First Festival of Cuban Music, Havana 1961

Abstract

Various studies on art music in Cuba during the latter half of the 20th Century highlight concert festivals as key platforms for promotion and recognition of contemporary repertoires. An analysis of documentary sources and personal testimonies supports this assertion, while also acknowledging the establishment of a systematic programming policy for contemporary repertoires beginning in the 1960s. By examining these festivals as aesthetic events that produce and represent meanings, we can appreciate their role as spaces where narratives about repertoires, composers, performers, and cultural institutions are articulated. This paper focuses on the First Festival of Cuban Music in 1961, exploring its management and impact as a critical moment for contemporary music in Cuba. It considers the political, social, and cultural context surrounding the festival, as well as the ideo-aesthetic reflections it produced from participants following its conclusion.