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Music is a Cuban passion rivaled only by baseball and the Revolution itself. Everyone here knows who El Médico de la Salsa (The Salsa Doctor) is and what type of music he plays. Los Van Van, Beny Moré, and Compay Segundo are all celebrities on the order of Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, or Elvis. Caribbean, Spanish, African, and American rhythms have been combined to create more than three-dozen musical styles, which are themselves evolving into still more varieties. To experience the music of Cuba is to learn about it, and Havana offers plenty of opportunities for both. The city also has splashy cabaret revues as well as jazz haunts and cafés that offer quieter entertainment.
Dance performances—from traditional ballet to traditional Afro-Cuban—are also options. If your Spanish is good, you'll appreciate the active film, theater, and literary scenes. You don't need any Spanish to enjoy the art exhibited in Havana's many galleries. Attire at theaters and other venues ranges from cocktail dresses and jackets and ties to blue jeans and shorts. Tickets are nearly always available (check with your hotel concierge) at box offices and are very inexpensive by European or North American standards.
Cartelera, a Spanish-English weekly published by the Instituto Cubano del Libro and usually available free at major hotels, lists concerts, plays, and other artistic events. Opciones is another bilingual weekly publication with cultural listings. The Programación Cultural, published monthly in Spanish by the Oficina del Historiador de la Ciudad (Office of the City Historian), has what is probably the most complete schedule of events. Ask for a copy at Museo de la Ciudad in the Plaza de Armas.
On the upper edge of Vedado near the Plaza de la Revolución, this lively disco-bar often has musical performances and dance or comedy shows. It's very popular with locals and is a great place to experience nightlife away from the touristy Havana Vieja venues.
Named after its one-time owner Juan Bautista Taberna, this was Havana's first café when it opened at the very same spot in 1772. The rhythms of in-house band Conjunto Roberto Faz and their guests are some of the best you'll hear in Havana Vieja. The tall ceilings, retro atmosphere, and impressive wooden cocktail bar give this resto-bar a notable place among Havana Vieja establishments.
Tickets for a dinner and performance must be booked in advance.
Just steps from the Hotel Nacional, this dark and smoky bar offers live boleros-style music downstairs and a less than average restaurant upstairs. It can be a great option once the tunes get going later on into the night.
Situated in a shopping complex across the road from the Meliá Cohiba hotel is Havana's other jazz place, and a good one it is. The many jam sessions and the introduction of new jazz groups mean there's lots of improvisation and hot young musicians, as well as big-name acts. It acts like a jazz-cum-supper club, where tickets include dinner and a cover charge for the music.
Don't be alarmed. You must enter through an old English red phone box, before you descend into the city's premier jazz venue. Unlike most of Havana's music venues, the sounds make you snap your fingers and shake your head instead of everything else. Shows are held nightly, and the great-value CUC$10 cover includes two cocktails.
This is one of your best bets for late-night entertainment in Havana Vieja, even though these days it's mostly full of tourists. It's also always full of life and is a good starting point for a night on the town. Impromptu salsa dancing often breaks out here later on in the evening, too.
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