New Orleans Groups Soul Rebels and Tank and the Bangas Set to Join Cuba's Cimafunk for 'Getting Funky in Havana' Concerts

Getting Funky in Havana is billed as "an unforgettable concert series accompanied by immersive VIP cultural experiences with Cuban artists and musicians," which complies with current U.S. regulations stipulating that travel by music fans to Cuba falls under the category of "support for the Cuban people."  

"This unique trip is heavily focused on supporting the Cuban people as well as a group of young New Orleans musicians from the Trombone Shorty Foundation who will travel with the bands,” states a press release for Getting Funky in Havana. The Gia Maione Prima Foundation, a community and youth organization founded by the widow of swinging singer Louis Prima, and New York-based Horns to Havana, which has been working with music schools in Havana for a decade, are also supporting the event.

"This event is about celebrating the historic connections between New Orleans and Havana and passing the cultural ambassador credentials to a new generation of musicians, ones who celebrate and incorporate past traditions but bring fresh voices and styles to their cities and the world,” says Laverty.

The New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas won NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert contest in 2017; the brass and hip hop ensemble Soul Rebels has just released its debut album, Poetry in Motion.