Music students and professors of the ISA University (Higher Institute of Art) created the project "Nuevos Pasos" (New Steps), an idea of teacher Alejandro Mayor and supported by the National Centers of Schools of Art and the Popular Music Center.

The group Gala Mayor, female quartet Musax, and quintet Síncopa Sax performed at the Aula Magna of the institution in the presence of Edgardo Ramirez, Ambassador of Venezuela to Cuba, Maestro Bobby Carcasses, students, teachers and the press.

The initiative comes in response to the demand of students of art education for several generations, and enables the exhibition of projects that arise consistently from the creativity of young musicians, either in quartets, duets or orchestral formats in popular music, with professional advice and technical support.

The creators of the project aspire to offer summer courses for students from other provinces, and have a quarterly program at the Avenida Movie-Theatre, in the Havana municipality of Playa.

"New steps" is made up by laureates musicians including Yunier Lombida, Director of the Jazz Band of the National School of Arts in the Jojazz International Festival held in 2012, where he was awarded with both the Grand and the First Prize.

Moreover, the quintet Síncopa Sax won the second prize in that contest, in the category of instrumental format, and the young saxophonist Hiroshi Iwasaki achieved first prize in the category of minors. ( Alicia Soto Smith)