Aymée Nuviola, Cimafunk and Arturo Sandoval bring Cuban music to Madrid's Hispanidad 2026

October 11, 2026

Cuban singer Aymée Nuviola, winner of one Grammy and two Latin Grammys, takes the stage on Sunday, October 11, at 7 p.m. on the open-air esplanade at Madrid Río, next to the Matadero arts center, as part of the Hispanidad 2026 celebrations organized by the Community of Madrid. Admission is free. Fellow Cuban Cimafunk follows on the same stage at 9 p.m., and Saturday's program included a concert by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval in the Plaza Mayor.

The concerts originally planned for Puerta del Sol were moved to Madrid Río a few days before the festival, Madrid media reported. Known as "La Sonera del Mundo," Nuviola blends son, timba, guaguancó, jazz and bolero. She told El Mundo's LOC magazine that performing at Hispanidad is "a privilege and an honor," and that she is there to represent her country and the Cuban diaspora, "because I come from the United States, not from Cuba."

The Miami-based artist said she plans to close her set with "Pan para Yolanda," joined by Álvaro Tadeo, a young singer from the Canary Islands with Cuban roots who competed on La Voz Kids.

In interviews published this week by El Debate and La Razón, Nuviola also spoke about daily life on the island, including blackouts and shortages, and said she currently cannot travel to Cuba. "We have to protect the guarantee of being able to voice disagreement without being crushed," she told La Razón.