Cuban Music Course Matanzas, Cuba, 5th-12th April 2026 plus an optional 3-day Havana music tour 2nd-4th April

Register here https://forms.gle/QyWLdhhHKxcWghwS9

In order to secure a place please register and pay a £100 deposit. The course is primarily aimed at musicians but we also welcome along families and friends.

N.B. The trip to Havana will cost an additional £150 which will cover 3 nights accommodation, breakfast and organisation of activities. 

COURSE COST £1300/Students £1180 ($1765/$1602, €1500/€1360 at current exchange rates)

SUPER EARLY BIRD if booked before 30th September 2025 £1200 ($1600, €1380) at current exchange rate)

EARLY BIRD if booked before 31st October 2024 £1250 ($1665, €1440 at current exchange rate)

Repeat booking are entitled to a further £50 discount

Non-players – Half price, if sharing a room there is a further reduction. 

 

1 WEEK COURSE INCLUDES:

Rehearsals and group tuition,

Accommodation and breakfast for 8 nights (13th-20th April inclusive)

Evening meals for 7 evenings (one is free for outings).

Transport from Havana to Matanzas for those doing the 3 day Havana trip

We are happy to organize accommodation for extra nights, please indicate on the booking form. 

SUMMARY:

Following amazing courses in 2022-25 we are going back to Matanzas in April 2026. Join Sara McGuinness, Jesus Bello and a team of fantastic Cuban musicians for a week of music making. 

Matanzas is situated 100km east of Havana, on the coast close to the seaside resort of Varadero. Matanzas is significant in the history of Cuban music and arts and is a vibrant cultural hub. We have great contacts in Matanzas and are very excited to have this opportunity to run the course there. We will be rehearsing in Sala de Concierto José White, situated on the main square in Matanzas. The concert hall is famed as the birthplace of Danzón (Cuba’s national dance). We will be staying in beautiful casa particulares including Casa de Margarita and Roberto and Casa Soñada. They are gorgeous and the hosts are wonderful, welcoming people. We will be eating in a selection of a lovely local restaurants and use a delicious home delivery service.

Singers Rehearsing

Working in Matanzas, which is a small but vibrant city, provides the opportunity to
interact with a lot of people there. The economic situation makes it impossible for
organisations to buy essential items. In response to this, through discussion with the
director of Sala White, Jesus Bello and El Almacen, last year we changed the way that
we pay for services in Cuba, turning the trip into more of a cultural exchange. We
bought sacks of cement and roofing panels for Sala White, which had severe
problems with leaks. We also, through El Almacen, partnered with the Paediatric
hospital and took a donation of several cases of medical supplies.Working in Matanzas, which is a small but vibrant city, provides the opportunity to interact with a lot of people there. The economic situation makes it impossible for organisations to buy essential items. In response to this, through discussion with the director of Sala White, Jesus Bello and El Almacen, for the last two year we have changed the way that we pay for services in Cuba, turning the trip into more of a cultural exchange. In 2024 we bought sacks of cement and roofing panels for Sala White, which had severe problems with leaks. In 2025 we bought the materials and funded the construction of a staff kitchen in Sala White. In addition, We have partnered with the Paediatric hospital and raise money for urgent medical supplies which we source in the UK and take to Cuba.

Bruno Villalonga (ex-Irakere, Tropicana. trombonist) who voluntarily runs a youth big
band, community big band in Matanzas will be working with us on some days. In previous years our horn players have been invited to sit in with his band in a concert, and it is likely that this invitation will
be extended again. We took supplies for the youth big band, and plan to do the
same this year.

Youth Big Band concert with guest from the course

As usual, to complement the rehearsals we will be organizing an exciting programme
of musical activities: concerts, talks, rehearsals, etc. As we are close to the beautiful
beaches of Varadero, we will have a daytrip to the beach. This year we have added
an extra day trip in the middle of the course and plan to take you all on a day out to
La Arboleda on the nearby Rio Conimar

https://www.jibacoacuba.net/riocanimar.html

Features include:
40 hours of taught music making and directed practice
Ensemble playing with professional Cuban musicians

Percussion and rhythm workshops
Extra time slots for individual and group practice
Taught sessions on the history and development of Cuban musical styles
Ensemble playing
Performances by top Cuban ensembles
Homestays in lovely, friendly local casas.

NB: Due to the difficult situation in Cuba, we are limiting numbers. Please book early to avoid disappointment. 

Not included in the price but we can organise:

Optional individual classes

Optional dance classes

Sara McGuinness and Jesus Bello (see biogs below) host a week-long music course in Matanzas, Cuba. The course will be held in the legendary Sala White concert hall. The course is designed to cater for musicians both with and without experience of Cuban music performance. In an intensive week of activity we combine music making with essential background knowledge about the development and structure of Cuban music. Music making is interspersed with visits to live music performances across a wide range of Cuban music genres and a chance to interact with Cuban musicians.

We will be joined by a team of top Cuban musicians to work with you. 

This year Matanzas artists collective ‘El Almacen’ are helping to coordinate the course. They have access to many of the great Matanzas based musicians. Mantanzas is home to many acclaimed Cuban groups including Grammy award winning Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Afro Cuba, Danzón Orquesta Failde, Alejandro Falcón, numerous afro-Cuban religious groups and much more. We will be inviting some of the musicians from these groups to work with us on the course as well as organizing activities with them. 

Please follow links at the bottom of page for more details about the venue, accommodation and El Almacen.

THE TUTORS 

The Team!

L-R Luis, Sara, Jesus, Kini, Jimmy

Jesus Bello hails from Santa Clara, in the centre of Cuba and is steeped in the Cuban son tradition.  Throughout his career Jesus has combined life as a professional musician with education. Accolades include winning the Cuba-wide competition “Sonero del Año” as a singer, several years touring the world with Cuban L’aud Maestro Barbarito Torres of Buena Vista Social Club and 7 years as the lead singer of renowned Cuban son band Sierra Maestra. Whilst he has gained fame as a vocalist, Jesus is a talented multi-instrumentalist and has taught music at the school of arts in Santa Clara for over 20 years. One of his recent projects, which has gained national recognition, is to train a band of students in traditional Charanga style. He is currently director of Raices, a son group from Villa Clara (link below). 

Sara McGuinness is well known on the UK Salsa scene, having worked as a piano player, bandleader and educator in the field of Cuban music for more than 20 years. She has studied and worked with many great Cuban and Latin musicians both in Cuba, the UK, USA and abroad. For the last 14 years she has been the principal tutor on Cuban music courses in Havana and the UK. She also runs the 30 strong, successful Cuban Big Band “Orquesta Estelar” and leads regular Cuban Descargas (jam sessions) in London. She has a passion for imparting knowledge about the intricacies of Cuban music. Sara is a frequent visitor to Cuba, and is able to give you an insight into musical and social life there. 

Luis Bran is a Matanzas-based percussionist and educator. He is a key figure in Matanzas based collective El Almacen, and runs numerous national and international music and education projects. As well as teaching on the course, Luis helps organize activities for the group including performances, excursions,  encounters with musicians and artists. He also coordinates the aid project with the paediatric hospital. 

Jimmy Martinez Is a Cuban bass player who has made London his home. He is held in high regard for his bass skills, playing with many of the top bands He works regularly with Sara in both professional bands and in running education projects. Jimmy is a wealth of musical knowledge and a great director. 

Bruno Villalonga Has had an incredible career as one of the top trombonists in Cuba. Credits include Cuban jazz supergroup Irakere and the Tropicana orchestra. Now retired, Bruno is active in his local community of Matanzas, running both a youth and adult big band. In addition to participating in the course, we will be able to interact with his youth big band.  

El Kini works as a percussionist with a local son band. Since we located in Matanzas in 2022, he has assisted with the course, sharing his great knowledge with course members. 

Registration Form https://forms.gle/UJbwkoUCGss6kB788

SALA JOSE WHITE https://www.ecured.cu/Sala_White

CASA ROBERTO Y MARGARITA https://www.cubacasas.net/cities/matanzas/robertoymargarita/

EL ALMACEN – interview on Afropop https://afropop.org/audio-programs/africa-in-matanzas-cuba-el-almacen-is-walking

EL ALMACEN – YOUTUBE PAGE https://www.youtube.com/c/ELALMAC%C3%89NCUBA

JESUS BELLO (lead vocal and bass) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-86qkhceKpg