With the end of the US embargo in sight, Cuba may see its first electronic music festival in 2016.Β
Manana 2016 is “an inclusive and collaborative festival that connects Afro-Cuban Folkloric music with the pioneers of the international electronic music community”. In a country that has faced internal issues as well as received a lot of flak internationally, this festival is going to be much awaited. Details aren’t available yet, because the festival is a not-for-profit event, and a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is underway to actually make it happen.
Confirmed acts so far are London-based dubstep producer DJ Mala, electronic rumba groupΒ Grupo ΓFΓ, and the tropical Sofrito DJs. The idea behind combining the two styles of music is that the festival organisers believe that “Cubaβs powerful blend of rhythm, flow and feeling will enrich the development of electronic music and its community”, as the Kickstarter page says. It’s going to take 500 tickets sold to make this festival happens, so if you plan to head here, you can do your bit from this page.