We bring to you another Jazz Minute. Our 2025–26 Season celebrates many of Cuba’s greatest artists, and to honor this rich cultural legacy, we present a three-part series exploring the history of Cuban jazz. In this first episode, we delve into the early 20th century, when Cuban bands began to incorporate the popular music of America, performing both contemporary hits and the emerging sounds of jazz. This era marked a vibrant period of cross-cultural exchange, as musicians frequently traveled between New Orleans and Havana, sharing and absorbing each other’s musical styles and cultural influences.