Travel in Cuba: A Recommended Reading List

Cuban music is a global phenomenon, and has been part of SFJAZZ since the beginning. As travel restrictions have eased in Cuba, more Americans are planning trips to explore the vast cultural wealth of our island neighbor to the south. If you are planning a trip, SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón has provided a recommended reading list to help prepare you for the unforgettable experience you are sure to have. In her words:

"A lifetime of reading will never adequately prepare you for the Cuban experience; the island must be witnessed firsthand, and even then you will probably leave with more questions than answers!

Meanwhile, here are a few recommendations of books to explore – from top picks of classic Cuban literature, to recent investigative reports on the ever-changing landscape.

To start things off, we have Tom Gjelten’s excellent account of one of Cuba’s most iconic families, Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba.

Fascinated by underworld kingpins? Be sure to check out Havana Nocturne by T.J. English, an eloquent tale of pre-revolutionary Havana and the role of American organized crime.

If Cuban literary masterpieces translated into English are more your style, we suggest the 19th century classic, Cecilia Valdés by Cirilo Villaverde, an account of the “depravity caused by slavery and colonialism.”

Budding musicologists should not miss Ned Sublette’s excellent tome, Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo.

For those appreciating a contemporary perspective on the island’s political and economic transformation, try Cuban Revelations by Marc Frank, or Julia Cooke’s The Other Side of Paradise.

Love detailed historical accounts? Jon Lee Anderson’s critically-acclaimed book, Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life is a no-brainer. If you prefer a more biting and witty style, try Guillermo Cabrera Infante’s Three Trapped Tigers. Just DO NOT take your copy to Cuba, as the book has been BANNED there! (Seriously.)

And finally, Lithuanian photographer Marius Jovaisa, who was granted special permission to shoot arial photos over much of Cuba, released his extraordinary collection in Unseen Cuba. This is a must-have for photography buffs." 

– Rebeca

PHOTO: Alfredo Rodriguez Trio at SFJAZZ Center

Alfredo Rodriguez Trio in Joe Henderson Lab

We're still feelin' the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio after 8 sold out shows in 4 nights in Joe Henderson Lab! The young Cuban pianist unleashed The Invasion Parade, his second album, produced by the great Quincy Jones. Originals were complemented by Cuban standards, such as "Veinte Años" and "Guantanamera," which the Trio, featuring bassist Ricky Rodriguez and drummer Henry Cole, reinvented again and again, turning them inside out and outside in!

The "young lions" of Cuban music + SFJAZZ Education's Rebeca Mauleon

Check out more photos at SFJAZZ Flickr. A stacked lineup at SFJAZZ all May! Check out the LineUp.

WATCH: At The Center ~ John Santos on Cuban singer Ernesto Oviedo

Watch SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director John Santos talk about Cuban singer Ernesto Oviedo, who will join Santos' Sextet at the SFJAZZ Center on February 8th to release their joint album, Siempre Clásico. The son of Isaac Oviedo, one of the greatest musicians in Cuban Popular Music, and brother of Buena Vista Social Club's trésero Papi Oviedo, Ernesto is an unsung living legend of the Cuban bolero and trova traditions. Last March, Oviedo debuted in the U.S. as a special guest for Santos' Filosofía Caribeña II at the SFJAZZ Center. He sang two songs and received four standing ovations!

For more information on John Santos' Residency and Siempre Clásico, visit sfjazz.org. For more videos, subscribe today to the SFJAZZ YouTube Channel!

WATCH: John Santos plays the SFJAZZ Center staircase

Resident Artistic Director John Santos dropped by the SFJAZZ Center to talk about his upcoming Residency. Afterward, he grabbed some drum sticks and performed an improvised piece on the Center's staircase!

John Santos kicks off his SFJAZZ Residency on January 18th & 19th with "Un Danzón Pa' Cachao, Una Descarga Pa' Walfredo," a tribute to legendary Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez and living Cuban percussion master Walfredo de los Reyes, featuring quite a cast of musicians—saxophonist/clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, Walfredo de los Reyes himself, the great timbalero Orestes Vilató, percussionist Javier Navarrette and The Classical Revolution Trio—all joining his working Sextet!

For more information on John Santos' Residency, visit sfjazz.org. For more videos, subscribe to the SFJAZZ YouTube Channel.