Kono y los chicos de Cuba at Jazz Plaza 2024

The 39th International Jazz Plaza Festival 2024 will once again showcase the talents of Kono y los chicos de Cuba, who have been part of this event for eight editions. This time the audience will be treated to their music in the Tito Junco Hall of the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Centre on Monday 22 January at 19:00.

For nearly a decade, the Cuban music scene has been graced by the distinctive sound of Kono y los chicos de Cuba, a group led by master percussionist Haruhiko Kono, a Japanese artist who has called the Caribbean nation home for more than 30 years.

Maestro Kono’s musical concept is defined by Latin jazz, resulting in a unique fusion within Cuban jazz – a harmonious blend of traditional Japanese and Cuban music, predominantly Afro-Cuban rhythms.

The group’s artistic evolution, noticeable since their debut album Universos Paralelos, has been highlighted in previous editions of the Jazz Plaza Festival. They have shown the solid maturity that comes from years of experimentation, presenting a coherent, contemporary and innovative discourse that is pioneering in many ways. This essence undoubtedly guarantees them a prestigious place in Cuban music for years to come.

Their latest success, Tokio a las 7 de la noche, a Cuban musical adaptation (in collaboration with the original songwriter) of the iconic Japanese song of the same name, led to the first music video by Kono y los chicos de Cuba. Last year, it peaked at number one in the World Music category at major record stores in Japan and won them the Grand Prize as the best-selling album – the only Cuban group to achieve this to date.

Last year they released the music video for the popular song Hoy mi Habana, written by Cuban artist José Antonio Quesada. This release serves as the director’s expression of gratitude to the city that has been a platform for his music for more than three decades.