In the framework of The Great Escape Festival 2025, one of the most important meetings of the international music industry, Cuba was represented by outstanding creators and professionals of the sector, who actively participated in conferences, exchange spaces and collaboration meetings.
Among the Cuban representatives were Reinier Valdés, director of Radio Taíno, and members of the Asociación Hermanos Saíz (AHS) from Villa Clara, who stood out for their commitment to artistic creation, cultural promotion and the search for strategic alliances with other festivals and international platforms.
In the case of Radio Taíno, a fruitful meeting was held with the team of The Selector Radio, a renowned global music programme produced in the United Kingdom and broadcast in dozens of countries. Radio Taíno has been part of this international network for eight years, thanks to a collaboration agreement that has made it possible to broadcast diverse, innovative and representative musical content from the Cuban scene.
For their part, the representatives of the AHS of Villa Clara found the event a very useful space to socialise experiences with festival producers from other latitudes, interested in participating in the four annual festivals organised by this provincial branch of the AHS in Cuba. This possibility opens new doors to cultural exchange and the international presence of young Cuban talents.
One of the most significant moments of the festival was the inaugural conference entitled "Artificial Intelligence, Streaming and the touring crisis: Perspective of music creators", where the challenges facing the music industry today were analysed in depth. The panel addressed topical issues such as the impact of artificial intelligence on artistic production, the sustainability of touring in a complex economic context, and the urgency of protecting creators' rights in the face of new digital distribution models.
Also discussed were the challenges of the streaming system, the urgency of establishing fair licenses with technology companies, and the five ethical principles promoted by the Music Creators Council in relation to AI: consent, control, compensation, transparency and respect for the image and voice of artists.
The event became a key platform to defend equity in the industry, promote new alliances and position Cuban artists and professionals in global spaces of dialogue, creation and transformation.
The participation of director Reinier Valdés on behalf of Radio Taíno, together with the AHS delegation from Villa Clara, reaffirms Cuba's commitment to promoting its culture and defending the rights of its creators on the international stage. The Cuban Embassy in the UK welcomes and supports these initiatives that contribute to artistic development and the global projection of Cuban identity.