May 20, 2026: Cubadisco Winners Accounced

¡Viva la timba!  This year's Grand Prize winner at Cubadisco 2026 was Mira Cómo Vengo, featuring Issac Delgado and jointly produced by him and Alaín Pérez.  The album was also nominated for Best Salsa Album in the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs,, and it is some of Issac's best work in years. 
An interesting thing about this year's vintage of winners is that so many of them were joint projects between two or more lables or other cultural entitiies - in fact, EGREM's wins were collaborations with Colibri, and in this age of so many video releases, ICAIC's output earned several prizes. 
Some years back, a rising star in what was then being called nujazz in Cuba was Alberto Lescay Jr., whose album Escape won an Opera Prima prize.  In a good illustration of how and why producers matter, he turns up as the producer and arranger in Luciernaga, crónicas de luz by Obsesión, which one the hIp hop category but is actually a well crafted fusion of hop hop and jazz.  I probably would not have bothered to listen had I not seen his name as producer.  I came out of curiosity and stayed with a sense of delight. Interestingly, the label, Round Whirled Records, also released Habana a todo blues by Pablo Menendez. 
The Bailable categories were consolidated this year, leaving one, Bailable Contemporáneo, which Mira como vengo also won. Alaín Pérez's album Bingo won Tropical Variado but could just have easily competed in a Bailable category. It was nominated in last years Latin GRAMMYs for Best Contemporary Tropical Album.   
You can download the official awards booklet here #mce_temp_url#
As a special bonus, you can download the Simposio  Internacional Cubadisco schedule here #mce_temp_url#

April 29, 2026: Cubadisco 2026 Nominees Announced 

A few days ago, the nominees for the 29th edition of Cubadisco, Cuba's most important discographic awards, were announced.  Wiith the recent passing of long-time Presient Jorge Gómez (QEPD), the President is now Cary Diez.  Accirding to Cubadisco's officials, there were 220 submissions this year, of which 124 were selected to compete. This year is dedicated to the Son.  
Cubadisco, which takes place this year from May 16-24 in Havana, is always much more than just an awards ceremony - there is a commercial fiar in the daytime during the entire event at the Pabellön Cuba, this will include the annual international symposium from May 19-21. Although there is no specific invited country of honor this year, the entries include nine international collaborations and six international recordings. 
Not including the special awards and label collaborationss, the entries came from fifty-seven distinct entities including labels, workshops and independent releases.  Of the major labels, Bis was the most prolific this year, followed by Colibrí, then EGREM, but their combined submissions atill account for less than half the category entries.  Some interesting things about the categories themselves is that there is are separete categories for Hip Hop and Urban Pop/Reparto (no separate category for Regueton); there is a new category, En Redes, for productions made specifically for on-line distribution; and some albums that might once have been grouped all together in Bailable categories are this year spread about between Bailable Contemporáneo and Tropical Variado. 
This writer has heard some of the albums, and there are some exciting releases in this year's vintage.  During the event, the television channel Canal Clave will convert to Canal Cubadisco every day from 9am to 12am Eastern time. We will be watching carefully to see what can be viewed outside of Cuba. 
You can download the booklet of nominees here: #mce_temp_url#.