Havana Express

Historically speaking, the son, danzón, cha-cha-cha and mambo are not American inventions – their roots lie in Cuba. However, salsa as a distinct term, marketing concept and stylistic synthesis did indeed emerge in New York in the 1960s and 1970s. It is precisely this ambivalence that makes the title of this concert so intriguing.

Havanna Express (Havanna)

• Sergio Medina – vocals
• Alexander Wienand – piano
• Urs Johnen – bass
• Rasiel Almanza – percussion
• David Millán – drums
• David Beecroft – sax
• Greg Ambroisine – trumpet

Long before the Cuban Revolution, New York was the most important international market for Cuban music. Numerous musicians emigrated to the USA, where they encountered jazz as well as Puerto Rican and other Latin American musical traditions, and together developed new forms of musical expression. This cultural encounter gave rise to a style of music that continues to thrill people all over the world to this day.

Havanna Express is one of Berlin’s leading salsa and Latin jazz bands. This internationally diverse ensemble, featuring outstanding Cuban and European musicians, blends the traditions of Havana with the energy of New York, presenting salsa as a vibrant, improvised and rousing form of music that bridges Caribbean roots and international jazz.

Havanna Express presents pulsating rhythms and virtuoso solos, paying tribute to the musical history of a musical language that transcended borders and became a global symbol of Latin American music. This music continues to serve as a pillar of Havana’s tourism industry, but has since evolved aesthetically, particularly outside Cuba.

• Tickets: Eventbrite
• Admission: €15 / €10

Supported by the Jazz 2026 project funding scheme of the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.