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Cuban NYC

Cuban NYC is centered in Union City, New Jersey. Cuba is the sacred heart of Latin culture in the Americas.

Havana was the center of power in the Spanish Americas. Whatever happened in Cuba, spread across the Spanish-speaking world, including back to Spain.

Cuban NYC News

2022

Pedrito Martinez Group 2021 (the artist)
Pedrito Martinez Group 2021 (the artist)

Pedrito Martinez plays Cuban Rumba and Timba live at Harlem Stage (with the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute) in Manhattanville, Harlem on Fri-Sat, Feb 11-12 at 7:30pm. From $25. 🇨🇺

Cuban Art

Surrealism Beyond Borders is at The Met Fifth Avenue in Central Park to Jan 30, 2022. 🇨🇺🇭🇹🇲🇶🇵🇷 | 🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴 | 🇫🇷🇮🇹🇪🇸

Cuban Jazz

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble play Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen on Sundays at 8:30 & 10:30pm. From $20. 🇨🇺

Cuban Theatre

Chicago the Musical stars Ana Villafañe at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway in an open run. 🇨🇺

The Leyma López adaptation of Eduardo de Filippo’s romantic comedy Filomena Marturano: Un Matrimonio a la Caribeña is in repertory at Repertorio Español in Kips Bay. For adults. From $15. 🇨🇺

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Cuba is the Beating Heart of Latin Culture in the Americas

Cuba is the sacred heart of Latin culture in the Americas because it was Spain’s main colonial port. Whatever happened in Cuba spread across the Spanish Americas and even back to Spain (Rumba Flamenca).

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

A lot of Latin music and Latin dance is originally Cuban. Santería is the root of many Latin music traditions. It becomes secular in Rumba. 1950s Cuban dance music evolved into Salsa in New York City, and Timba in Havana.

Previously in Cuban NYC

Malpaso Dance Company performs Cuban Contemporary Dance at The Joyce in Chelsea, Wed-Sun, Jan 19-23, 2022. From $26. 🇨🇺

Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic brings together the Puerto Rican Tap master with live music by Cuban Jazz legend Arturo O’Farrill, at The Joyce in Chelsea, Tue-Sun, Jan 4-9, 2022. From $26. 🇵🇷🇨🇺

Pedrito Martinez (Richard Termine)

Pedrito Martinez and Jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, play a “Yoruba Soy” concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall on Sat, Dec 4 at 7:30pm. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇺

Cuban Chinese cellist Sophia Bacelar plays a Ruiz Memorial Recital at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall on Wed, Dec 8 at 7:30pm. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇺

Radio Free Brooklyn’s Gianluca Tremontana hosts a Changüi: The Music of Guantanamo listening event at the Pine Box Rock Shop in Bushwick, Brooklyn on Wed, Nov 17 at 8pm. Free with rsvp tickettailor.com

Daymé Arocena (Pablo Dewin/World Music Institute)

Daymé Arocena sings Cuban Jazz for the World Music Institute Women’s Voices Series at Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village on Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 8pm (7pm doors). From $25. worldmusicinstitute.org 🇨🇺

Harold López-Nussa, Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis & Ruy López-Nussa play Cuban Timba at The Blue Note in Greenwich Village, Mon-Wed, Nov 8-10 at 8 & 10:30pm (6 & 10pm doors). From $25. 🇨🇺🇵🇷🇨🇭

Havana Film Festival New York 2021 (HFFNY)

The Havana Film Festival New York opens at Village East Cinema in the East Village on Fri, Nov 5 at 6:30pm. From $20. Grammy nominee Dayramir González plays Cuban Jazz at the Afterparty. From $85. 🇨🇺🇪🇸|🇨🇦🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇺🇸|🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇵🇪🇻🇪|🇬🇷🇬🇧

Grammy winner David Oquendo & Friends play Latin Jazz at the Bronx Music Heritage Center in Foxhurst, The Bronx on Sat, Oct 30 at 2pm (1:45pm doors). FREE with reservation (917) 557-2354. @bxmusic 🇨🇺

Pedrito Martinez plays Cuban Timba at Drom in the East Village on Thu, Oct 28 at 8pm (7pm doors). $30. 🇨🇺

Mambembe plays Samba/Reggae and Kikiriki Biguey plays Afro-Cuban Rumba at Drom in the East Village on Tue, Oct 26 at 8pm (7pm doors). $10. 🇧🇷🇯🇲🇨🇺

Cuban Nueva Trova legend Pablo Milanés brings his Dias de Luz Tour to The Town Hall in Midtown, Manhattan on Sat, Oct 23 at 8pm. From $45. 🇨🇺

Dayramir Gonzalez & Habana enTRANCé play Cuban Jazz at Flushing Town Hall in Flushing, Queens on Sat, Oct 23 at 7pm. $20. 🇨🇺

Remember Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, on her birthday, Thu, Oct 21.

Issac Delgado y La Novena play Cuban Timba at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen Tue-Sat, Oct 19-23 at 7 & 9:30pm. From $30. 🇨🇺

David Oquendo & Friends play Afro-Cuban rumba in the Bronx Music Hall Plaza outdoors at Bronx Commons on Sun, Oct 17 at 1pm. Free. Facebook @bxmusic 🇨🇺

Dance Theatre of Harlem does pop-up performances inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s sculptures in the Kusama garden at the NY Botanical Garden in The Bronx, Sat-Sun, Oct 16-17 from 2-5pm. From $25. 🇧🇷🇨🇺🇭🇹🇺🇸

Fleur Seule sings “Latin Love Songs” at Birdland in Hell’s Kitchen on Thu, Oct 14 at 8:30pm. From $20. 🇧🇷🇨🇺🇵🇷

Gerardo Contino & Los Habaneros play Cuban Timba at Cuban Restaurant Mi Salsa Kitchen in the Lower East Side on Sat, Oct 2 at 11pm. 🇨🇺

Gerardo Contino & Los Habaneros play Cuban Timba at the Roxy Bar at the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca on Sat, Oct 2 from 8-10:30pm. 🇨🇺

The Cruce de Campeones USA National Freestyle Rap Finals are at La Boom NY in Woodside, Queens on Sat, Oct 2 at 6pm. Cacha vs Yartzi is the exhibition. From $35. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇬🇹🇲🇽|🇦🇷🇵🇷

Jose “Pepito” Gomez plays Cuban son in tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club at Drom in the East Village on Sat, Oct 2 at 5:30pm & 8pm. (5pm & 7:30pm doors). $69 🇨🇺

Gerardo Contino & Los Habaneros play Cuban Timba at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Oct 1 at 10:30pm. $10. 🇨🇺

Pedrito Martinez plays Cuban rumba at Drom in the East Village on Fri, Oct 1 at 8pm (7pm doors). Tickets $30. 🇨🇺

Eddie Palmieri, Tito Nieves and Arturo O’Farrill play a “Salsa Meets Jazz” concert at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Sat, Sep 25, 2021 at 8pm. From $29 🇨🇺🇵🇷

The Affordable Art Fair is at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea Thu-Sun, Sep 23-26. From $25 🇨🇦🇨🇺🇫🇷🇲🇽🇪🇸🇺🇸

The New York Yankees celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a giveaway of Yankee caps with Hispanic flags for Yankee games on Fri-Wed, Sep 17-22, 2021. From $40. mlb.com
🇦🇷🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

Yas Gonzalez shows at Fashion Designers of Latin America at Lavan541 in Chelsea, Manhattan on Tue-Wed, Sep 8-9, 2021. 🇨🇺

Cuban Archive

Cuban Festivals in NYC

Cuban New York City

Cuban New Yorkers

New York City’s Cuban community is small, but influential.

Elio Villafranca

BELMONT, THE BRONX, Sun, Jan 27, 2019 ~ The jazz composer of the African diaspora joins Mary Ann Sweeney & Bronx Arts Ensemble to play one of the jazz greats, Charles Mingus. African Cuban jazz live music. FREE

Continue Reading Elio Villafranca

Cubans

The Cuban diaspora is everywhere.

Yuli

Sunday, July 14, 2019
LINCOLN CENTER, NYC ~ This inspiring movie tells the life story of Cuban ballet dance legend Carlos Acosta (Royal Ballet, Acosta Danza)

Continue Reading Yuli

Cuban Culture

Cuban culture has a big influence on the world, far beyond its size. A lot of Caribbean culture is really Cuban culture. During the Colonial Period, Havana was one corner of the triangular trade, so whatever happened in Cuba spread across the Spanish Americas and even influenced Spain. Later, standing up to the Americans gave Cuba a unique credibility.

Santería

The Yoruba religion from Nigeria and Benin was called Santería by the Spanish in Cuba because Africans kept their heritage faith by blending it with worship of Catholic saints

Continue Reading Santería

Cuba

The Havana Film Festival (International Festival of New Latin American Cinema) is in Havana in December. It’s one of the good times to visit.

Cuban Tropicana dancer (King Ho Yim/Dreamstime)
Cuban Tropicana dancer (King Ho Yim/Dreamstime)
Caribbean NYC

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