November 1, 2003 thru November 15, 2003

Updated June 27, 2003
Two week program includes La Habana, Santiago de Cuba, and Matanzas!

The group will arrive in Havana in the early evening where you will be met in the airport by a program representative who will accompany you to your hotel. We will have dinner at the hotel.

Today we will explore the streets of the historic downtown Havana during which time we will meet with Cuban residents and learn first-hand about daily life in downtown Havana.

Visit a community project that promotes Cuban music and culture called Hammel’s Alley where we will meet with some local Afro-Cuban musicians and artisans. You will have the chance to interact with these people and learn more about the thriving arts scene in Havana.

In the evening you will have an opportunity to visit a local music club to see new up and coming Cuban artists perform.

Attend a live musical performance in Havana.

Exchange with the professors and students of one of Havana’s fine arts institutes to discuss the arts and arts education in Cuba.

Attend a briefing on the Cuban revolution and the current state of Cuba’s economy. A visit to a local museum will be part of this activity.

Attend a live musical performance in Havana.

Participate in conferences with recognized music experts to discuss Cuban music and the music industry in Cuba. Actual conference attendees are to be determined; most likely to include musicians, music industry representatives.

In the evening we will have dinner with local musicians, and we will attend performances by the musicians.

Attend a live musical performance in Havana.

Fly to Santiago de Cuba.

In the afternoon we will participate in a percussion workshop with local musicians to learn more about Cuban percussion rhythms.

Attend a live musical performance in Santiago de Cuba.

We will spend the morning in a percussion workshop with local musicians to further advance our knowledge of Cuban music.

Meet with members of the Afro-Cuban community to learn about the African roots of Cuba and the issues facing this community.

Spend the evening at the home of a local Cuban resident and with fellow members of his community to discuss U.S. and Cuban relations.

Flight from Santiago to Havana.

Visit the Museum of Music to discuss the history of Cuban music with local historians. You will have the opportunity to visit the museum’s permanent collection of Cuban music artifacts.

Return flight to USA ---- Arrival of Week 2 participants.

Day 9: Havana

Today we will explore the streets of the historic downtown Havana during which time we will meet with Cuban residents and learn first-hand about daily life in downtown Havana.

Day 10: Havana/Matanzas

Visit with a leading women’s right group to discuss women’s issues in Cuba and empowerment programs.
Travel to Matanzas

Day 11: Matanzas

We will spend the morning in workshops and classes with a particular focus on percussion with Afro-Cuba de Matanzas.
The afternoon is spent in workshops with local Cuban musicians to further our understanding of Afro-Cuban percussion.
Travel to Havana

We will spend the morning in percussion workshops and discussions covering a wide variety of Afro-Cuban topics.

In the afternoon we will visit the SONOC Cuban Percussion factory in Cerro to see first hand the designing, development, and manufacture of Cuban percussion.

Attend a live musical performance in Havana. Location of event to be determined.

We will spend the morning in a percussion workshop to learn more about Cuban percussion rhythms.

In the afternoon visit the Center for the Development and Identification of Cuban Music (CIDMUC) in Vedado. There we will participate in a lecture and dialogue with the Center director.

Attend a live musical performance in Havana.

We will spend the morning in workshops and classes with a particular focus on percussion applications in Afro-Cuban music.

The afternoon is spent in workshops with local Cuban musicians to further our understanding of Afro-Cuban percussion.

In the evening we will attend live musical performances.