CAMAGÜEY. Even amid rehearsals at its headquarters on Lugareño Street No. 128, Rumbatá’s director, Wilmer Ferrán, has a clear sense of direction: the group is navigating a period of artistic redefinition, international expansion, and renewed recording ambitions. At the heart of this new phase lies a defining goal—getting their upcoming album into the Grammys’ consideration process.
A recent trip to Mexico marked a turning point. Although three of the four scheduled concerts were canceled, the experience proved artistically and personally rewarding. “The shows were already sold out before we arrived,” Ferrán recalls, underscoring the anticipation among Mexican audiences, many of whom discovered Rumbatá through social media.
The single performance they managed to deliver was just one part of a broader agenda that included workshops, cultural exchanges, and an exhibition centered on batá drums and Yoruba chants. In cities such as San Miguel de Allende, the group encountered a diverse audience—not exclusively Latin American—that engaged with Cuban culture with curiosity and respect. “It’s not always the more intense rumba; there’s also a softer side that people enjoy and connect with,” Ferrán explains.
Beyond the stage, dialogue with Mexican musicians and academics left a lasting impression. “Mexico absorbs your culture, but also shares its own,” he notes, highlighting exchanges with university professors and local ensembles that even experimented with fusing their sounds with Rumbatá’s.
Back in Cuba, Ferrán is working on what he describes as a “new projection” for the group, coinciding with its 30th anniversary. The aim is not to break with its essence, but to evolve it—diversifying musical formats, refreshing costumes, and giving greater prominence to the dance ensemble. “I want the dancers to take on a stronger role,” he says, envisioning more comprehensive performances that explore the full cycles of rumba and the world of the orishas with richer stage expression.
At the same time, production is underway on the group’s sixth album, a project Ferrán calls “ambitious.” Seven tracks have already been recorded, alongside a series of collaborations that broaden the group’s sonic range. Among them is Mikey Perfecto, who recorded one of his own compositions with Rumbatá in Camagüey’s Caonao Studio.
The album will also feature works by Santiago de Cuba composer William Cobas—who, according to Ferrán, writes “with Rumbatá in mind”—as well as collaborations with figures such as Elito Revé, Camagüey-born percussionist Alain García, and U.S.-based singer Pepito Gómez. The project even ventures into Latin jazz territory with a minimalist approach: piano and quinto.
Despite not yet having a record label, the strategy is clear: take the time to craft a strong, well-positioned product. “We want to see how we can get this album into the Grammys’ consideration. It’s very difficult, but these new collaborations open doors,” Ferrán says.
Meanwhile, the group maintains an active presence in its home city. Rumbatá invites audiences to a concert this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Plaza del Gallo, followed by its regular Sunday session at Centro Cultural Casino from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m., a space that continues to grow as a meeting point for its followers in Camagüey.
Thirty years after its founding, Rumbatá is not looking back with nostalgia, but forward with intent. Rooted in tradition yet driven by reinvention, the group is fine-tuning its next move—with its sights set, as its director puts it, on ever broader stages.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez