American singer-songwriter Tonya Boyd-Cannon visited Havana from February 19 to 24 in honor of the Black History month. Boyd-Cannon’s visit, a collaboration among the U.S. Embassy in Havana, the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and the Cuban Institute of Music, hosted three concerts and exchanges with Cuban audiences.
Mississippi-born and Louisiana-raised, Boyd-Cannon is a classically trained vocalist who studied vocal performance and whose musical style flows through soul, jazz, Reggae, funk, rock, and gospel. Boyd-Cannon also plays piano, organ, drums, and saxophone. Besides winning ‘Budweiser’s: Battle for the Crown’ and being a Top 20 ranked contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” Boyd-Cannon has released several albums and performed in numerous music festivals in the United States. Along with performing, she teaches vocal music and creative expression to students in classrooms and communities.
Boyd-Cannon performed at the Teatro Martí and the Teatro Nacional de Bellas Artes, among others. During her visit, she also met with representatives from the Instituto Superior de Arte, the Escuela Nacional de Música to discuss the Cuban artistic education system, initiatives against racism and discrimination, and the need for social inclusion. Boyd-Cannon’s visit celebrates the importance of Afro-Communities and their contributions to art and music in both the United States and Cuba during Black History Month.
