{"id":325183,"date":"2025-07-02T08:54:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T12:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=325183"},"modified":"2025-07-02T08:54:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T12:54:52","slug":"a-sanctuary-for-jazz-in-cuba-cesar-lopez-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/culture\/music-culture\/a-sanctuary-for-jazz-in-cuba-cesar-lopez-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"A sanctuary for jazz in Cuba: C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez\u2019s dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a place on Avenida del Puerto \u2014 number 52, between J\u00fastiz and Obispo streets \u2014 that aspires to become a sanctuary for jazz in Cuba. It has a good chance of achieving this, although it hasn\u2019t yet opened its doors. The lack of spaces in the city with a stable program of the genre, despite the abundance of projects and artists cultivating it, hints at the success a place like this can have in the capital city.<\/span><\/p>\n

The C\u00e9sar Jazz Club is almost a reality. It will be the realization of a dream nurtured for years by Cuban saxophonist and composer C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez and his wife, Seiko Ichii. Friends, collaborators and institutions such as the Office of the City of Havana Historian (OHCH), a key entity in determining the club\u2019s location, have joined the effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

It boasts a privileged location, blessed by the breeze from the Havana Bay; its wide sidewalk is a must-see for locals and tourists, and it borders a parking lot. The building \u2014 the club will occupy the first floor; above it there are six family apartments \u2014 is already nearing completion, and its creators hope to open the business next July.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a project for Cuban musicians,\u201d is the first thing C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez says when we sit down to talk about the challenge of carrying out this endeavor and his plans for the future. The OHCH classifies the property at the corner of Obispo and San Pedro (Avenida del Puerto) as a Grade 2 protected building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImagine that Grade 1 is for buildings like the Capitol or the Bacardi building. This building has a high heritage value; it\u2019s a 19th-century construction, and the surroundings are very conducive to everything we want to do here,\u201d explains the Cuban musician, who approached the OHCH with the project seven years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially, he clarifies, he didn\u2019t plan to manage such a large space. \u201cAfter they accepted the project, they invited us to see four locations and first took us to the one they thought would be the best. When we got here, we decided we didn\u2019t want to see the others. This was it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The building has three floors: the ground floor houses the C\u00e9sar Jazz Club, and the upper floors are divided into six family apartments. To undertake the plan, C\u00e9sar had to carry out major renovations to the building, respecting certain conservation parameters, for which he enlisted the help of Restaura, a company from the OHCH.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The building during restoration work. Photo: Courtesy of C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The building during restoration work. Photo: Courtesy of C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The building during restoration work. Photo: Courtesy of C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis place has an old beauty that is visible to everyone. Everything has been restored. Like any heritage property, it has its own restoration and maintenance method, respecting its history, what this place was. That\u2019s what was done here, regardless of the work done, such as the mezzanine, which didn\u2019t exist. The place has become so beautiful and has been done with so much effort that the possibility of nominating it for a national restoration award has been raised. We\u2019ve had the support of a great team, who have supported my wife and me; especially her, who has been the soul of this. I\u2019ve followed her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez, the building\u2019s history is as old \u2014 about 200 years \u2014 as it is varied in its uses. \u201cI believe one of the building\u2019s first uses was as a home for nuns. Later, as it was located at the entrance to the bay, it served as lodging for sailors; in the 1980s and 1990s, tobacco leaves and boxes were stored there. The last thing, when I arrived here, was a carpentry shop and a blacksmith\u2019s shop; it was badly neglected, unsanitary, and no one who worked here had even the slightest affection for the history of the place. Anywhere in the world, a two-century-old site deserves respect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The construction process, he says, has lasted two years and four months. \u201cIt\u2019s gone quite quickly, considering it\u2019s a major restoration,\u201d he clarifies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were also involved in the repair of the building\u2019s six apartments. We found them in critical condition; there were people who couldn\u2019t walk around their home because the floor was falling down. That floor is my roof. We received very important support from the OHCH, which provided us with the opportunity to house them for a year in temporary housing the institution has for these types of cases. In one year, we completely renovated all six apartments. The families have now returned to their homes. It has been a joy for everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cuban saxophonist and composer C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez. Photo: Taken from his Instagram profile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Will you have a resident jazz band?<\/b><\/p>\n

The jazz band is the house orchestra and will play on Thursdays. My most recent album has precisely the format that will be played here; it\u2019s called <\/span>Habana Ensemble Jazz Band<\/span><\/i>. It\u2019s a format of three saxophones, three trumpets, two trombones and the bass. We\u2019ll start by playing the repertoire from that album, because the arrangements have already been done. We\u2019re also planning on inviting artists to perform with the orchestra.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re thinking about doing two shows a day, because that\u2019s how things are working around the world: the entire Blue Note chain, all the big clubs. I\u2019ve been to all those places and seen what it\u2019s like.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you design the sound in this venue? I imagine this has been a particular concern for you.<\/b><\/p>\n

I consider myself a fairly affable and understanding person, but I\u2019ve lived my whole life fighting with sound engineers. That\u2019s one of the things I\u2019ve been very picky about in this place. The sound quality in the venues in Cuba is usually terrible, because the equipment is old, doesn\u2019t work or isn\u2019t properly operated. There\u2019s a policy in many orchestras \u2014 and musicians who like it, or who demand it \u2014 of playing very loud and strong. That undermines quality. I\u2019ve suffered from these things and have learned, little by little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sound system purchased for this venue is optimal in every way, including loud speaker equipment, a digital console and microphones. We\u2019ve even been fortunate enough to have friends who have taken an interest in the project and donated the digital console, for example. The microphones were purchased in Japan through crowdfunding.<\/span><\/p>\n

The venue has perfect acoustics; a lot of work has been done to achieve this. The ceiling has been soundproofed; it\u2019s a high-pitched venue, with no natural reverberation, and it\u2019s somewhat dry, which is important. Plus, when the venue is full, it will absorb more sound, allowing the sound engineer to work more freely.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Model of the C\u00e9sar Jazz Club project. Photo: Courtesy of C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When faced with new challenges, is it more difficult to compose, perform, or be an entrepreneur?<\/b><\/p>\n

Music is closely linked to my life. It\u2019s a way of life because I\u2019ve been studying it since I was 10, and today I\u2019m 57. I\u2019ve been earning my living this way for many years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being an entrepreneur is something I greatly respect, and for me it\u2019s quite complicated. In fact, I don\u2019t consider myself an entrepreneur; I consider myself someone who\u2019s taking their first steps in this world of management.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a stage in my life that has arrived now, one that I think we\u2019re taking very seriously. I\u2019m completely sure that everything will turn out very well, because we\u2019ve never taken a step without consulting with more experienced people, learning from them. I think everything is turning out well because of that: because we did it with great caution, integrity and respect.<\/span><\/p>\n

In your life, in your career as a musician, did you ever envision the possibility of carrying out a project like this at some point?<\/b><\/p>\n

Yes, I had considered it some time ago. I even thought about opening a jazz club in my house, but my wife immediately refused (he smiles). Even that crossed my mind. What I never imagined was that we would achieve something as impressive as this, in a place like this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re one of the prominent faces of jazz in Cuba, with notable international recognition. You even aspire to make this club a worldwide reference. What\u2019s your assessment of the international jazz scene, in which Cuban musicians are inserted?<\/b><\/p>\n

There are events in the world that have marked a before and after for humanity. Sadly, COVID-19 was one of them; getting the engine of humanity running again took a lot of effort. Many things, both material and spiritual, deteriorated. The festival circuit hasn\u2019t been the same since then; neither have the agencies that book artists, and it\u2019s all related to economic issues. So, it\u2019s harder for musicians to make a living. In Cuba, of course, we\u2019ve been hit hard by it, and it\u2019s no secret that the venues where we used to play aren\u2019t what they used to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a spiritual disaster that humanity is suffering, along with the deterioration of the arts caused, in part, by many media outlets. Mediocrity has been gaining ground, it\u2019s become normalized, and Cuba is no exception. You know all the music you hear out there \u2014 I don\u2019t want to get into trouble (he smiles). It\u2019s very bad, and that\u2019s created an atmosphere of widespread stupidity: more people are consuming junk.<\/span><\/p>\n

This place isn\u2019t about going to war with that. We want to offer an alternative for people who want to consume a different kind of art. We want musicians to have a place where they can truly express what they want. Do you know how many people, to make a living, have to make concessions and play something they don\u2019t like? That\u2019s what they studied. I don\u2019t know anything about trades, or carpentry, or plumbing, none of that. I studied music and I make a living with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

I imagine the shock for the industry was huge when the pandemic ended and spaces like La Zorra y el Cuervo lost their vitality….<\/b><\/p>\n

The Jazz Caf\u00e9 disappeared. I was the founder of both. They were quite similar to what a jazz club should be, because they had programming \u2014 La Zorra y el Cuervo continues to have it \u2014 a series of conditions, and they were places that created a space for musicians to express themselves. La Zorra y el Cuervo had its moment of splendor, but this isn\u2019t it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talking about this stage of your life is a pretext to talk about your personal history, your development as an artist. You said earlier that jazz is, for you, a way to unburden your soul. How do you do this on stage?<\/b><\/p>\n

Some people think that artists unburden themselves when they get on stage, but that\u2019s not quite the case. From the moment you start practicing daily, you\u2019re doing it; when you\u2019re composing, as well. The thing is that the stage is the peak moment, where all those emotions that had been building up come to the surface. That\u2019s in the soul. There are composition processes that can last months; it\u2019s a time when you\u2019re living with that idea and those feelings.<\/span><\/p>\n

What feelings does Irakere evoke in you, 50 years after that phenomenon you were a part of, and at the height of your development as an artist?<\/b><\/p>\n

Irakere was the best. We\u2019re talking about a band that revolutionized music, and not just in Cuba. I can sense it because I started there when I was 19. It\u2019s the orchestra of the great Cuban maestros, and I confess that when I joined, I didn\u2019t feel up to playing there. But I quickly acclimated and <\/span>Chucho<\/b><\/a>\u00a0saw it: he saw the conditions and possibilities. Being a part of it was so powerful that I still feel like a member of Irakere.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they celebrated their 50th anniversary, I felt such great pleasure knowing they\u2019re still alive, but also a certain frustration because I couldn\u2019t be at that celebration. I don\u2019t know why, but none of the artists who were in Cuba, who were fundamental at certain times in the band \u2014 I\u2019m from the third generation \u2014 were invited. I\u2019m talking about Enrique Pla, Germ\u00e1n Velazco, Orlando Valle \u201cMaraca,\u201d myself…. I imagine it has to do with financial adjustments, that they would have to spend more money on us, and it was easier to choose musicians who were in the United States and could do that work.<\/span><\/p>\n

I felt a little disappointed, even musically, with the work that had been done over the past 50 years, because Irakere was a band of sustained work, a band that dedicated a lot of time to rehearsal and practice, due to the complexity of the music being performed. Irakere was never built for the moment, so a sort of \u201cyou can come\u201d made for some gaps in the sound signature of a band that was unique and unrepeatable.<\/span><\/p>\n

You participated in the tribute album<\/b> Los Herederos. Homenaje a Chucho Vald\u00e9s e Irakere<\/i><\/b> (EGREM, 2022), for which you composed some of the pieces. Do you dream of being able to make a specific tribute to that stage of your life?<\/b><\/p>\n

Absolutely. The legacy that Irakere left, not only globally but also personally, is something I will always defend. Irakere is a tattoo I have on my heart, one that only I can see. That, for me, has such a strong, such a profound meaning.\u2026 One of the most transcendental moments of my life was playing with Chucho Vald\u00e9s, with Oscar Vald\u00e9s, with Carlos del Puerto, with Carlos Emilio, Enrique Pl\u00e1, Carlos Averhoff, Jorge Varona. That will never be erased, not even if I wanted to. And, of course, I don\u2019t want to.<\/span><\/p>\n

What remains in C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez of the child he was, the one who came from Camag\u00fcey and didn\u2019t like the saxophone at the beginning of his studies?<\/b><\/p>\n

I consider my life to have been very beautiful, and it all starts with family. I had wonderful parents \u2014 I\u2019m an only child \u2014 and they were very protective of me, but a protection deeply tied to feelings, love, affection and spiritual support throughout. My family was crucial throughout my career, and everything took off almost unexpectedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was a child troubadour; when I was 11, I won the first Children\u2019s Troubadour Festival in Cuba. I played guitar and sang. Then I began studying music; the saxophone was somewhat traumatic at first because I wanted to study guitar. They assigned me to that instrument without consulting me, but over time I embraced it. That\u2019s why I believe so much in the choices of destiny.<\/span><\/p>\n

I studied at the Luis Casas Romero Vocational School of Art in Camag\u00fcey. It was a wonderful time. There I christened two Selmer Mark VII saxophones, the best brand in the world. The teachers were incredible, with solid training. Then I entered the National Art School (ENA), where I experienced the greatest joys I\u2019ve ever had. And then, the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), which I didn\u2019t finish because I joined Irakere.<\/span><\/p>\n

I fondly remember my teachers: Miguel Villafruela \u2014 the first Latin American to graduate from the Paris Conservatory \u2014 and Mario Lombida, who was my teacher at the elementary level and took care of weaving my life as a musician, stitch by stitch, with incredible tact. Then, Jorge Luis Almeida, at the intermediate level, who graduated me as a professional. All this journey gradually showed me little by little the possibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

At 16, I started playing with Bobby Carcass\u00e9s. At 19, I joined Irakere. Everything got more complicated. At 28, I started my own project. These were unexpected things that opened other doors. Now I\u2019m 57 and I\u2019m going to found my jazz club. I want this to be a temple for Cuban jazz.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cuban saxophonist and composer C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez. Photo: Taken from his Instagram profile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Are you excited?<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019m so immersed in the development of all this that I don\u2019t know if what I feel is excitement, devotion…. It\u2019s a greatness I feel, alongside my wife, who has been the most important pillar of all. This is incomparable and I can\u2019t summarize it in one word or emotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

I imagine <\/b>Cuban Sax Quintet<\/i><\/b> will be another of the projects we\u2019ll see programmed here.<\/b><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll sure to see it, because it\u2019s one of the most exquisite projects this country has. <\/span>Cuban Sax Quintet<\/span><\/i> came about while talking in a bar \u2014 at Abdala Studios. Maestro Germ\u00e1n Velazco was recording in one studio and I was in another. By chance, we met during a break, having a beer in the studio\u2019s bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when we started talking about making an album, not a permanent project. The conversation took on unexpected dimensions, and two months later, Germ\u00e1n told me we should start composing for the album. We looked for the other three members. Of course, maestro Alfred Thompson, a composer of stature.<\/span><\/p>\n

We made the first album with compositions by all three of them. And it turned out that album took off \u2014 winning the 2019 Cubadisco Grand Prize \u2014 and was later nominated for a Latin Grammy that same year. We decided to continue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then came the next album, which also received several awards. They are unique productions, tremendously exquisite. We even played in one of the most prestigious venues in the world: the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Russia. Germ\u00e1n is the most experienced musician in the group and, of course, he had to be the leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

You joined Irakere replacing Germ\u00e1n Velazco.<\/b><\/p>\n

I replaced Germ\u00e1n, and he had joined for Paquito D\u2019Rivera. Coincidentally, we\u2019re ten years apart in age. When I took over the music stand, things were already heated (he smiles), because those who passed through there were the best.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you define yourself creatively right now? Are you composing?<\/b><\/p>\n

Right now, I\u2019m involved in a trance that has kept me away from composing, due to this whole construction process. This has taken a lot of time, a lot of sacrifice; it\u2019s a very significant investment of money, mental and emotional effort. I haven\u2019t been able to recover the creative rhythm I had before starting this, but I\u2019m convinced it will reactivate again, and with even greater force.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re inseparable from cigars. Where does that taste come from?<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been smoking cigars since 2002, and for me it\u2019s become a necessity. I have breakfast and light a cigar, lunch and light a cigar. It\u2019s something that, of course, has an impact on my health, but it even helps me in my processes. That smell…. I smoke at least three cigars a day. I was a Cohiba ambassador and I\u2019m closely involved with events organized by Habanos S.A.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you already decided on a date for the opening of the C\u00e9sar Jazz Club?<\/b><\/p>\n

We\u2019re close to the completion stage, but we\u2019re proceeding cautiously. If we\u2019ve put in so much work to create something as exquisite as this, we\u2019re not going to forget now and overlook the details. We can\u2019t do that, especially if it\u2019s a place that could be nominated for a National Restoration Award. Whether it wins the award or not doesn\u2019t matter; at least they thought of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

That happened to me when I was about to enter Irakere: when Chucho auditioned me, I was very nervous. Then I spoke to myself and said, \u201cYou\u2019ve already won, whether you get in or not.\u201d So, we\u2019ve already won with this restoration, with the beauty of this place. Now, why rush and not finish the little details so the cycle can close? We think our inauguration will happen in July.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you had to define this entire construction process of the C\u00e9sar Jazz Club with a song by Irakere, what would it be?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cMisa negra.\u201d<\/span><\/a> That piece has Afro-Cubanism so deeply embedded within it, in its history, and this is a place with a lot of history. And there\u2019s a part of that piece, the alto saxophone piece, that I played many times, very sublime and passionate. This place has that too: the sublime in those rustic walls that have survived centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Model of the C\u00e9sar Jazz Club project. Photo: Courtesy of C\u00e9sar L\u00f3pez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sitting here, in your place, with the Bay of Havana in front of you…. Do you see the future of this space projected in five or ten years?<\/b><\/p>\n

Since we put the first brick here, every day I imagine how this place will function, how it will transcend. I\u2019m sure it will become an icon, a temple of Cuban jazz. It\u2019s in Havana, but it\u2019s for the world.<\/span><\/p>\n



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There\u2019s a place on Avenida del Puerto \u2014 number 52, between J\u00fastiz and Obispo streets \u2014 that aspires to become a sanctuary for jazz in Cuba. It has a good chance of achieving this, although it hasn\u2019t yet opened its doors. 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