Cubanana

Carrie Lavender and Jesús Alvarez Bulté form the nucleus of Cubanana. They met in Cuba in 1997. They perform in diverse venues, incorporating two to six additional musicians. As a duo, they present their school program across the northeastern U.S. Cubanana specializes in Cuban son, and other Cuban styles, plus Latin American and American folk music. The duo's school and community activities include assemblies, residencies, and teacher workshops.

Bulté was born in Guantánamo, Cuba, the birthplace of the son genre. He is classically trained in voice, bass, and theory, and plays major and minor percussion, upright bass, guitar, charango, and tres (a fundamental Cuban-style guitar).

Bulté studied with legendary musicians, and is expert in traditional Cuban son, Afro-Cuban styles, and the rhythms which gave rise to Cuban son: nengón, kiribá, regina, and changüí. In 1998, he emigrated from Cuba.

Carrie Lavender grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania. She played guitar, influenced by the folk movement of the 1960s. She traveled to Cuba in 1997 to study son and changüí. Lavender has performed with various bands in addition to Cubanana. Her instruments include guitar, voice, minor percussion, bongo, and recorder. Besides Latin music and dance, her professional and performing credits include soap operas, theatre, ballet, and character dance. Lavender holds a Masters Degree in Teaching Spanish from Columbia University, Teachers College.

Programs