Afro-Cuban All Stars

PRESENTED BY ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY,
GRAMMY®-NOMINATED AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA WITH A CELEBRATION 
OF CUBA'S MUSICAL LEGACY AND FUTURE
AT THE MILLER THEATER ON OCTOBER 30, 2026,
AS PART OF THE 2026–27 JAZZ SERIES

“If this music doesn’t move you, you’ve got no place to go.”
– NPR

“A stomping live extravaganza…the ensemble is a veritable human engine. The band has that classic Cuban ability to turn on a glittering sixpence, modulating from pure groove to percussive improvisation...”
– The Guardian

“Magnificent! …this is music that delights connoisseurs…yet seduces casual listeners with its gently swaying backbeats and sexy, perpetually danceable tempos. Only the tone deaf would be immune to its charms.”
– Chicago Tribune

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (September 14, 2026) – Ensemble Arts Philly presents Afro-Cuban All Stars at the Miller Theater on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Led by Buena Vista Social Club veteran Juan de Marcos, the internationally acclaimed ensemble brings together legendary performers and rising young virtuosos for an electrifying celebration of Cuba's musical heritage. Blending jazz, danzón, son, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, Afro-Cuban All Stars continues a mission that has inspired audiences around the world: preserving beloved traditions while introducing a new generation of artists and audiences to the richness of Cuban music.

"Juan de Marcos has been one of the most influential ambassadors of Cuban music for decades, helping introduce audiences around the world to its extraordinary traditions through projects including Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban All Stars," said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. "By bringing together veteran masters and emerging musicians, Afro-Cuban All Stars celebrates the richness of Cuba's musical heritage while ensuring those traditions continue to evolve for future generations. At Ensemble Arts Philly, we are proud to present artists who preserve cultural traditions while carrying them forward, and this remarkable ensemble offers audiences the opportunity to experience that living legacy firsthand."

This legendary band and its leader Juan de Marcos have done more than perhaps any other artistic entity to both preserve and expand the music of Cuba, showcasing its most venerable players and newest stars and earning four GRAMMY nominations along the way. Veterans of world tours, the band grew out of the now-classic Buena Vista Social Club, a landmark recording and musical movement dedicated to reintroducing the world to the irresistible music of Cuba.

Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or in person at the Academy of Music Box Office (240 S. Broad Street). For more information on the Academy of Music's Box Office hours, please visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.

Jazz Series Packages
Save when you choose two or more shows from the exciting jazz season.

Afro-Cuban All Stars
Miller Theater
Friday, October 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m.

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Other featured upcoming performances in the 2026–27 Jazz Series include Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (October 7, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Lakecia Benjamin (October 22, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); The 8-Bit Big Band (October 24, 2026, Miller Theater); The Bad Plus Farewell Tour (November 14, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Pink Martini All Stars present A Season of Stars (December 14, 2026, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Sullivan Fortner Trio (February 13, 2027, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Gregory Porter (February 15, 2027, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Ambrose Akinmusire (February 25, 2027, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); Yasmin Williams with The Dream Quartet (April 3, 2027, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts); and Django Festival Allstars (May 14, 2027, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts).

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ABOUT ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY
For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.       

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For photography, please visit www.ensembleartsphilly.smugmug.com.


Click here for a PDF version of this press release.