*Those who donate $40+ will be sent a complimentary digital copy of my personal travel journal I wrote while travelling Cuba in 2023!

1 Week Making Music with Local Musicians in Havana, CUBA 🇨🇺

Help me raise funds for Cuban musicians & artists for their contribution in this collaborative music project.

Scroll down to read more about the context, plan, budget
breakdown & logistics of this project!

*All numbers below are in Australian Dollars (AUD)*

$1,780 raised

Fundraising goal: $2,750

15 donations

55 days left!

65%

Context:

In 2023, I spent 4 weeks in Cuba and it was the most memorable place I’ve ever visited. Not just because of the country itself, but because of the people I met. During that trip, I brought a small recording setup with me, and together with some local musicians, we created a handful of songs. They were recorded in hotel rooms, last-minute, with limited resources, but to this day they remain some of my favourite pieces of music I’ve ever been a part of.

In October 2026, I will return to Cuba with much more planning, a proper budget, better Spanish, and bigger ambitions.

A bit about myself; my name is Jacob and I’m a 24yr old music producer from Australia. I live a nomadic lifestyle, and move around to different countries every few months while I work remotely. This lifestyle is what brought me to Cuba in 2023, and I’m lucky enough to return this year...this time to be part of a bigger, planned project!

The Plan:

Have a listen below to a few songs we made in 2023

I will spend 1 week in Havana, Cuba producing an EP (a collection of songs) in a local recording studio with a group of local musicians. The sound will be a fusion of:

- Traditional Afro-Cuban / Jazz

- Modern Hip-Hip / RnB Vocals

At the same time, the entire process will be documented by a dedicated cameraman, capturing the creative process, the challenges, and "behind-the-scenes" experiences of making music in Cuba.

The goal of this campaign is to raise $2,750 AUD (incl. fees) ... 100% of the funds raised will go directly toward paying the Cuban artists involved a fair daily wage for their time, talent, and contribution to this project.

Musicians all over the world often struggle to receive fair payments for their hard work and talents, and in Cuba it’s even more challenging due to limited resources, poor infrastructure and unreliable daily necessities such as electricity & transport. Any royalties or income generated from the music will go 100% to the Cuban artists involved.

I will not take any royalties or financial benefits from this project, and I will be covering all of my own personal expenses (flights, accommodation, food, travel insurance, visa etc).

If this project resonates with you, your support would genuinely mean a lot. Every contribution, no matter the size, goes directly toward paying the artists and making this project possible.

Budget Breakdown (AUD)

The goal of this campain is $2,750. This includes payment processing / transaction fees, leaving approximately $2,600 available to fund this project.

This budget of $2,600 will fund six full days of recording in Havana. Each day, it will cover the hire of a recording studio, three musicians, one vocalist, and one cameraman. Everyone involved will be paid a fair daily rate of approximately $70-75. ($50 USD).

The three musicians hired each day will be different musicians, so that this EP benefits from a variety of different instruments and flavours. The instruments involved will likely include piano, percussion, bass guitar, trumpet, flute, singers, rappers and potentially more,

if the budget & time allows for it!

The minimum amount required for this project to go ahead, would

be $1,375 , which is exactly half of the $2,750 goal. In this situation, the plan would be

shortened from 6 days, to 3, 4, or 5 days, and the plan would be adjusted in a way

to accomodate a lesser budget.

If total donations are less than $1,375 , all donations will be refunded in full,

and this project will unfortunately not proceed.

If any of these funds remain unused or if additional funds are raised above the

goal, they will be put towards promoting the music and supporting the release.

This may include:

- digital promotion and advertising

- artwork created by local Cuban artists

- live performances in Havana

Logistics, Risks & Challenges:

If successful, the project will take place late-October 2026. There will be 1 week of recording (6 full days), however I will spend up to 2 weeks in Cuba to allow flexibility.

BEFORE the project, I will spend time planning, coordinating & booking.

DURING the project, we will be writing, recording, producing & filming.

AFTER the project, I will be mixing the music, editing the video & promoting the release.

Cuba is a country with certain challenges, including power outages, fuel shortages, and limited access to certain resources.

During my trip in 2023, I experienced many of these challenges firsthand. With the help of my local friends in Havana, I learned how to adapt to daily life, from managing transport during fuel shortages, to working around blackouts, and adapting to limited resources.

This experience is a big part of why I feel very prepared to return. Unlike my first trip, this project will involve several months of preparation, planning, and coordination with my local contacts.

To minimise risk, I will be working in a studio that has reliable electricity, I have planned extra time in Havana to be flexible around delays or rescheduling, and I will bring backup equipment and plan for offline work where necessary.

As with any international project, unexpected challenges can arise. However, I believe the combination of prior experience, local connections, and thorough planning significantly reduces these risks and gives the project the best possible chance of being completed successfully

I truly believe this project will be an rewarding experience for everyone involved, not only to help bring some paid work to a group of talented musicians in Havana, but to produce some amazing music and an entertaining video that all of you, the supporters can listen to / watch and enjoy.

This project has been on my mind ever since I left Cuba in 2023, and it would mean a lot to be able to return and create something more with the artists & musicians I met.

If you’d like to be part of making this happen, I’d truly appreciate your support.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and if you'd like to help support this project, scroll to the top of this page to donate :)

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