Her goal was Paris, but it eluded her. She left Cuba in 1967 alone, benefited from the so-called Freedom Flights, determined to go after her goal: to expand her music studies as much as possible.

The creative relationship between Celia and Eridania began with the guaracha “Un paso pa’lante, un paso pa’tras.”

Finding Esperanza Spalding walking along the Prado Promenade close to the Capitol Building; bumping into Marcus Miller taking pictures on a small street of Centro Habana; being in front of Quincy Jones sharing the details of the sound track of The Color Purple; witnessing how Cameroon bassist Richard Bona built his personal and tremendous version of “Caravan” with Marcus Miller on the bass and the wonderful Cubans Osmany Paredes on the piano and Denis Hernández on the trumpet before the frenzied and crowded Guanabacoa Amphitheater; attending the incredible meeting of Yissy García’s drums with Spalding’s bass and voice; finding out that violinist Regina Carter was giving an interpretation workshop in the Higher Institute of Art; or running into Chucho Valdés walking through Old Havana with Gonzalo Rubalcaba. All this and probably much more could have happened to you during the last week of April in a Havana overflowing with jazz and jazz musicians. Herbie Hancock gives Bobby Carcasses a hug in the Plaza House of Culture. April 26, 2017. Photo: Gabriel Guerra Bianchini. Marcus Miller, Quincy Jones and Richard Bona after Esperanza Spalding’s concert in the Guanabacoa Amphitheater. April 28, 2017. Photo: Gabriel Guerra Bianchini. Wanting to be everywhere at...