The Cedar Presents
ALEJANDRO BRITTES with Havana Quartet ~Barroco Latinoamericano~
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 / Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 7:30 PM
All Ages
Seated
$20 Advance, $24 Day of Show
This is a seated show with general admission, first-come-first-served seating. The Cedar is happy to reserve seats for patrons who require special seating accommodations. To request seating or other access accommodations, please go to our Access page.
For Cedar presented shows, online ticket sales typically end one hour before the door time, and then, based on availability, tickets will be available at the door. Tickets purchased at the door will include a $1 Eventbrite fee.
LISTEN
“KM 11,” video courtesy of Alejandro Brittes’s official YouTube channel.
Havana Quartet at the Capri, video courtesy of CAYO’s official YouTube channel.
ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Cedar is honored to debut Brazil-based Argentine composer and accordionist Alejandro Brittes. Interpreting chamamé, a music and dance genre forged from Baroque and Indigenous Guaraní influences of southern South America. Chamamé has been declared as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO."
"The festival’s most unanticipated delight was a set by Alejandro Brittes" -San Francisco Classical Voice
ALEJANDRO BRITTES
Considered by The Boston Globe as the “Main exponent of Chamamé”, the composer, accordionist and researcher Alejandro Brittes explores his Chamamé heritage, an ancestral rhythm born from the encounter between the ritualistic musicality and the worldview of the Original Peoples – The Guaranis – and the Baroque Music taught in the Jesuit Missions in a cultural macro-region that encompasses Argentina, central and southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Brittes, a tireless champion of the music of the northeastern region of Argentina and neighboring countries,has spent the last three decades studying the origins and techniques of the Argentine folk music of chamamé while touring worldwide, introducing and enchanting audience members with this unique music. Traditionally played by duos or small bands featuring guitar, violin, double bass and accordion, chamamé originated from European and Indigenous peoples collaborating in the early 20th century to express joy and melancholy in equal parts, and Brittes is a chamamé master.Tonight on The Cedar stage, his trio will be presented.
Chamaméis a form of popular cultural expression that is mainly practised in the Corrientes province. Its key components include a style of ‘close embrace’ dancing where participants hold each other chest to chest and follow the music without set choreography. Other elements include musiqueada, a celebratory act that includes a party, prayer and sapukay, a typical phonation or cry accompanied by gestures and movements to convey emotions such as joy, sadness, pain, and bravery. The violin and vihuela were the original instruments used in Chamamé music, but the guitar, harmonica, two-row diatonic button accordion, bandoneon and double bass were later incorporated. The singing is rooted in worship songs. Historically, lyrics and poetry were in Guarani, the regional native language, but today, oral traditions are transmitted in the yopará dialect, a combination of Spanish and Guarani. Chamamé music and dancing are an important part of the regional identity and play major social roles as they are common features of community and family gatherings, religious celebrations, and other festive events. Chamamé highlights values such as love for one’s land, local fauna and flora, religious devotion and a ‘way of being,’ a Guarani expression pointing to the harmony between the human, natural and spiritual realms.
To learn more about ALEJANDRO BRITTES:
Havana Quartet
Founded in 2017, the Havana Quartet has established itself as a leading ensemble in classical and contemporary music, proudly representing the richness and diversity of Cuban culture. The quartet is composed of Hansel Pérez Carrero (director, violin), Ana Caridad Frómeta (violin), Amaya Fuentes Sarria (viola), and Denise Hernández Rabeiro (cello), all talented musicians and graduates of the University of the Arts in Havana. Beyond their work within the quartet, its members have performed with renowned Cuban orchestras such as the Havana Chamber Orchestra, the Liceo de La Habana Orchestra, and Música Eterna, contributing to their country’s vibrant musical landscape.
Since their debut at the 30th anniversary of the Havana Contemporary Music Festival, the quartet has captivated audiences at prestigious events such as La Ruta de Mozart, the Havana Classical Festival, the Mozart-Habana Festival, and the Habaneras Festival, commemorating Havana’s 500th anniversary. Their versatile repertoire includes works by Shostakovich, Mozart, and compositions by prominent Cuban composers such as Alfredo Diez Nieto, Alejandro Falcón, and Jorge Amado Molina. In 2022, their performance of Molina’s Ofrenda, featured in the album of the same name, earned them a Cubadisco Award, the highest accolade in the Cuban music industry.
In 2023, the quartet embarked on a new artistic chapter in the United States, performing at the Harvard Fivesparks Music Festival and the Apple Hill Music Camp, where they worked with internationally renowned musicians such as Tony Ross, Judith Eissenberg, and Susie Park. After relocating to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, they continued to refine their craft under the guidance of Tom Rosenberg and J Freivogel, quickly becoming an integral part of Minnesota’s dynamic cultural scene.
Since 2024, the Havana String Quartet has served as the quartet-in-residence at CAYO, an organization that fosters cultural connection through music. They have delivered memorable performances at venues such as Orchestra Hall, the Capri Theater, and other iconic locations. Among their most notable collaborations are performances with the Jasper String Quartet, Cuban rappers La Reyna y La Real, and Yazmi & Beat Zero, led by pianist Yazmin Bowers, with whom they contributed to a recent recording project.
Deeply committed to music education, the quartet shares its expertise through masterclasses, workshops, and community engagement activities, inspiring the next generation of musicians. Their passion for music transcends borders, uniting diverse audiences with performances that combine technical virtuosity, artistic sensitivity, and a profound connection to their cultural roots.
The Havana String Quartet is not only a symbol of Cuban musical excellence, but a cultural bridge that brings understanding and joy through the transformative power of music.
To learn more about Havana Quartet: