Cuban Serenade Cuban Serenade

Magdelys Savigne and Elizabeth Rodríguez on their new album: "OKANTOMI." Afro Cuban roots, jazz and more.

Cuban born and trained Cosette Justo Valdés is the conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Island Symphony. With guest host Xenia Reloba de la Cruz (University of Calgary), we talk about classical music education in Cuba, and what a Cuban conductor brings to this genre. “We make music in ways that express how we live life. It’s always important to find the flavour in things.”

What is it like to be a Cuban migrant musician in Canada today? Singer Guillermo Quesada, pianist Willie Barreto and trumpet player Diango Vives speak to us about the Cuba they left and the Canada they entered.

Cuban musicians in Montreal are part of a tight knit multicultural community of players, some of whom can be seen every Monday night at Diese Onze, a basement jazz club with a hint of a Havana vibe. Part 1 of this episode features interviews with Alex Bellegarde, Rachel Therrien, Nestor Rodríquez, Díomer Gonzalez, Michel Medrano, Javier Muñoz, Adam Goulet and commentary about Montreal’s Latino music
scene from Claudio Palomares-Salas and Ximena Holuigue.

Cuban Music on Canada's East Coast. Dee Hernandez has been making Cuban music since moving from Havana to New Brunswick in 1998. Plus a conversation with jazz sax player Jeff Goodspeed about the long-standing Halifax based Los Primos musical exchange project between Canada and Cuba.

In this episode we speak with saxophonist Luis Deniz about his recent Juno nominated album El Tinajón. This hauntingly beautiful work features a great mix of Cuban-Canadian and Canadian players. Luis speaks about his move to Canada and his perceptions of music making in two very different countries.