Tropicana
The Tropicana is Havana's most famous cabaret and one of the great entertainment venues of the 20th century. Opened in 1939 in the Marianao neighborhood, it became a symbol of Cuban showmanship — elaborate choreography, live orchestras, and spectacular staging performed under an open-air canopy of trees.
History
The Tropicana opened on December 30, 1939, built on a former estate in Marianao. Its outdoor stage — "paradise under the stars" — allowed elaborate productions in the tropical air. Through the 1940s and 50s it attracted international stars and became a meeting point for Cuban and international musical cultures.
After the Revolution (1959), the Tropicana survived as a state-run venue, one of the few pre-revolutionary entertainment institutions that continued operating. It remains open today.
Musical Significance
The Tropicana's house orchestras and choreographic productions represented the peak of Cuban popular entertainment — Son, Mambo, Cha-cha-chá, and Rumba performed at the highest production level. Many leading Cuban musicians performed here, including Benny Moré, Celia Cruz, and countless others.
The elaborate casino choreography seen in Tropicana productions influenced social dance culture by filtering theatrical movement vocabulary into the social dance floor.
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Matanzas has its own Casa de la Trova, reflecting the city's deep musical culture. Often called the "Athens of Cuba" for its cultural richness, Matanzas is the birthplace of Danzón, the stronghold of Rumba (particularly Yambú and Guaguancó), and home to the oldest living Abakuá and Arará traditions.
Lees meer >Cuban Dances Originating in Havana
Havana, the cultural heartbeat of Cuba, played a central role in the creation and evolution of several iconic Cuban dances. Some were born directly in the capital, while others were transformed there into the forms we know today.
Lees meer >Cha-cha-chá is a Cuban dance music rhythm created in 1953 by violinist and composer Enrique Jorrín while performing with the Orquesta América, a charanga ensemble based in Havana. It became one of the most successful Cuban music exports of the 20th century, spreading rapidly through Latin America, Europe, and North America.
Lees meer >Mexico, and above all Mexico City, was where mambo conquered the world in the late 1940s. Here Pérez Prado recorded his mambos and Benny Moré became a star. Danzón is still danced there.
Lees meer >Casino is the Cuban partner dance born in the social clubs (casinos deportivos) of Havana in the 1950s. It is what Cubans call their own social dance — distinct from, and older than, what the rest of the world calls "salsa."
Lees meer >The Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba is the spiritual home of Cuban traditional music — Son, Bolero, Changüí, and Trova. Founded in 1968 on Calle Heredia in the heart of Santiago's historic center, it has been the gathering place for the city's musicians for over half a century.
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