One of the most important competitions in contemporary Cuban music is the International Young Jazz Competition, “Jojazz.” It was created in 1998, primarily to fill the gap between the biannual Jazz Plaza Festival. Its main objective is to discover new “stars” among young jazz performers in Cuba.

This Festival was named after a fortunate acronym that unites the words “Young” and “Jazz” to ultimately suggest “gems”: “Jojazz.” It has established itself as an event that brings together the most outstanding young Cuban musicians. It’s a genre that necessarily requires virtuosity and dedication, since there is no jazz without exalted technical rigor, coupled with the customary improvisation that the public so appreciates. But the musicians who liven up the Festival aren’t the only ones who are young; prestigious and world-renowned figures of Cuban jazz also participate, both as judges of competitions and as guest performers at galas, festivals, and concerts. Furthermore, there is a tradition of dedicating each edition to a jazz musician with a distinguished career.

This festival has brought together the most promising young artists of Cuban jazz to the Cuban capital for 13 editions. Among its merits, this gathering has introduced several young performers who are now recognized in contemporary Cuban music, including Yasek Manzano, Harold López Nussa, Alejandro Vargas, Dayramir González, and Michel Herrera.

Jojazz offers two competitions: Performance and Composition. It also offers concerts by prestigious national and international jazz musicians, and its programs include exchanges and educational workshops, in which established musicians share their knowledge and experience with newcomers.

At its last edition, in November 2010, the festival opened at the Mella Theater in Havana (Line No. 657, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana) with the presentation of the jury, chaired by pianist Alexis Bosch and saxophonist Orlando Sánchez. The event was dedicated to the late musician Orlando Cachaíto López, one of the leading figures of the all-star Buena Vista Social Club.

The opening lineup also featured Italian saxophonist Stefano Di Battista and his group, which includes pianist Roberto Tarenzi, double bassist Francesco Puglisi, and drummer Roberto Pistolesi. This time, Jojazz hosted twenty-three budding musicians from different Cuban provinces, who showcased their credentials in performance and harmony workshops, performances at the iconic Havana club La Zorra y el Cuervo (155 Calle 23, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), and composition and performance competitions.

The Jojazz Festival is an ideal opportunity to measure the younger generations of Cuban musicians and, in doing so, to glimpse the future offered by this dynamic path to inexhaustible Cuban music. Based on past experience, it can be said that there is an abundance of talent and discipline in playing the instrument and, above all, the spirit that is dedicated to achieving and delivering the best notes to the audience.