Outstanding musician Iván Fariñas passed away in Havana

May 22, 2025

Outstanding musician Iván Fariñas passed away on May 20 in Havana, at the age of 75. 

Iván Flavio Fariñas de Armas was born in Havana on June 22, 1949; he was a singer and composer. From a very early age, his mother Cecilia Aramí de Armas Jiménez, a piano teacher, instilled in him a vocation for music. 

While studying in elementary school, he founded the rock band Venaton; and in middle school at Tomás Romay, he created, around 1965, the band called Los Halcones. 

Subsequently, Fariñas was part of Quinteto Negro until 1967, and in 1970 he founded and directed The Musical Power Men, a band where he collaborated with Miguel Cedeño (Mickey el Gordo) and Alfredo Sarabia. Musicians from this band went on to join Nueva Generación and Sesiones Ocultas. 

In 1975, he founded Viento Solar, where he began his creative work. With this band, he explored various musical genres, identifying himself with rock starting in 1987, which led the group to participate in festivals and national events during the 1990s. 

For his contributions to Cuban music and the new generations of rock musicians, he received the Distinction for National Culture.