Cape Town, 21 September 2026}— The iconic Artscape theatre hosted a tribute concert to the Buena Vista Social Club to mark its 30th anniversary. The cultural event brought the WOMAD South Africa 2026 festival to a close and was organised in collaboration with the charity “Cuba Solidarity Now”.
The performance brought together leading South African musicians and guest artists, who paid tribute to the universal legacy of Cuban music through son, jazz and other rhythms characteristic of Cuban culture.
In their speeches, the director of the Artscape Theatre, Marlene Le Roux, and the festival’s president, Dan Chiarboli, expressed their concern about the complex situation in Cuba and dedicated the evening to the Cuban people, turning the concert into a moving display of solidarity and friendship with Cuba.
For his part, Ambassador Fakri Rodríguez Pinelo, addressing the large audience present, thanked the event organisers for providing a cultural forum to raise awareness of the situation in Cuba and for their sincere call to redouble solidarity with the island.
The event was attended by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, who had recently returned from Cuba after taking part in the 1st Colloquium for Fidel.
Following the success of the concert, which was attended by some 540 people, the charity Cuba Solidarity Now will receive a portion of the proceeds to continue its humanitarian work in support of Cuba, which includes sending material aid to the Cuban people.
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)