A Night In Havana / Eliane Correa & La Evolucion / DJ Yersin / Howard Assembly Room Leeds

After another great ‘A Night In Havana” party in February, the session returns to Howard Assembly Room on Friday 22nd May for the fifth edition at Leeds Jazz Festival. Once again, DJ Lubi has curated a fantastic night of live Cuban music (with another great London Cuban band), alongside Cuban dance and the DJ after-party. Add in the venue’s excellent daiquiri Cuban cocktails and we really do give you a proper taste of “a night in Havana” without the 10 hour flight!

Pianist/composer/producer Eliane Correa has been one of the key figures of the Latin music scene in the UK for the past decade and a half. From curating the annual London Latin Jazz Festival and directing an array of award-winning Cuban and Latin-centric music projects, to touring internationally as a soloist for “The World Of Hans Zimmer” theatre show, and producing some of the most exciting up-and-coming female artists of the London Latin scene (such as Desta French, Colectiva and Amyra León), Eliane is one of the busiest musicians in the London music scene.

Born in Luxembourg to Argentine and Cuban parents, she trained classically at the Luxembourg Conservatoire and went on to study piano and composition at the renowned Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba in 2005. In 2007, she relocated to London to study a BA & MA Ethnomusicology at SOAS (part of University College, London). She founded her first UK bands at this time. One called Wara, who fused Cuban timba, funk and rap, and another named En El Aire (a Cuban jazz and soul ensemble). After years as arranger, pianist and director for internationally renowned salsa and Cuban bands (Mayito Rivera of Los Van Van, Maite Hontelé and Mixael Cabrera), Correa earned a reputation as a top musical director of large format Latin orchestras, whether it’s her own timba band La Evolución, or the 19-piece London mambo collective New Regency Orchestra (who played Howard Assembly Room back in October 2023).

Tonight, she and La Evolución are in 100% Cuban dance mode, bringing a mix of her own timba compositions from her 2024 “Signo De Fuego” album, alongside some reworks of classic Cuban timba/salsa tracks by legendary artists such as Havana D’Primera, Los Van Van, Issac Delgado and Alain Perez.

Doors are 7.00pm. As always, there’s an early doors Cuban salsa dance class at 7.45pm with resident teachers Yersin and Dahi. The band is onstage at 9pm, and Yersin will also be DJing all through the night playing the best classic and new son Cubano, timba and salsa Cubana. Book tickets via the HAR website and box office (standing tickets for dancing/dance class, upstairs seated tickets if just wanting to watch the concert).