Warren Easton Cultural Exchange Initiative

WARREN EASTON JAZZ BAND IS GOING TO CUBA!

The Warren Easton Charter High School Jazz Band is embarking on a three-year music and art journey with students from the Conservatorio Estéban Salas in Santiago de Cuba.

 Santiago de Cuba is the New Orleans of Cuba with Carnival, second line style “Conga” processions, and is the birthplace of many of Cuba’s most important styles of music. This initiative will bring together these young people to study the rich histories of each city and to share creative visions of the future. The Easton students will visit Cuba this May and in July 2017 for the Festival del Caribe. The Cuban students will visit New Orleans in April 2017 and during 2018 for the Tricenntennial celebration.

Why is Santiago de Cuba important to New Orleans?

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1809: Over 10,000\r\nSaint Domingue (French-Haitian) refugees flee Eastern Cuba to New Orleans, nearly\r\ndoubling the population of New Orleans.

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1809-1850: These\r\nSaint Domingue families travel back and forth between Louisiana and Cuba establishing\r\na thriving sugar industry in both places.

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1884-1885:\r\nAntonio Maceo, a native of Eastern Cuba and the leader of Cuba’s war of\r\nindependence from Spain, resides in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans.

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1898: Hundreds of\r\nblack Louisiana soldiers travel to Eastern Cuba in the Spanish war, including many\r\nmusicians.

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Turn of the 20th\r\nCentury: Soldiers brought back musical impressions from Eastern Cuba that added\r\nto the birth of Jazz in New Orleans.

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2016: Warren\r\nEaston Jazz Band visits Cuba, embarking on a three year cultural journey with\r\nCuba.

 

About This Initiative:

The Warren Easton Charter High School Jazz Band is embarking on a three-year music and art journey with students from the Conservatorio Estéban Salas in Santiago de Cuba. From January through May 2016, both schools will learn about the music, history and culture of the other city. The students will also put together images, sounds and stories of their city to share with each other. During the week in Santiago de Cuba the students will study music together daily and share their respective stories. Exciting collaborations will naturally come out of all of these efforts including new visions for the future. We will be documenting the whole process in New Orleans and Cuba from January through May with local media coverage.

 

About Warren Easton:

Warren Easton, the oldest public high school in the state, is an “A” rated, U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School. Easton develops a strong sense of responsibility, respect, and courtesy in each student, keeping them engaged with a rigorous and relevant curriculum. Easton boasts strong business, technology, arts and educational opportunities for all of its students. It has achieved a 100% graduation rate for the past five years. Its staff is dedicated to providing a safe-home environment for all those educated under its roof.

 

How can you or your company get involved?

Please support the travel of a Warren Easton student to Santiago de Cuba.

You can even come with us!

Learn first hand about the history that ties us to Cuba and about the rapidly changing cultural, political and business landscape in Cuba.

For more information call: (504)324-7436 

or email: info@cubanola.org

Sponsorship Levels:

$3,500 Sponsor the travel costs for one Warren Easton student.

$6,500 Sponsor a child’s travel costs and travel with us!

$10,000+ Additional sponsorship benefits can include:

  • Advertisement/brand marketing at events in Cuba

(concerts, lectures, parades, etc.)

  • Advertisement/brand marketing at events in New Orleans

(Mardi Gras parades, public performances, lectures, etc.)

Warren Easton Jazz Band Cultural Exchange Initiative

Warren Easton's Alumni hosted a Jazz Celebration Concert to help Warren Easton students get to Cuba!

Easton alum Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Captain America)  served as Master of Ceremonies with special guest and Easton alum Tonya Boyd-Cannon of The Voice. Performances by The Young Pinstripes Brass BandThe Original Pinettes Brass BandThe Stooges Brass Band, and Hot 8 Brass Band rounded out the evening.
 Friday, March 4th
Warren Easton Charter High School auditorium, 3019 Canal St.

 Anthony Mackie Warren Easton Jazz Concert Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event!