Cuba

Havana

Live Music

Sunset

Party

Cami Layé Okún

Cami Layé Okún is a Cuban DJ/selector inspired by the worldwide cultural diversity of rhythms. She collects vinyl records from all over the world as a way of sharing stories through music. Her sound spans from the tropical to the tribal; think African and Caribbean rhythms mixed with a Latin soul and sensibility. She brings together many of the lost sounds of the diaspora to move dance floors across the world. Currently living in Havana, she curates vinyl-focused events and feeds off the raw energy of the island to inform her music.

Cami also played a stellar set at Trippin’s first international event in Mexico City - check out the recap 

 and scroll down for her guide to the city.

I highly recommend a visit to the other side of the bay of Havana, the way to get there is by the “Lanchitas de Regla” (small boats). Known for being a town with a strong cultural tradition, especially with regard to Afro-Cuban religiosity and spirituality, it’s also a place known for its musicians.

The University of the Arts, built in 1976, is undoubtedly one of the city's architectural emblems. Twenty minutes from the centre of Havana, the ISA is a campus full of vegetation with domes and tunnels that from an aerial view, suggest breasts, fallopian tubes and vaginas. Despite having five buildings, you can only access the ‘artes circenses’ building that is currently abandoned. Ideal place to meditate, read or picnic with friends.

Exquisite live jazz club. Located in a basement of 23rd Avenue in the heart of the Vedado neighbourhood. A space where you can really get a feel for the musical talent found in the city.

The spot for fresh, natural juices. Ideal place to stop and cool down from the sun. It’s one of the few places I know where you can find a variety of juices without sugar, made in the moment with fresh fruits and vegetables. Only accepts national currency.

One of the best views of the city and sea. Admission is free for everyone, no matter if you are not staying at the hotel. Highly recommended spot for the sunset.

The greenest area in the city, where the smell of the earth is penetrating. With lush vegetation and trees brought from Africa, it is a space full of spirituality where many works of Afro-Cuban santeria are practised.

In the summer season there’s nothing better than swimming at Club Náutico.

This is a natural park where the facilities and nature merge in an enveloping way. Ideal to arrive by bicycle and enjoy the musical activities that are offered, mainly for children on weekends.

Havana would not be Havana without the Malecon. The Wall that protects the ocean and the place that gives us the best sunsets and sunrises from any point. It is the ideal place for all those things that make life more beautiful.

Similar Guides

Havana with DJ, Cami Layé Okún

Cimafunk

Cimafunk is one of the most unique artists of alternative music in Cuba. Former medical student, Cimafunk is now taking the music world by storm with his fusion of funk, Cuban sounds and African rhythms. Listed by Billboard as one of the 10 Latin Artists to Watch in 2019, Cimafunk has been expanding his reach outside of Cuba with a sold out US tour and shows across Europe. His name Cimafunk stems from his heritage, a ‘cimarrón’ is a Cuban of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery. Hailing from the rural Cuban town of Pinar Del Rio, Cima’s connection to his roots run deep, as seen in the vibrant documentary about the artist, directed by James Partridge. Watch the film 

 Read on for Cimafunk’s top spots in Havana to chill, dance and enjoy the sounds and scenes of the Cuban capital.

The Wall of Love! Love for music, love for the sea, love for the people. The Wall goes along the coastline and is the best place to sit and keep partying in the street with your friends when the party is over. All kinds of people go and have fun there.

When sweating is melody! Musical jams and concerts that are fire, dope music, the avant-garde of Cuban fusion: salsa, jazz, funk, Afro-Cuban genres or whatever occur to you. The concerts start around midnight and people just go crazy dancing. I started my musical career there and perform with Interactivo when I’m in Cuba.

The best place to discover Trova and Trovadores, a movement of Cuban songwriters. You can go for concerts and jams and then just have beers or cocktails with the crew, it’s a very informal and friendly place.

A hostel, a bar and a jewel of neo-colonial architecture. Recently renovated with a crew of young Cuban architects and designers, every room is decorated according to a famous song of Cuban music. They do regular concerts and jam sessions on the rooftop where you’ll have one of the nicest views of Havana and the sea.

For the tattoo lovers. A little house in Santa Fe village, in the outskirts of Havana. Super nice people, great artists and chill vibes closes to the sea!

Malecon

Related Guides