One of the distinctive characteristics of contemporary Cuban music is the plurality of its sounds and styles. Of the artists who have recently emerged to produce works that are unique for audiences at home and abroad, I believe that X Alfonso is one of the most outstanding, having had the courage to experiment and merge musical genres from different traditions.

What is today the municipality of Cerro was first founded as a township 424 years ago. In recent decades a Culture Week is held to celebrate the anniversary. The 34th such event, dedicated to the popular and traditional dances. “Clave y Guaguancó” had the youth dancing, and the not so young as well. (30 photos)

Cuban troubadour Yolo Bonilla shares with us the details of his latest album, the first to ever achieve a fusion of Cuban music and the Brazilian style by rendering original versions of songs in the Portuguese language. “The idea came to me after a concert that was supposed to be a kind of farewell performance.”

Young Canadian performer Victoria Sol comes to the island to hone her musical studies, and in her appearances before the Cuban public, many have been surprised to hear a vocal style reminiscent of greats like Amy Winhouse.

Today one of the most prolific Cuban composers of the twentieth century will not see the light of day. The master Cesar Portillo de la Luz, musician and singer, is probably the most sung both on the island and abroad.

The Variety Show companies draw upon many of the artistic possibilities (theater, dance, circus art, mime, visual art, audiovisual presentation). However, their basis is purely musical, sampling from a variety of sources and thus escaping formal definition. The script doesn’t necessarily have a single unifying theme and the performance is totally eclectic.

Founded in 1927, The Ignacio Piñeiro National Septet is one of the mainstays of traditional Cuban “son” music. Many top musicians have passed through the Ignacio Piñeiro Septet in these 85 years. Today, they are constantly meeting commitments abroad and when they return to Cuba, they still perform for Cuban lovers of son in all its variants. (28 photos)

The famous Spanish singer and actress Massiel, will perform in Havana on May 11, during the main gala in the local campaign against Homophobia, organized every year by the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX).

Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club band led by singer Omara Portuondo returns to Santiago de Chile for a concert on May 3rd.. The photographer brings us these images from an earlier presentation of Buena Vista in Santiago de Chile. (7 photos)

The private visit of R & B singer Beyoncé and her rapper husband Jay-Z to Cuba last week continues to make headlines on Sunday as two US congress persons accuse them of possible violating the US travel ban on its citizens.