As of April 20, Cuba has its first non-Castro president in nearly 60 years as Raúl Castro steps down and Miguel Díaz-Canel takes the helm of the Communist country. What can we expect from former Vice President Díaz-Canel? Speaking on CGTN America's The Heat, AS/COA Senior Direct of Policy and head the Cuba Working Group Alana Tummino said, "The real challenge will be how this president can work to maintain Cuba's socialist economic model, which will mean to implement real economic, and some political, reforms if it wants to stay solvent and sustainable." Díaz-Canel is expected to continue to build out the series of pending lineamientos, or economic reforms, Castro initiated in 2010.

Cuban early music ensemble Ars Longa returns to New York on their second U.S. tour, presenting "Baroque Music from Cuba and the New World" on February 27 at St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University, which connects music by eighteenth century Cuban maestro de capilla Esteban Salas with works from Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru.

Watch this video of Ars Longa performing Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla's negrilla "Tambalagumbá" at Corpus Christi Church as part of their 2017 New York debut, which highlighted the African presence in Baroque music from the New World. The packed-house New York debut was named "one of the most significant concerts of the season" by The New Yorker. Americas Society collaborated with Music Before 1800 for the first time to present "Gulumbá gulumbé: Resoncias de África en el Nuevo Mundo." Founded in 1994 by Teresa Paz and Aland López, this early music ensemble focuses on Latin American and Cuban colonial repertoire and hosts the annual international Esteban Salas Early Music Festival in Havana, which brings musicians and ensembles from around the world for concerts and masterclasses.

Register and get your free tickets to see Ars Longa at St Paul's Chapel on February 27.

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