The Creole Choir of Cuba

The Creole Choir of Cuba

The Creole Choir of Cuba is a Cuban group formed in 1994 during the country’s “Special Period”, when the economy is hit by the end of Soviet support and daily life is marked by shortages and frequent power cuts. The choir brings together Rogelio Torriente, Fidel Miranda, Teresita Miranda, Marcelo Luis, Dalio Vital, Emilia Diaz Chavez, Yordanka Fajardo, Irian Montejo, Marina Fernandes and Yara Diaz.

Origins and repertoire

The group grows out of the Professional Choir of Camagüey and is made up of descendants of Haitians in Cuba. Under the direction of Emilia Díaz Chávez, it reworks resistance songs and laments passed down by their forebears, presenting them in a modern setting. In Cuba, the ensemble is known as Grupo Vocal Desandann, with “Desandann” meaning “descendants”.

Style and identity

The choir’s work is rooted in Cuban vocal tradition and Latin music, with an emphasis on harmony and inherited repertoire. The group describes music as something essential to daily life and to the spirit, reflecting the importance it places on song as part of cultural memory and endurance.