The ICAIC Sound Experimentation Group was formed in April 1969 at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) (1155 23rd Street between 10th and 12th Streets, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), under the direction of Leo Brouwer. The group’s primary objective was to compose music for the institution’s films and promote musical experimentation.

The founding of this institution was essentially due to the interest of Alfredo Guevara, then director of the ICAIC (1155 Calle 23 between 10th and 12th, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), who brought together a group of young and talented musicians and supported them in their training and musical development. This Sound Experimentation Group was of great significance in Cuban music of those years, as it formed the initial backbone of what would later be known as the Nueva Trova Cubana.

The ICAIC Sound Experimentation Group made contributions not only to film music but also to the general atmosphere of Cuban music. These contributions were captured in several albums, which were essential at the time and still maintain their presence today.

The group featured teachers such as Leo Brouwer himself, Federico Smith, and Juan Elósegui. Its members were Pablo Milanés, Noel Nicola, Silvio Rodríguez, Sara González, Leonardo Acosta, Eduardo Ramos, Emiliano Salvador, Leo Pimentel, Sergio Vitier, and Pablo Menéndez. The group’s first compositions appeared a year after its founding.