My Havana: The Musical City of Carlos Varela

‘The book makes an excellent case for Varela’s cultural significance… My Havana reads like a love letter to Carlos Varela…. It makes a strong case for the inclusion of Carlos Varela in the cannon of Cuban musical greats.’

Julianne Graper, New West Indian Guide vol 90:2016

‘Impressively, the book has come to exist in two versions: English and Spanish. Such a production is highly commendable, even inspirational… The book provides much of value for readers unfamiliar with Varela and Nueva Trova.’

Nolan Warden, Notes: quarterly Journal of Music Library Association vol 73:01:2016

“Carlos has hit a nerve in the Cuban people; his music has expressed what most people are thinking, but are not saying, something that they couldn’t verbalize, couldn’t even see ... and I think that is the power of his music.” Benicio del Toro, actor, 'Che'

“Just as singer and songwriter Carlos Varela is a unifying figure for his generation of Cubans – a generation fragmented by ideology and migration – so My Havana puts scholars from different countries and traditions together in harmonious dialogue to present a rich picture of a musical icon.”

Ariana Hernandez-Reguant, University of Miami