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Afro-Cuban All Stars

Afro-Cuban All Stars playing music all dressed in white suits

One of the bands that introduced Afro-Cuban music to the world bring together the full spectrum of the Latin dance sound – and shape its future.

Led by Juan de Marcos González, the Afro-Cuban All Stars features mainstays of the Havana music scene, alongside a younger generation. In a rare London appearance, they perform songs old and new, as music from the golden era of Cuban music is revived and refreshed with the incorporation of contemporary sounds and rhythms.

Originating in the mid-1990s, the Afro-Cuban All Stars were founded by González to celebrate the heritage of pre-revolutionary Cuban music. With the support of UK label World Circuit Records and roots guitarist Ry Cooder, they headed to the studio to record a trio of albums – A Toda Cuba le Gusta, Buena Vista Social Club and Introducing...Rubén González. The records, and the accompanying documentary film by Wim Wenders also entitled Buena Vista Social Club were instrumental in popularising Cuban music worldwide.

This performance will begin at 8:30pm and is expected to finish at around 10pm. There will be no interval.

Discover

album cover of A Toda Cuba Le Gusta By Afro-Cuban All Stars

Listen: A Toda Cuba Le Gusta By Afro-Cuban All Stars

Listen to Afro-Cuban All Stars' 'A Toda Cuba le Gusta', the first studio album produced by Cuban bandleader and musician Juan de Marcos González and Nick Gold, and released on April 9, 1997 on World Circuit Records. 

a group of men playing cuban music somewhere in cuba

Listen: Cuban Music on Spotify

Follow our regularly updated Cuban Music playlist for a sample of the music you'll hear across our programme. 

Barbican Hall