-winning, MacArthur Fellow Cuban jazz drummer, composer and educator who has almost supernatural rhythm. 🇨🇺

Daymé Arocena is a Cuban jazz singer, composer and bandleader who sings the sweetest Latin jazz from her rumba roots and classical training. She’s been called “Cuba’s Finest Young Female Singer.” 🇨🇺

Dayramir González is a Cuban jazz pianist who swings hard for the ancestors. 🇨🇺

Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan crossed over into English with Miami Sound Machine’s (“Conga”) in 1979. They crossed back with “Mi Tierra” in 1993. “On Your Feet!” the musical, is their inspiring story. No matter what happens, you have to get back on your feet! 🇨🇺

Graciela was a great Latin jazz singer in her brother’s band Machito and His Afro-Cubans.🇨🇺

Los Van Van, founded by bassist Juan Formell in 1969, led the development of songo and timba in Cuba by adding rock and roll rhythms to the mix. 🇨🇺

Machito and His Afro-Cubans, with Music Director Mario Bauzá, created Latin jazz by playing jazz in clave. 🇨🇺

Melvis Santa is a Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban jazz singer, pianist, batá drummer, educator, and actress; originally from Havana. 🇨🇺

Narciso Rodriguez is a famous Cuban fashion designer. You can find his clothes in department stores. 🇨🇺

Omar Sosa is an international Cuban jazz pianist who plays fusions with other artists around the world. His collaboration with Senegalese kora master Seckou Keita is wonderfully spiritual. 🇨🇺

Paquito D’Rivera, the classical and jazz legend, lives in New York and plays around a lot. 🇨🇺

Pedrito Martinez is the world’s first-call rumba percussionist. He plays rumba, timba, jazz, and pop that can change your life. 🇨🇺

Pepito Gomez is a Cuban son and salsa singer. 🇨🇺

Roman Díaz is one of New York City’s leading rumba percussionists. 🇨🇺

Xiomara Laugart, is a famous Latin jazz and trova singer. 🇨🇺

Cuban Culture

Cuban Dance in NYC

Latin American dancers dream of training with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba because the caliber of dance is so high, it can launch international careers. @balletnacionaldecubaoficial

Jennyselt Galata is a leader in Cuba’s spiritual and dance communities. She is one of the guardians of Yoruba and Palo culture. @jennygalata

Raíces Profundas (Deep Roots) is sort of the Royal Ballet of Cuba, but in folkloric and popular traditions from rumba to salsa. Their studio is an abandoned power plant. @raicesprofundascuba

Cuban Music in NYC

Cuban clave rhythm is fundamental to a lot of Latin music. It’s Jelly Roll Morton’s “Spanish Tinge.” Jazz is in conversation with Cuba.

Cuban rumba is the root of a lot of Latin music and Latin dance. The oldest drums in Cuba were made by the first Africans in 1513. They are still in La Marina, Matanzas.

Cuban son evolved into songo and timba in Cuba, and Latin jazz and salsa in New York.

Cuba

Cuba is the sacred heart of Latin culture in the Americas. As the main port of the Spanish transatlantic trade, Havana was the center of colonial Spanish power. Whatever happened in Havana, spread across the Spanish-speaking world, including back to Spain. That is still true.

In modern times, American gangsters and big business took over, so Cuba expelled the Americans which earned it great respect across Latin America. This preserved Cuban culture.

Cuban rumba is a taproot of what we now call Latin music. Son Cubano evolved into Latin jazz and salsa in New York, and timba in Cuba. Cubop (Latin Jazz) developed in 1940s New York City along with Bebop (Modern Jazz).

Latin American dancers dream of training with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba because it can launch international careers. The Joyce Theater and New York City Center have a legacy of developing contemporary dance in Cuba.

Before the Revolution, Cuba was the most advanced society in Latin America. Havana was one of the most advanced world capitals.

Festivals in Cuba

Most Americans know Yoruba traditions through Cuban Yoruba which absorbed the Dahomey and Kongo traditions that also rooted in the Americas. We are all mixed together.

Lucumí, the beautiful African Diaspora Yoruba religion, is the root of many Latin music and dance traditions. ¡Ashé!

Babalú-Ayé, the Cuban Yoruba orisha of sickness and healing, is celebrated on December 17.

Changó, the Cuban Yoruba orisha of music, drumming, dancing, and justice, is celebrated on December 4.

Cuban Independence Day celebrates “The Cry of Yara” which launched the First Cuban War of Independence from Spain, on October 10, 1868. 🇨🇺

Our Lady of Charity (La Caridad de Cobre), the patron saint of Cuba, is celebrated on September 8.

The Virgin of Regla (La Virgen de Regla), patron saint of the Afro-Cuban Havana neighborhood of Regla, is celebrated on September 7.