A Tuba to Cuba follows New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they retrace their musical roots from the storied city of jazz to the shores of Cuba. Along the way, they discover a deep cultural connection that transcends language, politics, color and creed. Join the band as they traverse post-embargo Cuba in search of the indigenous beats and rhythms that gave birth to New Orleans jazz. Dark, shared histories of slavery reveal an indelible cultural connection rooted in the hearts and minds of ancestors past. Encounters with some of Cuba’s most iconic musicians give rise to both spontaneous and soulful collaborations. Living rooms, back alleys and cobbled stone streets soon bear witness to the connective power of music. Geopolitical divisions melt even further as the band encounters the struggles and hardships of their own city reflected in the streets of Cuba. It is as if they are one place and one people, born to combat despair, oppression, and poverty with ingenuity, humor, and – of course – music. As the journey draws to an end, Pres Hall calls on their Cuban counterparts and take to the streets of Havana in one last raucous musical romp that brings the city to its knees. Inspired and reinvigorated; Preservation Hall Jazz Band returns home to record their new album inspired by their journey, the profound effect of reconnecting with their roots forever shaping their lives and music.
A Tuba to Cuba captures the triumph of the human spirit expressed through the universal language of music and challenges us to dig deeper. To find the common ground we all have inside us, and there, firmly plant the flag of brotherhood.
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