Trombone Shorty, Trombone Shorty Academy students, and Cimafunk lead cultural and musical exchange in Cuba alongside George Clinton, Taj Mahal, Valerie June, Big Freedia, and more
Expedition featured on PBS NewsHour: Episode 1 of 3 out now
New Orleans, LA – February 5, 2025 – Just over five hundred nautical miles and a geographical border separate Havana, Cuba, from New Orleans, Louisiana, but culturally—and especially musically—the two have been inseparable for a few centuries now. Since 2020, the Trombone Shorty Foundation has led a rich cultural exchange between the two cities with its annual Getting Funky In Havana pilgrimage, furthering the foundation’s mission to inspire the next generation of musicians. Organized in partnership with Cimafunk and Cuba Educational Travel and sponsored by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation, 2025’s Getting Funky expedition took place January 16th-20th. As the musicians, music fans, industry professionals, and students of all ages make their way back stateside, their hearts still beat with a clave rhythm as new ideas turn to action and once-in-a-lifetime memories bring new friends into the fold for next year’s adventure.
From deep-dive discussions—Yola moderated a panel comprised of Taj Mahal, Trombone Shorty, George Clinton, and Cimafunk—to wildcard cross-cultural collaboration on stage each night, the emphasis remained on deepening the artist ties between Havana and New Orleans. Moments of mentorship shone bright with Taj Mahal inviting a host of Cuban students, then Trombone Shorty Foundation students, then more Cuban and American musicians to join him in finishing out a triumphant solo set with a sardine-packed stage filled with singers, horns, and percussion instruments. Guests were treated to a very intimate performance from Cuban national folk hero Carlos Varela, further educating and enlightening listeners on what it means to be from Cuba from the “Poet of Havana” himself. “The power of music to connect and perpetuate cultures was palpable as these soul wizards shared their passions,” says Bill Taylor, Founding Executive Director of the Shorty Foundation.
A large part of the Shorty Foundation’s trip to Havana is bringing Trombone Shorty Academy students to perform their music of New Orleans and to collaborate with other young Cuban musicians, some of whom have met before as part of the young Havana-based group, Primera Linea. Visiting the Guillermo Tomas School of Music in Guanabacoa, the Shorty Academy band broke language barriers with a jam featuring both country’s students, culminating in the school’s courtyard with a couple of hundred people dancing along.
“Getting Funky has grown from an annual cultural exchange trip to a full-on musical festival with a large philanthropic arm making a real difference in communities in Havana and New Orleans,” says Collin Laverty, President of Cuba Educational Travel. “I’m touched by the amount and quality of artists from the U.S. and Cuba that have taken part in Getting Funky during the first 4 editions and even more humbled to see the musical collaborations, lifelong friendships and youth alliances that have resulted.”
“The trip was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life,” says Jarnell Demesme, Trombone Shorty Academy saxophonist. “The culture is very different and the people are passionate about what they do. It was very fun and gave a real insight of how true touring life is. It is an experience I’ll never forget.”
“At the heart of all we shared in Cuba is the knowledge that we are expanding hearts, dissolving borders, and spreading goodness through music and education,” Taylor adds. “Just think what the Shorty Foundation students and Primera Linea will be doing together in 10 years!”
During the nights, the Getting Funky crew took to the Amphitheater of Old Havana, cross-pollinating on stage with performances from Cuban artists like Cimafunk and Los Van Van alongside New Orleans staples Big Freedia, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Trombone Shorty, and Big Chief Juan Pardo. Of course George Clinton and Taj Mahal didn’t pass up the opportunity to collaborate alongside other American artists like JoJo Hermann, Valerie June, Maurice “MoBetta” Brown, and Robert Randolph in front of a packed Cuban crowd.
“I’m so grateful to explore and celebrate the deep cultural connections between New Orleans and Cuba through Getting Funky in Havana,” says Cimafunk. “It’s all about coming together to celebrate Africa, Funk music and the New Orleans – Cuba friendship.”
As Carlos Varela puts it, “Some people build walls, and some people build doors,” and with the Getting Funky In Havana trip, the Trombone Shorty Foundation intends to continue building doors and reconnecting the worlds of New Orleans and Havana.
Up next: Join Trombone Shorty and the Foundation in New Orleans for Shorty Fest on April 28. For more information, please click here. To learn more about the Trombone Shorty Foundation and to get involved, please visit tromboneshortyfoundation.org.
View a gallery from photographer Sophia Germer at Nola.com.
Foundation media inquiries: IVPR/Maria Ivey, Maria@ivpr.com
About The Trombone Shorty Foundation: The Trombone Shorty Foundation’s mission is to inspire the next generation of talented youth through music education, instruction, mentorship, apprenticeship, and performance. By honoring the New Orleans tradition of “playing it forward” from the earliest jazz legends onward, the Foundation seeks to preserve and perpetuate the musical heritage of a city where music is everything. Experienced and professional teachers, tutors, and mentors support every student in the pursuit of a well-rounded understanding of New Orleans’ musical traditions, experience in music performance, reading, writing, and now, even business, and the social and academic skills they need to make noise wherever they go–in music and in life.
About Trombone Shorty: If anybody knows their way around a festival, it’s Grammy-winning artist Trombone Shorty. Born Troy Andrews, he got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them. Since 2010, he’s released four chart topping studio albums; toured with everyone from Big Boi to Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, five times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet; launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book. Meanwhile in New Orleans, Shorty now leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness, hosts the annual Voodoo Threauxdown shows that have drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day, and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band, and has taken over the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s hallowed final set, which has seen him closing out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys, and Kings of Leon.
About Cuba Educational Travel: Cuba Educational Travel is the leading organization in connecting the people of the U.S. and Cuba through travel. Founded by Collin Laverty, a leading expert on U.S.-Cuba relations, CET offers cultural, educational, event and incentive and luxury travel to Cuba, working with clients to develop unique, customized and heavily-curated experiences on the island. CET believes deeply in the value of bringing our two countries together and has worked hard to introduce important U.S. policymakers, companies, organizations and thought leaders to Cuba. CET has been on the front lines of cultural collaboration between the US and Cuba — from educational programs to concerts to dance performances, CET has connected its community in Cuba with tens of thousands of American travelers.
About The Gia Maione Prima Foundation: Founded by Gia Prima and Anthony J. Sylvester, Esq. (Foundation Trustee), The Gia Maione Prima Foundation supports organizations and projects that foster and encourage an appreciation for American jazz, American popular music and jazz performance, as well as the fine arts.
