Alexander Abreu & Havana D’Primera

Line-up:
Alexander Abreu – vocals
Amaury Pérez – trombone, backing vocals
Eduardo Sandoval – trombone
Uyuni Martínez – trumpet
Lázaro González – trumpet
José Luis Hernández – saxophone
Yusef Díaz – keyboard
Raúl Gil – bass
Enrique Pérez – backing vocals
Bernardo Rodríguez – piano
Luis Miguel Sanchez – keyboard, backing vocals
Guillermo del Toro – percussion
Camilo Bonne – percussion
José Julián Morejón – percussion
Yasser Mejías – güiro
Bruno Nápoles – guitar

Alexander Abreu & Havana D’Primera are Cuba’s most acclaimed salsa orchestra, and on March 11th, 2026, they return to Oslo to sweep the audience into vibrant Latin rhythms at Cosmopolite!

The 16-piece band, founded by trumpeter Alexander Abreu, consists of some of Cuba’s finest musicians, performing timba – the contemporary orchestral salsa music of Cuba. Abreu, who is also the lead vocalist, is known for his sophisticated and melodic voice, and the musicians blend salsa, jazz, RnB, funk, and Afro-Cuban folklore into their sound.

“Alexander Abreu and his musicians never forget their roots” – Havana Music School

Passaporte is one of the band’s most popular albums, portraying everyday life in Cuba. It gained international attention after being named “Best Latin Albums of the Year” by National Public Radio in the U.S., and one of the “10 Best Latin Music Albums of the Time” by the Los Angeles Times.

Alexander Abreu, who writes and arranges the band’s music, told Prensa Latina the following about songwriting: “Writing songs that create identity is complex, and not something one learns overnight. It is something that comes from the heart. It is a deep love and compassion for Cuba, the country I was born in and the country I will die in.”

GLOBAL A GO-GO wrote about Passaporte: “The band plays like the best jazz musicians, without forgetting that during each song they must get the dancers moving. This is dance music at its most sophisticated—the way jazz might have evolved had it not become sit-down-and-listen music. Excellent!”

Since their founding in 2007, Havana D’Primera have released six studio albums and one live album. Their latest release, Pueblo Grifo from 2023, reflects Abreu’s upbringing in the province of Cienfuegos. Highly danceable, featuring surprising rhythms such as rumba and urban references—and above all: the very best of Cuban dance music!

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DJ Mojito has more than 20 years of experience as a salsa DJ in Norway and abroad, and is known as a specialist in Cuban salsa and timba. He has previously been a DJ support act for many concerts at Cosmopolite.

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