Duration - 1:28 [a video about Cuba from the news collective Belly Of The Beast]

Returning to Havana to perform at the International Jazz Plaza Festival, renowned Cuban-born violinist Yilian Cañizares explains why Cuban musicians have had such a huge impact on the global music scene.

“There’s a kind of magic formula in Cuba,” she says.

Part of that magic formula is the rigorous musical education Cuban musicians receive from an early age, trained not only in their instruments, but also in the theory, history and culture of music.

Yilian says music in Cuba is not just studied - it’s lived. It’s part of everyday life, woven into the culture, the streets, and the rhythms people grow up with. That constant presence shapes musicians in a way that’s unique to the island.