Diplo and Major Lazer are set to bless the Cuban people with a groundbreaking show on Mar. 6. The EDM group will be traveling to the island to put on a free show across the street from the U.S. Embassy, at Havana’s Tribuna José Martí. The creators behind the 2015 smash hit “Lean On” are the first major U.S. artists to perform in Cuba since diplomatic relations have been put into effect.
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The Mad Decent showdown will serve as a preview of the first annual Musicabana, which is the island’s U.S.-backed music festival going down in May 5-8. With weekend-long performances from Sean Paul, Ibeyi, and other popular Caribbean musicians, the festival will serve as a cultural bridge between Cuba and America, and thusly, the rest of the world.
Diplo is more than excited to visit la llave del caribe and meet with music students as part of a cultural exchange. The super producer also plans to take advantage of the opportunity to perform alongside local artists.
“For as long as I can remember, Cuba has played an influential role on my love of music,” Diplo said in a press release. “Cuba has such a powerful cultural impact all over the world and for me, especially growing up in Florida, it became one of the biggest cultural centers for music to evolve from. … I was lucky enough to visit Cuba a few years back with my friends Calle 13 and during my four days there my mind was blown by the people, depth of culture and their way of life. Going back to perform in 2016 and to be a part of the culture once again is a huge blessing and I couldn’t be more honored to bring the Major Lazer project there.”
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First @MAJORLAZER show ever in Cuba 🇨🇺🙌 pic.twitter.com/JAfKXfvcYg
— The Squadfather (@diplo) January 12, 2016