For what is believed to be the first time in the school’s history, Elon University welcomed a group of Cuban citizens to campus.

The Havana Cuba All-Stars stopped at Elon as part of their tour of the United States Thursday night, performing a two-hour concert called “Cuban Nights” in a packed McCrary Theatre. It's the eighth performance in a 63-stop tour for the band that also is known as "Asere," which means friendship. 

“We had a fantastic sound check and it was a fantastic atmosphere,” said band leader and lead trumpeter Michel Padron. “The crowd and audience was amazing. All the people who came from the local area made it a great night.” 

The 11-man ensemble performed 13 songs in total, varying the type of music and weaving the history of Cuba’s music. With many upbeat songs, many in the crowd got up to dance in front of the stage, like senior Philip Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez is the president of Elon’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and is of Cuban descent. While he grew up in Miami and has never been to the island, he said he felt a connection with the musicians. 

“This made me feel like I was connecting to my roots,” Rodriguez said. “I never grew up with this, and I feel it is something that is lost with my family. Tonight was a way to reconnect with my heritage, culture, and have a good time.”

The group was booked by Executive Director of Cultural and Special Programs Jeff Clark, who credited the strengthened relations between the United States and Cuba as a catalyst for the event. About the concert, Clark said he “wouldn’t have minded if it had gone longer.” 

“This is the first group out of Cuba since the relations between the countries have changed,” Clark said. “I wanted that, and wanted to provide some entertainment for Hispanic Heritage month. We’ve had a Hispanic Heritage month event for the last three years, and each year it’s gotten bigger.”

All 572 tickets were accounted for in McCrary Theatre, with Clark estimating around 550 people in attendance. Dean of Global Education Woody Pelton came as a spectator, but saw the show as a potential jumping-off point for Elon to build a relationship with Cuba.

“You have to love them for the music, the language and the culture,” Pelton said. “It’s just one more case of bringing another intercultural experience to campus, and I think it’s lovely.”

While Pelton never made it to the stage to dance, Administrative Assistant to the College of Arts and Sciences Jessica Russell did, appreciating that she was not dancing alone because it “made it a little less obvious that I have two left feet.” Russell said the show was “fabulous,” but that she came for a specific reason.

“My son, Gray, just started playing the trumpet,” Russell said. “He’s in sixth grade, and I wanted to show him what was possible when you learn to play the trumpet.”

Padron gave quite a showing on what could be done with the trumpet, playing multiple solos that drew rousing applause. At the end of the show, the Havana Cuba All-Stars received a two-minute long standing ovation, a moment that shows what the trip is all about to Padron.

“We feel, with all the humility possible, kind of like ambassadors,” Padron said. “We felt like the people love the Cuban music, and that is a huge deal for us. Cuba is a new thing for Americans, but we never imagined how good it would be for the audience to see us. We’re very excited and very proud to do this tour.”

And, for Pelton, the potential to create programs between Elon and Cuba has him wondering where else in the world Elon could send people.

“It’s very exciting, especially with a country like Cuba,” Pelton said. “I’d love to see it happen with Iran sometime before I retire, but that’s a longer stretch, I think.”