Jazz Plaza 2018 at Mella Theater

Havana and the Eastern province of Santiago de Cuba —for a second time— will serve as the venues of the most important annual jazz event held in the island starting on January 16^th, this time with a heavy schedule.

The International Festival Jazz Plaza has been renowned worldwide in its thirty years of history.

This 33^rd edition will conclude on January 31^st. Popular Cuban musicians will attend, led by multi-award winner pianist Chucho Valdes, one of the most famous contemporary jazz players in the world. He will perform the opening concert. The schedule of Jazz Plaza 2018 will include, moreover, daily concerts and jam sessions, exhibitions, workshops, among other proposals.

Several stages will host such heavy schedule in Havana and Santiago de Cuba; namely, the National and Mella Theaters, the House of Culture in Plaza municipality, the Abelardo Estorino Hall —located at the Ministry of Culture, the Cuba Pavilion, the portal of the Yara Cinema, and Cuba’s Art Factory (FAC) in Havana.

You can enjoy jazz in Santiago de Cuba at the Marti Theater, the Iris Jazz Club, the UNEAC headquarters patio, and the Dolores Square where the closing ceremony of the event in Santiago will take place.

The Mella Theater, one of the venue in Havana, advertises daily concerts at 21:00 hrs; while its gardens will host programs from Wednesday to Sunday, 17:00-19:00 hrs.

The performances at the main stage of this cultural institution, located at the popular Linea Street, will kick off on Tuesday January 16^th with Cucurucho Valdes, who is going to launch his latest album “Con los pies en mi tierra”; the quartet Saxofones de Santiago, pianist Ivan Melon, and Ray Lema and the Jazz Band will perform on January 17^th; Cuban singer Dayme Arocena and the US band Twobeatsone will play on January 18^th; Pablo Menendez and his group Mezcla, pianist Roberto Carcasses will play on January 19^th as well as US bands De Kirkland And the Metro Big Band.

According to sources at Mella Theater, the last two scheduled live concerts in that stage will be performed by pianist Alejandro Falcon and Cubadentro; Randy Weston (US) and Yosvany Torres (Saturday January 20^th); and pianist Ramon Valle as well as US Grupo 8 y mas and Denardo Coleman and guests from the US.

On the other hand, DushaConnection (Austria) featuring Timbalaye (January 17^th); Lazaro Valdes and his Son Jazz featuring English Berhard Schempelser (January 18^th); Yoruba Andabo and Uruguayan Darwin Silva (January 19^th), Explosion Rumbera featuring Influencia (January 20^th), and Rumbata and Mexican Meraki (January 21^st) are scheduled to perform at the Mella’s Gardens.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Diaz / CubaSi Translation Staff