Music education in Cuban schools

Abstract

This article provides a description of the state-sponsored music education system in Cuban schools. Drawing upon documentary research as well as extended visits to Cuba, the article opens with a brief history of public schooling and music education in the nation. Going on to outline the current status of music education, the article pays specific attention to reforms implemented after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 as related to organizational structure, teacher training, and curriculum design. The article concludes with a critique of the status of music education in contemporary Cuba.

Esteban Salas and His Legacy of Music Education in Cuba

“…In the case of the former, restrictions on communication both to and from the island, coupled with the government's reluctance to translate official documents into English, makes it difficult for nonresidents to research the educational practices of Cuba. 3 In the case of the latter, materials relating to Esteban Salas were lost in the Santiago Cathedral archives until the 1940s.…”