The History of Cuban Music: African & Spanish Music Influence in Cuba with Hugo Cruz and Caminos

All three concerts will combine musical performances, talks, and video and film excerpts. The series also brings well-known Cuban diasporic musicians to Pittsburgh to collaborate with local musicians and participate in robust performances. The series showcases the history and cultural significance of Cuban music from its Spanish and African influences, through its explosion into western pop culture. This third concert will feature Afro-Cuban music traditions from the Yoruba and Abakuá cultures, and the Spanish-influenced Cuban genres of punto guajiro, bulerias, tanguillo, rumba, and seguidilla. Hugo will also discuss how he incorporates these specific traditions into his process of composing music.

The concert’s featured guest artists are percussionist Pedro Jose Gutierrez del Rio and dancer Elianys Perez.

Featured Musicians:

Akin Lowman: bata drums

Thomas Chatman: bata drums

Brian Stahurski: bass

Michael Bernabe: piano

Frank DiDiano: guitar

Mike Tomaro: saxophone

About the Artist:

Hugo Alexander Cruz Machado (he/him) is a Cuban-born, award winning, international drummer and composer who has performed in South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the group Caminos, who have made appearances at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Music Hall Oakland, City of Asylum, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Con Alma, First Night Pittsburgh 2020, and Fábrica de Artes in Havana, Cuba, among others. While a resident of Cuba, Hugo toured regularly with Síntesis, a leading Afro Cuban rock-fusion group. Hugo has performed in Havana’s largest jazz festival, Jazz Plaza, with acclaimed artists Dave Weckl and Victor Goines.  He is a graduate of the Instituto Superior de Artes, the leading arts university of Cuba, and in 2014, won the award as the “best drummer” at the international Festival del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam in Havana, Cuba. In February 2022, Hugo Cruz and Caminos released an original album, Punto de Partida, featuring notable musicians from Cuba and the U.S. Hugo hosts a monthly concert series at Kingfly Spirits called “The Voice of Drums,” featuring Pittsburgh-based musicians and celebrating diverse musical genres.