Chuchito Returns!
VIP TRAVEL TO CIENFUEGOS AND HAVANA with Cuban Jazz and Piano Master, Chuchito Valdés March 27 – April 3, 2019
Enjoy VIP Delegate Status for a Special March 28 Performance Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Cienfuegos and Chuchito’s historic April 2 homecoming concert at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.
LEGAL, SANCTIONED TRAVEL TO CUBA
Cuba is just a few miles south of the United States, but to most Americans it might as well be the far side of the moon. As the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Republic of Cuba evolves after 58 years of embargo, the sanctioned People-to-People cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries are now the only legal opportunity for Americans to visit Cuba. And, there’s much to see, learn and inspire you.
Now in its sixth year of taking People-to-People delegations to Cuba, CR&V is pleased to present this once-in-a-lifetime experience to travel with celebrated Cuban pianist and jazz master, Chuchito Valdés, as he returns to perform in Cuba after a ten-year hiatus.
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Chuchito Valdés
On March 27, 2019, a special CR&V delegation will leave Miami for Cuba to celebrate the long-awaited public concert performances of Cuban jazz pianist, composer and bandleader, Chuchito Valdés. It has been nearly a decade since this international ambassador of Cuban music has performed for his Cubano audience and CR&V is producing these important shows for not only for our delegation, but for the people of Cuba.
In Cienfuegos on March 28, Chuchito will perform a special concert to mark the Bicentennial of the City of Cienfuegos. Our CR&V delegates will be VIPs for this important performance in Cienfuegos — the Pearl of the South.
And, in Havana on April 2, Chuchito will perform with a Who’s Who of Cuba’s musicians in a long-awaited homecoming concert at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Havana. This historic event will be the talk of Havana before and after the concert. And you, our delegates, will be there witnessing a milestone moment in Cuban musical history.
An eight-time Latin Grammy nominee, Chuchito Valdés is Cuban music royalty. He follows in the footsteps of his legendary father, Chucho Valdés and grandfather, the great Bebo Valdés. Chuchito continues the generational legacy of exalted piano players from Cuba and his return is a cause for national celebration. He will also conduct masterclasses for some of Cuba’s most promising musicians at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana and the Benny Moré School of the Arts in Cienfuegos.
With influences of Caribbean rhythms and jazz, Chuchito creates an exciting and inspiring blend of infectious music that drives his audiences around the world wild. He has recorded and performed with the world-renown Cuban band, Irakere, which he led for two years. He has also performed at festivals, clubs and arena concerts throughout the world: from Cuba and the Caribbean to North America, South America, and Europe.
If Cuba and its music is on your bucket list, please join us for Chuchito Returns, a revealing and historic insight into his music and cultural life in Cuba.
Trip Overview
Wednesday, March 27, 2019: Depart Miami
March 27 – 29: Meliã Hotel Jagua, Cienfuegos
March 29 – April 3: Meliã Cohiba, Havana
Wednesday, April 3, 2019: Return to Miami
Price:
$5,150 Double Occupancy
$6,150 Single Occupancy
For information, call 602.679.0590
Price Includes:
- 5 nights in Havana’s most prestigious 5-star hotel, Meliã Cohiba. In Cienfuegos, it’s the beautiful bayside Meliã Hotel Jagua
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners (4 NIGHTS and 3 AFTERNOONS for you to explore local dining options on your own)
- Roundtrip airfare between Miami-Varadero (and coach to Cienfuegos) and Havana-Miami
- A different private performance most days with Cuba’s most celebrated performers in all genres
- VIP seating for two historic concerts with Chuchito Valdés and Cuba’s most celebrated musicians
- All activities and events include admissions and ground transportation
- Baggage transfers and handling at airport and hotel arrival and departure
- Cuban visa fees, departure tax, and medical insurance while in Cuba
Not Included:
- U.S. domestic airfare & passport
- 4 dinners and 3 lunches so you may explore local dining options
- Independent and private transfer for activities not on the itinerary
- Any baggage charges or fees
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Personal items such as internet access, telephone services, laundry
Downloadable Documents
Tour Application PDF, please print and return
Trip Information PDF
Payment: (check and credit cards accepted)
Check – Submit your deposit to Cuba Rhythm and Views, 1982 E. Oxford Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283.
Credit card – 3% of any credit card transaction will be added to your final invoice.
Call 602.679.0590 or use secure PayPal button below.
FINAL PAYMENT due 60 days prior to departure.
$1000 deposit required
ELIGIBILITY
Any music-lover or patron of the arts, be it jazz, classical, dance, folklórico, son (not exactly salsa, but close), and choral music are welcome to travel with us on this historic tour. The group size will be limited to enhance your intimate experience. To secure your space, please fill out the on-line application packet by downloading to your desktop, or call 602.679.0590 to make your deposit. Priority will be based upon the order in which we receive deposits.
WHY CHOOSE CUBA RHYTHM & VIEWS?
This trip is different from all the others. Our delegations experience distinctive and intimate artistic exchanges in private residences, exclusive performing spaces not generally accessible to Americans, behind the scenes at Cuba’s great concert halls, and visits to leading arts schools and conservatories. This 7-night trip includes the finest hotels and private restaurants (paladares), in addition to offering up close and personal experiences with Cuba’s most revered musicians, dancers, and visual artists. Our group size is limited to ensure that the experience is unique and memorable. And, our seasoned ground staff of guides and translators, who accompany our delegates to every event throughout the week, are the absolute best in Cuba.
This is the only People-to-People trip designed for passionate lovers of music and the arts…and Cuba has some of the best in the world. Other trips may, on the surface, appear to be less expensive, but we encourage you to take a closer look and examine hotel accommodations, whether your visa and round-trip Cuba airfare are included, the number of days of the trip, etc. Once you compare, we are confident you will conclude that Cuba Rhythm & Views is an incredible opportunity and a great value!
Your hosts, veteran music producers Woody Wilson and Neil Birnbaum, have more than 70 years of combined experience presenting the world’s finest music and artists. Together, they have spent the past five years exploring Cuba’s creative arts, engineering major cultural exchanges, and building cultural bridges that have helped to break down the barriers between our countries. Both men are dedicated to offering the highest attainable artistic excellence and a truly distinctive experience. The result is a cultural exploration of Cuba that is the new benchmark for People-to-People tours of this remarkable and isolated nation.
Itinerary of Activities
IMMERSE yourself in intimate, private experiences.
MINGLE with the performers at special post-concert receptions and private dinner concerts.
ENJOY some of the most incredible music in the world along with expert-led tours at museums and in the cities, as well as special government-approved visits to schools, and historical sites not generally available to Americans.
Our headquarters will be Havana’s newest and most stylish hotel, Grand Aston La Habana on Havana’s historic Malecón. Grand Aston is one of the finest hotels in the Caribbean. After a busy day, relax, have a cold drink, check your email with available Wi-Fi, look at the sea and be inspired by Havana coming to life after dark.
In Cuba, the classical arts are revered by every walk of life. During this trip, patrons will experience performances by such renowned groups as: Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional; Ballet Nacional de Cuba; Ballet Español de Cuba; Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba; Danza Contemporánea de Cuba; Orquesta de Cámara de la Habana and much more. Events will include opportunities to attend private rehearsals as well as performances and mingle with the performers in intimate settings.
Traditional music and its evolution over the centuries is at the heart of the Cuban soul and mystique. The history of music in Cuba is the story of its people; from slavery, political upheaval, revolt and a joyful celebration of Cuban cultural life.
Cuba has some of the finest young jazz musicians in the world. The Afro-Cuban tradition has evolved into a robust music scene that has a solid foundation in the classical music training musicians receive at the prestigious music schools throughout the country. In Havana, jazz thrives. Our patrons are not only immersed in Havana’s jazz nightlife but will be treated to private, one-on-one concerts from the best and brightest of Cuba’s jazz elite, including pianist Aldo López-Gavilán. This unique exposure to one the world’s most active jazz scenes is a CR&V exclusive. You will better understand the day-to-day sacrifices as well as the financial and artistic challenges, including the difficulty of buying and maintaining instruments in Cuba.
Some of the most exquisite historic buildings in the Caribbean are in Cuba. Havana is celebrating its 500th anniversary. But, despite 60 years of embargo, Cuba has managed to preserve and restore some of its most important heritage structures, neighborhoods and monuments. Using tourist dollars and financial incentives, much of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is gradually being rehabilitated to its former beauty as the city celebrates five centuries of life. Our delegates will gain an insight into what it takes to gradually restore one of the world’s great cities, one building at a time.
As part of our cultural exchange, our patrons will visit notable Cuban artists’ studios, galleries and homes. They will discuss their work, their artistic vision and the status of Cuba’s control of artistic expression. These personal encounters will help you understand cultural life in Cuba before the Revolution as well as today. Artwork will be for sale at all studios and galleries. In addition, a CR&V exclusive private show of original art for sale by Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) professors and students is always on our itinerary.
The growing movement of private restaurants, or paladares, in people’s homes, is flourishing in Havana. This movement is at the vanguard of economic change and private ownership in Cuba. The best dining in Cuba is in paladares along the backstreets and alleyways of Old and New Havana. The restaurants are being reviewed internationally and Havanaphiles are slowly finding their way to these wonderful free-enterprise culinary destinations. All of our meals outside of the hotel will be in paladares. And, for the meals not included in the package, you will be given the names and locations of Havana’s best private restaurants, all within a ten-minute cab ride from the Grand Aston La Habana.
Meet with career Cuban diplomat Camilo García López-Trigo for a talk about US/Cuba relations; Dr. García is a professor at University of Havana International Relations School and an expert in US political studies. You will also visit a daycare center run by The Sisters of the Love of God, visit a classroom in session, learn about the remarkable work the sisters do for families in need and be inspired by the humanitarian work of their order.
Don’t take our word for it! Here’s what people said about our recent trip:
From day one, we were given intimate glimpses into the hearts and souls of the dancers, singers, musicians and teachers who shared their lives with us. We have been on many “tours” to other countries but have never experienced anything as moving and beautiful as this. —Thomas and Sally K. Tempe, AZ
Where do I start??? The trip you provided for us in Cuba was nothing short of a miracle – the musicians, dancers, students etc would never have crossed our paths without your superb and thoughtful planning. —Sue W, Montreal, Quebec
The Cuba Rhythm and Views trip to Havana exceeded my high expectations, in terms of the quality of the music programs, hotel, meals, and logistics. A professionally-managed program that was truly a great value for the money! —William W, Miami, FL
The obviously deep, abiding connections that the CRV team have made with their colleagues in Cuba translates into the opportunity for CRV’s travelers to see inside the Cuban society and meet its people, heart-to-heart. —Hugh H, Tempe, AZ
As a long time lover of Cuban music and culture, this trip was a dream come true – amazing musical performances with the chance to meet and talk to the artists, exploration of Cuban culture and history, and an overall greater appreciation of what the magical isla has to offer. —Linda R, Tempe AZ