Jazz has been present in the Cuban musical scene since its introduction in the late 19th century and up to the present day, through numerous groups, instrumentalists, and musical events that have sprouted on the island.

This North American musical genre is well represented in Cuban music in the 21st century (2000-2011) by performers and groups that have achieved great notoriety both nationally and internationally, and who also showcase the best of Cuban jazz in recent times. Among them are Alexis Bosch Méndez, Dayramir González, Alejandro Vargas, and the group Diákara.

Alexis Bosch Méndez is a Cuban pianist, percussionist, arranger, and composer who has been part of various groups throughout his musical career. He was one of the ten pianists selected for the album Amor y Piano in tribute to Frank Emilio. He is the director of the Cuban Jazz Project, which is comprised of professional musicians from different generations and styles.

He also serves on the permanent jury of the Jojazz International Competition and is the director of the Cuban Jazz Project, which is comprised of professional musicians from different generations and styles. He belongs to the most elite national and international jazz scene.

Dayramir González is another young Cuban jazz pianist who founded his own group, Habana en Trance, in 2006. He won the renowned Cuban musical event for young jazz musicians, JOJAZZ. He is currently pursuing his musical studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

He was selected to join the orchestra that honored Chucho and Bebo Valdés upon receiving their doctorates from Berklee; he was also chosen to be part of the album released every two years by Berklee under the name “Jazz Revelation Record” (JRR), which serves as an international launching pad for its best students. He is one of the first of the younger generation of jazz pianists, both in Cuba and worldwide.

Alejandro Vargas, for his part, is a Cuban pianist, jazz musician, and composer who also won the JoJazz Competition. The Colibrí record label released a CD of his as part of the collection entitled The Young Spirit of Cuban Jazz. His album, which is his debut, was released under the title Trapiche; it consists of eleven tracks and features his quartet known as the Oriental Quartet.

The Diákara group, under the direction of maestro Oscar Valdés, combines the universal expression of jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms in its repertoire.

In the early 1990s, they were the long-time accompaniment group for the great Cuban poet and musician Silvio Rodríguez. Today, they are one of the leading exponents of the genre in Cuba.