Canada Cuba Summer MuSIC Academy 2026

The Canada Cuba Summer Jazz Academy (CCSJA) is an exciting new music education program that has been designed for Canadian high school music students. Participants will travel to Varadero, Cuba and discover the important ties between Afro-Cuban music, culture and history and jazz!

Over the course of the week, students will workshop classic Cuban repertoire, discover the rhythms of the Mambo, Rumba and Son Cubano under the direction of one of Cuba’s foremost music educators Daya Aceitunto Rodriguez. Students will attend masterclasses on Afro-Cuban drumming & dance, salsa dancing, work in rehearsal with Cuban musicians and attend performances by local musicians.

Each day students will participate in nearly daily excursions to historic and culturally relevant sites on the island while also having plenty of time to enjoy the beach, pool and resort.

The Canada Cuba Summer Jazz Academy will be hosted at the Hotel ROC Arenas Doradas in Varadero, Cuba.