International Corhabana Choir Festival – Havana in Harmony

International Corhabana Choir Festival

Each summer, Havana becomes a city of voices. The International Corhabana Choir Festival, held in June or July, fills the Cuban capital with choirs from across the island and around the world. More than a series of concerts, Corhabana is a meeting ground for cultures, traditions, and friendships—woven together through the universal language of song.

A Festival of Friendship and Song

Founded to strengthen Cuba’s rich choral tradition and to foster international solidarity, Corhabana has welcomed ensembles from Europe, the Americas, and beyond. Performances take place in Havana’s most iconic venues—the Minor Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Teatro Amadeo Roldán, and the José Martí National Library—as well as in schools, neighborhoods, and community spaces.

Whether you are sitting beneath the vaulted ceilings of a baroque church or in a shaded plaza in Old Havana, the effect is the same: voices rising in harmony, crossing borders and languages. The festival has become a showcase of styles, from classical polyphony to contemporary arrangements, spirituals to Cuban popular music arranged for choir.

Workshops and Exchange

Beyond the concerts, Corhabana offers workshops and conferences for directors, singers, and scholars. Past sessions have explored choral conducting in Cuba, body expression for singers, and new composition techniques for both children’s and adult choirs.

What makes Corhabana unique is this spirit of exchange. International choirs rehearse with Cuban ensembles, swapping repertoire and techniques. Audiences, too, are often invited into the dialogue, gaining insight into the artistry that underpins the performances.

Voices Across Cuba

The festival not only showcases Havana but also connects with Cuba’s broader choral movement. Choirs from provinces such as Matanzas, Villa Clara, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba frequently take part, bringing their own regional flavors to the capital. Tributes are often paid to legendary ensembles such as the Entrevoces Chamber Choir and the Exaudi Chamber Choir, groups that have defined Cuban choral music for decades.

A Traveler’s Havana

For visitors, Corhabana offers Havana at a different tempo. By day, wander the colonial streets of Old Havana, where pastel façades and cobblestones whisper centuries of history. By evening, step into a concert in a historic church or cultural hall, letting the harmonies elevate your journey.

And beyond the festival, Havana’s artistic spirit awaits—galleries, live jazz clubs, dance shows, and a thriving culinary culture that enriches the experience.

A Ritual in Harmony – Music and Cigars

Music and cigars share something essential: patience, tradition, and savoring the moment. One evening, after a youth choir from Santiago de Cuba brought an audience to its feet with Afro-Cuban rhythms, I stepped outside into the warm Havana night and lit a Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill. Its balanced draw and rich flavor felt like a continuation of the harmony I had just heard.

Another night, after a moving concert in the Basilica, I reached for a Partagás Serie P No. 2. Bold and complex, it matched the intensity of voices that had echoed through the ancient stone walls. These rituals, small yet significant, became part of the memory of the festival itself.

If you plan to attend, be sure to visit our cigar shop before heading into the festival. Selecting the right cigar for each evening is like curating a program—it shapes how you’ll remember the music.

An Invitation to Listen and Belong

The International Corhabana Choir Festival is more than concerts—it is community. It is about the joy of singing together, the power of cultural exchange, and the beauty of voices rising in unison in one of the world’s most enchanting cities.

So if you find yourself in Cuba in June or July, join us in Havana. Sit beneath the soaring ceilings of a church, wander into a neighborhood performance, or simply follow the music as it drifts through the streets.

And when the last note fades, light your cigar, raise a glass of Cuban rum, and let the harmony linger long into the night. Because in Havana, at Corhabana, music is not only performed—it is shared, lived, and remembered.