A musical odyssey to the soul of a nation.
“Cuba My Soul is an exquisitely soulful film, reminiscent of the importance of Buena Vista Social Club for the preservation of Cuban music.”
Cuba My Soul explores the heart and soul of Cuban music. Filmed over two eventful rooftop concerts in Havana, many of Cuba's finest musicians were invited to share their passion on and off stage — a meaningful and emotive 61-minute journey with a stunning live soundtrack.
The film began in November 2016. On the second day of shooting, mid-song at a Tony Ávila concert, the music stopped: Fidel Castro had died. Nine days of national mourning followed — no music, no dancing. What was meant to be a journey across the island became something deeper: a portrait of what music means to a people, at the very moment history held its breath.
What is the soul of Cuban music? And how will it be influenced by the outside world?
The X-factor of the film: a Havana rooftop with a 360-degree view of the city, where the musicians we had been interviewing came together to perform original music — the concert that became the film's soundtrack. The gear went up in a tiny elevator and two flights of stairs. The rain washed out the first concert. What survived was magic.
The film moves fast — a rhythm to match the passion of the Cuban people — so only a fraction of the footage made the final cut. These are some of the artists who gave the film its soul.
A Cuban Son singer and percussionist with almost 40 albums to his name — one of the greatest representatives of Cuban Son, from his teenage years to today.
Began as a child and never stopped. Las Anacaonas, Cuarteto de Aida, then a solo career that carried Cuban song to Panama, Finland, Canada, Germany and Angola.
A trovador who studied philosophy before music — songs that set you dancing and leave you thinking. It was his concert playing when the news of Castro's death stopped the music.
Raised in a family of musicians, on stage from age seven, a lifelong keeper of música campesina and traditional Cuban song.
“I got two tin cans and put a stick in the middle, with a nail. And I started to play…” A dear friend of the film whose love and energy for his music are contagious.
One of the legends documented in the film — a towering figure of modern Cuban music whose artistry bridges the island's traditions and the world stage.
Captured warming up before the Parque Lenin concert — pure joy and anticipation, the atmosphere of Cuban live music in a single voice.
Beyond the festival circuit: academic screenings at Duke University and Florida International University, the endorsement of the Cuban Embassy — and global distribution on Amazon Prime through Rugged Entertainment, Los Angeles.
“For its personality, for contemplating music as a spiritual value rooted in human feelings… It has a truly cinematic treatment. For these reasons I proposed it for the Xavier Cugat Awards.”Lluís Valentí — Director, Girona Film Festival
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