Saturday July 11th / The Mint (1414 Douglas St) / doors 7pm / dance class 7:15 / showtime 8pm (All ages)

The wait is over—Club Havana is back with a refreshed look and, for the first time, at The Mint! Get ready for an evening of the most valuable and famous Cuban music. We can’t wait to show you the new things we're working on to keep the show fresh and exciting!

Club Havana is dedicated to the history of popular Cuban music, the island of Celia Cruz, Irakere, Cachao, Arsenio Rodríguez, Miguel Matamoros, Celina González, Beny Moré, Gloria Estefan, and many other legendary musicians. You will enjoy the endless universe of rhythms originating from the island of music and perceive that particular, engaging sound that made this music unique and internationally recognized.

Pablo Cardenas and The West Coast Cuban Orchestra will show you a great variety of rhythms and musical genres originating in Cuba, from the roots to the most modern tendencies. Those sounds that represent Cuban music also represent a large portion of Latin music, like the traditional son, cha-cha-chá, salsa, danzón, mambo, conga, rumba, bolero, and many others.

The main purpose of this event is to give the best Cuban music and dance more exposure on Vancouver Island. Come ready to experience those classic melodies that so many are familiar with, and others that are well-known but have not been promoted enough. The band will feature an all-star lineup of musicians and special guests, created to give you a fresh and international Cuban sound.
We will also be bringing you authentic dance, with a Cuban rhythms dance class by Isabel Arias from Cuba, who will show you the pure dancing essence of the Caribbean island!

The West Coast Cuban Orchestra was created in 2011 by the internationally renowned Cuban pianist Pablo Cardenas. On a trip to Vancouver Island for a performance, he unexpectedly met a few musicians who motivated him to start a band and stay longer; it became one of his major musical projects. His purpose was to keep the Cuban music roots alive in North America while adding the influence of other musical tendencies like jazz fusion and world music. He also wanted an eclectic lineup with different cultural backgrounds to enrich the sound of the project.

Pablo Cardenas is a virtuoso pianist and composer of profound versatility. He bridges the gap between deep tradition and contemporary innovation while standing at the intersection of classical discipline and the rhythmic soul of Cuba. A graduate of the prestigious Superior Institute of Arts in Havana, Pablo has cultivated a signature sound that seamlessly weaves Afro-Cuban foundations with the complexities of Modern Jazz, Fusion and World music. Since establishing himself in Canada in 2011, he has become a cornerstone of the jazz scene. His career is marked by high-profile collaborations with Canadian icons such as Dee Daniels and Denzal Sinclaire, as well as recurring performances with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Whether on international festival stages or in the intimate atmosphere of a jazz club, Pablo’s arrangements often serve as a bridge between the Golden Age of Cuba and the cutting edge of contemporary jazz.

Pablo Cardenas

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