Café Cubano & Friends

Presented by TD Music Hall and Lula Music and Arts Centre as part of the 2023 Lulaworld Festival

Led by piano player Jorge Betancourt and featuring some of the city’s top players, Cafe Cubano was one of the first all-Cuban, full salsa bands formed in Canada. The group has spawned numerous other projects and continues to be a trailblazer in Toronto’s timba scene.

Born in Camangüey, Cuba, the son of a famous symphonic orchestra conductor, Jorge Betancourt began his career with Charanga 86 before going on to work with Orquesta Trinima, Salsometro and the influential Valentine y los del Caribe. In Canada, he has earned a reputation for his animated stage presence and an inventive fusion of salsa, RnB, funk and timba with traditional son and guaracha forms.

This concert is part of the 2023 Lulaworld festival and is presented in collaboration with Lula Music and Arts Centre, the programming organization behind the colourful and vibrant west-end venue Lula Lounge, Toronto’s home to live Latin and Brazilian music in Toronto.