The Corhabana Festival was founded in 1999 under the name Havana Choral Gathering, a title that was changed to Corhabana in 2002, becoming an international festival. Since its founding, it has been organized by Digna Guerra, the president of the Organizing Committee. It used to be an annual event, but today it is held every two years within the Cuban musical scene.

Initially, it was a meeting between American and Cuban choirs, which lasted three years. Currently, foreign choirs participate, and on the Cuban side, only the Havana groups and one or two invited provincial groups are present. It has ceased to be a meeting between the U.S. and Havana and has been extended to other countries, primarily in Latin America.

The 2010 edition was dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban National Choir. Eight Cuban groups performed in the competition, including the National Choir and the vocal groups Entrevoces, D’Profundis, Ensemble Vocal Luna, Sine Nomine, Exaudi, Schola Cantorum Coralina, and the Havana Polyphonic Choir. Guests also came from Venezuela, Canada, and Mexico.

On this occasion, the festival venues were the Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater (Calzada and D, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), the Church of San Francisco de Paula (Ave. Del Puerto and San Ignacio, Old Havana, Havana), the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís (Offices between Amargura and Churruca, Old Havana, Havana), the San Felipe Neri Oratory (Aguiar and Obra Pía, Old Havana, Havana), among others.

Workshops were held on the interpretation of contemporary sacred music and the work of Esteban Salas, on the performance and staging of works from the Cuban and international choral repertoire, and on working with female choirs. A concert by children’s and youth choirs was also offered.

National and international institutions that have performed at Corhabana include the Holguín Orfeón, the Euterpe Orfeón of Las Tunas, the University of Puebla Choir in Mexico, the Guatemalan National Choir, and a choir from the University of Kentucky in the U.S.

Corhabana represents a good opportunity for the exchange of repertoire and professional and artistic experiences in the field of choral music among the various groups that perform, as well as for the development of this type of music in the Cuban archipelago.