Cuban Record Festival and Awards Gala

This edition is dedicated to peasant music and has Colombia as its international guest, a country with a rich tradition of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, with cumbia and ballenato as two of the most transcendental rhythms. 

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Cuban rural music has a rich tradition and includes several rhythms. Among them, the son stands out, the greatest exponent of Cuban music and a universally known rhythm. The guajira and the punto cubano, a series of rhymed verses sung by the peasants, also stand out. 

Within the event, the best recordings are awarded prizes, and it is one of the most awaited moments. The wide range of genres to be awarded ranges from classical music, jazz, pop, fusion and reggaeton. The awards gala held on 15 May at the Teatro Martí, located in the old part of the city, offered the Jury's Grand Prize to the renowned pianist Frank Fernández for his album Beethoven Piano Concertos. This work was recorded with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra.

In the Opera Prima category, the work of Yosander and Agranel stood out for their album Aderezo, a promising young group of traditional Cuban music. While the popular group Toques del Río received the award in the Alternative Fusion category for their work No me formes crisis.

The tweet reads, "This is how John Lerma, from Cali, world salsa champion and part of the Colombian diaspora in Cuba, dances. He is now participating in the bilateral meeting during the Cubadisco International Music Festival."

Jazz musician Orlando ¨Maraca¨ Valle and his Big Band Flautas Gigantes were recognized in the Jazz category for their album of the same name, while the award for Popular Concert Music went to Tromboneando con Demetrio Muñiz, by Demetrio Muñiz. In the field of urban music, the duo Charly and Johayron won in the Reggaeton category with their album E.G.O. and the popular musician Alexander Abreu and his group Habana de Primera won the award in the Current Popular Dance Music category for Pueblo Grifo.  

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the legendary singer Omara Portuondo, the Diva of the Buena Vista Social Club. 

For more information about all the awards, please visit the website of the Cuban Ministry of Culture or the social networks of the Cubadisco Festival.