20th Annual CUBACARIBE FESTIVAL OF DANCE & MUSIC to Take Place in San Francisco

CubaCaribe will present the 20th Annual CUBACARIBE FESTIVAL OF DANCE & MUSIC, titled Mirando atrás, moviendo pa’lante / Looking Back, Moving Forward, April 8–19 in San Francisco and Berkeley. The anniversary season will offer a retrospective of the festival’s past two decades alongside new works and community engagement events. Tickets range from $15–$60.

Over 14 days, the festival will feature performances, lectures, workshops, and community gatherings highlighting artists of the Cuban and Caribbean diasporas. A featured event will be a lecture demonstration by seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos, who will also be honored during the festival.

Executive Director Jamaica Itule said, “Our way forward is by lifting up artists who have been doing this work for years, but who don't necessarily have the production means to work at a big scale. This year we've brought back works that have had a significant impact and we've invested in a major premiere. We're thrilled to be honoring what we've done while continuing to look forward.”

Weekend One at ODC Theater

The opening weekend, Looking Back and Moving Forward / Mirando atrás, moviendo pa’lante, will take place April 10–12 at ODC Theater in San Francisco. Curated by Artistic Director Ramón Ramos Alayo, the program will feature six works selected from past festival highlights.

Participating companies will include Alayo Dance Company, Arenas Dance Company, Los Lupeños de San José, Cunamacué, Alafia Dance Ensemble, and Juntos. Many of the performances will be accompanied by live music performed by ensembles of instrumentalists and vocalists.

Weekend Two at Ruth Williams Opera House

The second weekend, Enraizando / Rooting Within, will take place April 17 at Ruth Williams Opera House. The evening-length work by Shefali Shah and Aguacero explores young women’s experiences through Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance. Commissioned by CubaCaribe with support from the Gerbode Foundation, the multi-year project includes teen and young adult dancers alongside professional performers.

Shah said, “As women we are often forced early on to ignore or hide the more vulnerable parts of our stories in order to endure a world that dispossesses us of our essence through patriarchal and racist violence.” She added, “Through Enraizar, young women of color challenge this by telling stories that show how they go within and embrace their vulnerabilities to become stronger and more confident versions of themselves.”

Special Events

The festival will open April 8 at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco with John Santos’ multimedia lecture, De un Pájaro las dos Alas (Two Wings of the Same Bird), exploring the shared musical histories of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Santos will be formally honored April 12 at ODC Theater in a pre-show ceremony.

Additional events will include Ritmo, Palabra y Movimiento: Una peña at CANA: Indigenous Peoples Cultural Arts Healing Center; a photo exhibit opening documenting Enraizando / Rooting Within at Ruth Williams Opera House; and Bombatey & Artist Panel at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, featuring Aguacero and collaborators.

Workshops in dance and drumming will also be offered at ODC Theater and Dance Mission Theater.