A true legend! Anacaona has been giving more and more performances! It took real daring nearly 80 years ago in Cuba to create an orchestra made up of women! From Havana to Paris, from New York to Barcelona, they are the queens of Cuban son.

Women playing son? A strange idea for most Cubans in the 1930s. But in February 1932, Concepción Castro, three of her sisters and several of their girlfriends decided to go against the prevailing view and to create an orchestra made up entirely of women. The name was not selected by chance: Anacaona was an Indian queen and poetess who fought the Spanish in the 15th century. The seven founders were soon joined by five other musicians. Today, near 80 years and many staff changes later, Anacaona still exists. It is viewed as a major representative of Cuban music. From the start, their radio performances and open-air concerts brought success. In 1938, they gave concerts in New York and Paris. Their popularity grew from year to year, extending across the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. In 1959, the Castro-led revolution halted their expansion, but their motivation did not weaken.

In 1983, sisters Georgia and Dora Aguirre joined the orchestra. After a five-year apprenticeship, they were ready to take up the torch of the oldest members, who had retired in 1987. Starting in 1989, with the arrival of other young musicians, the orchestra resumed its international career. Their success was huge. They performed in Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Jamaica, Honduras, Martinique and Guadeloupe. In 1992, their first album, ¡Ay!, came out, followed three years later by Como un milagro. Between these recordings, tours continued in Europe, Latin America and China.

Late in 1997, the orchestra played an adaptation of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme by Molière under prestigious French director Jérôme Savary. The show was first presented in Cuba in December 1997, continuing in 1998 in Mexico, then in Paris and several other French cities. The following year was marked by a major tour in the United States and by the preparation of their album Lo que tu esperabas, which cam out in 2000.
Later tours brought them to Cape Verde, in Africa. In 2007, there were 75 candles on the cake. To celebrate this anniversary in worthy style, the orchestra brought out an album called No lo puedo evitar.

Learn more about Anacaona at
http://www.myspace.com/anacaonamusic

Learn more about Nuits D'Afrique at
festivalnuitsdafrique.com

Photos by
HeatherLWeimer.Com