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| Museo Nacional de la Música Cubana | |
|---|---|
| Name | Museo Nacional de la Música Cubana |
| Established | 1978 |
| Location | Havana, Cuba |
| Type | Music museum |
| Collections | Musical instruments, manuscripts, recordings, posters |
Museo Nacional de la Música Cubana The Museo Nacional de la Música Cubana is a cultural institution in Havana dedicated to the preservation, research, and exhibition of Cuban musical heritage. The museum documents popular and classical expressions from colonial Havana through the Cuban Revolution, highlighting intersections with Afro-Cuban traditions, trova, danzón, son, and salsa. It collaborates with national archives, conservatories, and international festivals to promote scholarship and public access.
The museum's origins trace to initiatives by the Instituto Cubano de la Música, the Casa de las Américas, and the Ministerio de Cultura (Cuba) in the late 20th century, responding to collections assembled by figures such as Alejandro García Caturla, Ignacio Cervantes, Miguel Faílde, Rafael Hernández Marín, and Sindo Garay. Early acquisitions included donations from estates of Compay Segundo, Benny Moré, Arsenio Rodríguez, Ernesto Lecuona, and Celia Cruz, and loans from the Archivo Nacional de la República de Cuba, the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, and the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán. The institution has hosted exhibitions tied to events like the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, the Havana Jazz Festival, and anniversaries of the Gran Teatro de La Habana. Partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum, and the Museo de la Música de Barcelona supported conservation and exhibition exchanges. Major restorations followed damage from hurricanes that affected collections preserved by the Oficina del Historiador de la Habana.
Permanent galleries present artifacts connected to genres such as danzón, son cubano, trova, bolero, rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, and salsa. Exhibits display materials related to composers and performers including Ignacio Piñeiro, Remberto Fernández, Felipe Dulzaides, Carlos Gardel, María Teresa Vera, Sindo Garay, Rita Montaner, and Bebo Valdés. The archives house manuscripts by Ernesto Lecuona, orchestral parts from the Orquesta Aragón, phonograph records by Cuarteto Patria, posters for concerts by Ibrahim Ferrer, and scores connected to La Havana Compay. Rotating exhibitions have featured collections on Afro-Cuban jazz, Nueva Trova, Nueva canción, and transnational exchanges with Puerto Rico and Mexico. The sound library includes recordings by Machito, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Arturo Sandoval, and field recordings collected by ethnomusicologists from the Museo Nacional de Antropología de México and the Instituto de Etnología y Folklore.
Housed in a colonial-era building restored by the Oficina del Historiador de la Habana and conservation teams that included architects from the Instituto de Planificación Física, the museum occupies a site near landmarks such as Plaza de Armas (Havana), the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, and the Museo de la Ciudad. Architectural features reflect Spanish colonial design, neoclassical interventions, and adaptive reuse practices seen in restorations of the Gran Teatro de La Habana and the Capitolio Nacional (Cuba). Conservation approaches followed protocols from the ICCROM and benefited from consultancies involving the UNESCO Havana office and the ICOM network. The building's acoustical planning referenced venues like Teatro Martí and Sala García Lorca.
The museum runs educational programs in partnership with the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán, the Escuela Nacional de Arte (Cuba), and the Universidad de las Artes (ISA), offering workshops, masterclasses, and lectures featuring specialists in the traditions of Arsenio Rodríguez, Miguel Matamoros, Bebo Valdés, Eddy Palmieri, and Ibrahim Ferrer. Outreach initiatives connect with community ensembles such as Buena Vista Social Club-associated groups, neighborhood comparsas, and folkloric schools tied to the Casa de la Cultura network. Research seminars have included scholars from the University of Havana, the City University of New York, University of California, Los Angeles, and the New England Conservatory, and presentations at conferences like the International Council for Traditional Music and the Latin American Studies Association.
Highlights include guitars played by Trío Matamoros members, pianos used by Ernesto Lecuona and Ignacio Cervantes, tres instruments linked to Arsenio Rodríguez, congas associated with Chano Pozo, trumpets used by Máximo Rodríguez-era big bands, and vihuelas from colonial-era collections referencing Iberian luthiery. Manuscripts include orchestral scores by Rafael Lay, arrangements from the Orquesta Riverside, and lyric sheets by Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés. Ethnographic materials include Carnival costumes from the Santiago de Cuba comparsa tradition, photographs of rehearsals at the Salón Covarrubias, and correspondence with impresarios tied to Orquesta Aragón and La Sonora Matancera.
The museum operates under the auspices of the Instituto Cubano de la Música and coordinates with the Ministerio de Cultura (Cuba) and the Consejo Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural. Curatorial staff includes specialists in Afro-Cuban studies, Cuban musicology, and conservation trained in programs affiliated with the Universidad de La Habana and international partners like the Smithsonian Folklife and Cultural Heritage program. Governance involves advisory committees with representatives from the Oficina del Historiador de la Habana, the Academia de la Historia de Cuba, and cultural institutions such as the Casa de las Américas.
Visitors often combine museum visits with nearby sites including the Plaza Vieja (Havana), the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana, and the Capitolio Nacional (Cuba). Hours, guided tours, and ticketing align with policies from the Oficina del Historiador de la Habana; special events coincide with the Havana International Film Festival and the Havana Jazz Festival. The museum offers docent tours in multiple languages and produces publications distributed through the Editorial Letras Cubanas and the Casa de las Américas press.
Category:Museums in Havana Category:Music museums