UNEAC Hosts Vibrant Prelude to Cubadisco 2025
The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), in collaboration with the Cuban Institute of Music, will host a special week of activities from May 12 to 16 leading up to Cubadisco 2025, the island’s premier international music industry fair. The pre-festival events offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the enduring impact of Cuban music on both artists and audiences.
Over five days, UNEAC’s national headquarters will become a hub for showcasing Cuba’s vibrant musical heritage, with a lineup that includes album and documentary launches, expert panels, in-depth discussions, and concerts featuring acclaimed musicians and ensembles.
Highlights of the program include Detrás de la Portada (Behind the Cover), focused on album and documentary presentations, and Contracanto, a reflective and inclusive space for dialogue about the context surrounding Cuban music and its creators. Genre-focused concerts such as Miércoles de la Rumba, Trova sin Traba, and Tarde del Bolero will pay tribute to quintessentially Cuban styles.
According to Mabel Castillo, President of UNEAC’s Music Association, the program will kick off on the afternoon of Monday, May 12, with the screening of two documentaries: Oriki para Bola de Nieve, directed by Lourdes de los Santos, and Flautas con aroma de mujer, by Alberto Padrón. The day’s live performance will feature Camerata Cortés, under the baton of Orlando “Maraca” Valle.
On Tuesday, May 13, the album Live in Havana and the documentary Estrellas del Buena Vista y más will be presented. A panel on Son cubano, moderated by Nery González Bello, head of UNEAC’s musicology section, will include special guest Pancho Amat. He and his group El Cabildo will close the day with a performance.
Wednesday’s program will spotlight the release of La bendición de las dos aguas (Abdala Productions), a recording by Madreagua, a group dedicated to Rumba and Afro-Cuban culture, led by Roberto Silva. Madreagua will also perform as part of Miércoles de la Rumba in UNEAC’s Patio Hurón Azul.
On Thursday, the Unicornio label will present the Orisha Ayé Collection and the multimedia project Oggún by Lázaro Ros, followed by a vibrant trova jam session (Trova sin Traba) featuring singer-songwriters Santa Massiel Rueda, Ana Irma Pérez Perelló, Gladys del Monte, and Pedrito Beritán.
The pre-festival week will conclude on Friday, May 16, with another edition of Detrás de la Portada, this time highlighting Rumba con Swing. Re-creaciones de Chano Pozo, a Colibrí Productions album featuring Emilio Morales, Alejandro Falcón, and the Abreu Brothers. That evening, Tarde del Bolero will bring together Mundito González, Vania Borges, and Daniel Pérez Febles, accompanied by the Cuerdas Profundas Orchestra, conducted by Lázaro Dagoberto González.
Cubadisco 2025 is the largest event in Cuba’s recording industry calendar and serves as a vital platform for the promotion and recognition of national music. The pre-festival week, organized by UNEAC and the Cuban Institute of Music, promises to be a celebration of local talent and a showcase for the productions competing in Cuba’s grand musical showcase.
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
