We believe that an international electronic music audience will find inspiration in Afro-Cuban folkloric music, and that Cuba’s powerful blend of rhythm, flow and feeling will enrich the development of electronic music and its community. In return, MANANA 2016 will be an opportunity for Cubans to share their incredible cultural heritage, collaborate, and use technology to take their musical development in new directions.
We are here on Kickstarter today because we need your help to preserve and develop both Afro-Cuban and electronic music. Our first step is to launch MANANA 2016, a festival that brings together both communities, creating a legacy that lives long beyond the event.
500 tickets sold will make this festival happen, but remember, your money won’t be taken unless we hit our funding goal. Keep reading to find out what we have planned atMANANA 2016!
MANANA 2016 has already been approved by the Cuban Government, and will run from the 4th – 6th May in the historic cultural capital of Santiago de Cuba.
The festival will take place in the incredible Heredia complex, but we will also be providing access to the courtyards, house parties, street carnivals and processions that give the city its musical soul.
MANANA 2016 will include a carefully curated line-up of Cuban and international legends, plus breakthrough artists that match the ethos of the project. Alongside the performances, we will be working with artists and technology partners to deliver a program of music workshops, seminars and talks that will run over the three days.
We are partnered with some of Cuba’s principal cultural institutions, and have teamed up with leading underground events organiser Hydra and the wise heads at No-Nation, who will be helping us secure a ground-breaking lineup the more money we raise.
These are the exceptionally kind names that have already agreed to play if this Kickstarter is a success. With every additional ticket sold we’ll be adding to this list, so pledge a dollar and we’ll make sure you’re the first to get the next artist developments!
Check out a quick summary of the music below, and if you want to play or have any recommendations don’t hesitate to get in touch:
Buying your ticket now will give us a massive boost towards making MANANA 2016 a reality; we’ll get more press, confirm more artists and secure additional support from sponsors, but most importantly, each ticket sold on Kickstarter will allow us to subsidise entry for Cuban residents.
MANANA 2016 is about community, friendship and connecting with your musical peers – we have decided to cap international ticket sales at 500 to ensure we preserve a personal atmosphere.
Check out this playlist of 15 scenes from the city of Santiago de Cuba:
As well as the festival itself, we want you to leave Cuba with a deep cultural understanding of the island. Caledonia Worldwide will be on-hand to advise you on booking flights, finding accommodation, organising US travel permits and getting off the beaten track. For the next few months flights to Cuba will be incredibly good value, and the cost of travelling in Cuba is much cheaper than you might think…
For advice & information check out the Caledonia Worldwide // MANANA 2016 page.
We met when Harry moved to Alain’s home town of Santiago de Cuba. Together we built a temporary open doors studio where we recorded influential folkloric musicians, and experimented with the local sound. We soon realised that we wanted to do something that would have a lasting impact on Cuba’s musical legacy, and with the help of our third founder and project manager, Jenner, MANANA • CUBA was born.
We believe that the most exciting thing about MANANA is the legacy it will leave. The shortage of recording facilities means that much of the music found at carnivals, in bars and on street corners never leaves the island.
Once the festival is complete, our goal is to set up a permanent studio space in Santiagothat will be the home of International exchange programmes and collaborations for years to come.
Each ticket sold for MANANA 2016 is a huge vote of confidence in our project, and will give us a massive boost towards making this a reality. We want the festival to be an intimate affair so we have decided to cap international ticket sales at 500.
We are releasing our first 50 tickets at an extremely discounted early bird price, so don’t miss out!
MANANA • CUBA is more than a festival, and over the next year, we’ll be releasing exclusive music and merchandise, and throwing parties with collaborations between Cuban & Electronic musicians. However much you pledge, we’ll make sure you’re a part of the MANANAcommunity.
Join us on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, YouTube or our mailing list for exclusive music, tales from Cuba, travel tips, competitions and news of upcoming shows.
We’re always on the lookout for talented and passionate people to work with. If you’re a sponsor that wants to support what we are doing, an artist that believes in the music, or you are interested in being a part of the MANANA 2016 team, please please please get in touch!
MANANA • CUBA is only as big as our community. Share our story, give us your advice and help us make this happen!
Check out this playlist of short interviews with Cuban Rumba legends, Obba Tuke discussing their thoughts on “manana”, the people of Santiago and what it means play the rumba: