Special Event: An Intimate Evening with Telmary Diaz of Havana, Cuba
CubaNOLA Arts Collective, DREAM Management, and Preservation Hall present an intimate evening with Telmary Diaz as part of our exploration of Afro-Cuban sounds and sensations.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to rub shoulders with Telmary and move to her new music and videos. This intimate listening and dance party includes Telmary performing with her DJ, DJ Beto and with the legendary New Orleans mixologist, DJ Ro, spinning Telmary’s music with a distinctive New Orleans hip hop and traditional twist.
Telmary & Habana Sana blew the roof off the Cuba tent at Jazz Fest this year. From Havana, Cuba, “street poet” Telmary Diaz has emerged as a leader and trendsetter on the cutting edge of hip-hop and urban music in Cuba. If you’re a fan of any genre of Cuban music or Common or the Roots, then you’ll love what Telmary does. You can’t help but move to her fun, funky, outrageous, outspoken, outlandish, and above all conscious grooves, set to traditional and contemporary Cuban sounds.
As a rapper, Telmary uses her distinctive voice, at times deep and soulful, at times fast and aggressive to proclaim a positive, empowering message that contrasts with the genre's commercial norm.
Telmary started her musical career with Free Hole Negro in 1999 before joining Interactivo in 2002, a stellar collective of Cuban musicians whose singular groove layers rap, funk, jazz and soul atop traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms. She launched her solo career with her flagship album A Diario, which won the Cubadisco award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2007. After seven years in Toronto, Canada, Telmary returned to Havana where she formed her band Habana Sana. She continues to collaborate with a wide variety of Cuban and international artists including Interactivo, Pedrito Martinez, Los Van Van, Descemer Bueno and Doctor John.
Telmary has graced stages throughout Europe, Japan, North and South America. She performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2008, participated in a tribute to Louis Armstrong with Dr. John at the Hollywood Bowl in 2013 and was featured in the first Cuban music showcase at South by South West in 2016.