International Festival CubarumbaTata Güines In Memoriam Kicks Off

Havana, June 26 – The Cubarumba Tata Güines In Memoriam 2025 International Festival begins today in Havana to pay tribute to one of Cuba's greatest percussionists to the beat of new drum chords.

The event will take place from June 26 to 30, with an extensive program opening with the groups Obbini Batá, Timbalaye, and Tata Güines Jr., directed by Arturo Soto, son of the rumba maestro.

Tata Güines was one of the most knowledgeable Cuban percussion musicians in the world, and the event is dedicated to him every year. This year, this year, the event brings together musicians from Argentina and Spain, among other countries.

The 2025 event program stands out for the uniqueness of a donation by Tata Güines Jr. of musical artifacts belonging to his father, which will be donated to the National Museum of Music.

This evening, Rumberos de Cuba will perform in the El Fanguito neighborhood, a community project that highlights the most authentic aspects of rumba.

The National Folkloric Ensemble will also be present at the event, and dance lovers will be able to enjoy it at the ensemble's headquarters.

The international participants will be Obba Ilu and Nina BisLom, from Argentina and Spain, respectively; while Justo Pelladito and his group Afroamérica, as well as Ronald y su Explosión Rumbera, all on Sunday.

In tribute to maestro Tata Güines, born on June 30, the event will culminate with the groups Aroma con Clave and Wapara, plus a visit to the iconic rumba venue El Callejón de Hamel.

The closing of the festival will include a drumbeat at the Santa Bárbara Church in Güines (Tata's birthplace), located in the Cuban province of Mayabeque, and the group Los Tata Güinitos, joining music students, improvisers, and other Cuban rumberos in a gathering where Cuban identity will predominate. (Text and photo: PL)