The Cuban Resilience Brass

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VIDEO PRESENTATION

Beginning of January, I went to Cuba to take part in the Havana Jazz Festival with my quartet JazzChroma4.

I had planned to stay for a month to meet musicians, get inspired and rest a bit, but I ended up being drawn into something much deeper.

There, music is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

An escape from poverty for those who play it, and a reason to overcome crises for those who listen to it. But today, it is under threat.

The country is going through an extremely difficult crisis: daily power outages, fuel shortages, massive inflation.

Universities are closing, opportunities linked to tourism are disappearing, and for young musicians, the future is becoming unclear.

Together with the trumpeter Yasek Manzano, we created The Cuban Resilience Brass.

A brass ensemble, simple in its idea but radical in its form:

making music that can exist without electricity, without infrastructure — anywhere.

In less than two weeks, we built a 12-piece ensemble, organized 3 concerts in renowned venues, composed and arranged 90 minutes of high-level repertoire — all recorded and filmed professionally.

The idea behind the project is to financially support local students and musicians who are currently in survival mode, and at the same time give them an alternative to university — motivation and inspiration in an extremely dark period that can feel hopeless.

In May, I will return to Cuba to go further:

record an album, film a documentary about our project and the current situation of musicians and students, and capture a live street concert with dancers.

All of this in collaboration with a film director, local partners and with the support of the Swiss Embassy.

This project is about music, human connection, and documenting a reality that is rarely seen from the inside.

To make this project happen, we need financial support.

We are already fortunate to be supported by the Swiss Embassy, but the current costs are high, especially due to the energy crisis.

The funding will be used for:

– musicians and local team — 5000 CHF

– video production (documentary + concert: permits, lighting, cameras, filming, editing) — 5000 CHF

– album production — 3500 CHF

– photovoltaic equipment and batteries — 2800 CHF

– logistics in an unstable context — 1000 CHF

– accommodation and travel from Europe — 1300 CHF

Every contribution counts.

Here, the sum of small gestures makes a real, concrete difference.

If there is one thing I have learned from my time in Cuba, it is the value of solidarity.

Every donation will directly support high-level artists in Cuba within a meaningful artistic project.

We currently need a budget of 19,000 CHF, but the project remains possible (with more constraints) from 10,000 CHF.

We are planning to work with foundations and embassies, but for now our only support comes from the Swiss Embassy, as well as friends and family.