UNEAC Hosts 21st Leonardo Acosta Colloquium with Valdés Tributes Before Jazz Plaza

UNEAC is hosting the 21st International Leonardo Acosta Colloquium in memoriam, running January 21-24 as a central pre-festival forum for Jazz Plaza. The gathering brings scholars, musicians and archivists together to frame the festival’s concerts with debates, panels and tributes that underline how Cuba’s jazz history shapes today’s stages.

The program foregrounds explicit tributes to key figures in Cuban jazz lineage, including celebrations of Armando Romeu, Mario Bauzá, Frank Emilio Flynn and José Luis Cortés, and a special homage to the Valdés family led by Chucho Valdés and Mayra Caridad Valdés. Those sessions place living artists and historical architects side by side, creating a clear line from archival recovery to current performance practice.

Presentations from EGREM and Producciones Colibrí feature new recordings and curated collections, offering audiences a chance to hear releases that will complement Jazz Plaza’s concert lineup. Among these offerings is a "Jazz a lo Bis" collection focused on the saxophone tradition - a timely spotlight for fans and players who follow the instrument’s evolving role in Cuba’s ensembles and big bands.

For musicians, students and local presenters the colloquium delivers practical value: panels examine arrangement techniques, historical contexts and archival methods that musicians can apply directly to rehearsal and repertoire choices, while archivists and researchers discuss preservation strategies that affect how Cuba’s jazz recordings will be accessed and used. For listeners, the event deepens appreciation of the concerts by unpacking the stories behind repertoire, instrumentation and the careers of celebrated figures.

UNEAC’s role as Cuba’s Union of Writers and Artists anchors the academic and community-driven aspects of the colloquium. By pairing critical debate with recordings and public tributes, the event strengthens the bridge between scholarship and performance that many in Havana’s jazz circles have called for: ensuring that tributes are not only ceremonial but also pedagogical and archival.

As the colloquium concludes on January 24, attention shifts to the Jazz Plaza stages where the context provided here will be audible in programming and artist introductions. Expect the week’s panels and releases to influence set lists, spotlight arrangements and reaffirm the saxophone and Valdés legacies throughout the festival run.