The Casa de la Trova “Pepe Sanchez” is one of most authentic and picturesque sites in the city of Santiago. Located in a privileged site within the city, in front of the Hotel Casagranda and a few meters away from Park Céspedes, this place features day after day figures of what has become known as the Santiago Trova, an indomitable variant of the troubadour genre that is characterized by including in their musical arrangements instruments very linked to the son, such as the clave, maracas and bongos, which along with the guitars form an excellent sound cushion to beautiful song lyrics. Representatives of the Santiago Trova have over time had their names rendered famous far and wide, like Eliades Ochoa, who can still be seen around the place, and Francisco Repilado, Compay Segundo.

Each day hundreds of visitors flock to this site in order to get to know a bit more about the profundities of Cuban music.

There is very special spot within the walls of this place. Amidst the countless graffiti in the manner of the restaurant “Bodeguita del medio”, one’s attention is drawn to a small frame hung very near the bar, where stands a record of the note left behind by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney during his short stay in the city of Santiago de Cuba, on his visit to the Casa de la Trova. While he did not sing, he did listen and was seen marking the rhythm of the Cuban music he was enjoying on that day of the year 2000.

Hours: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Address: Calle Heredia Nr.208, Santiago de Cuba

Telephone: +53 (22) 62 3943