A Cuba Benefit Concert with Sol y Canto

The United Church of Christ of Boxborough (723 Massachusetts Avenue, Boxborough, MA 01719) is sponsoring a benefit concert for the people of Cuba, featuring the Pan-Latin ensemble, Sol y Canto. Proceeds from the event will benefit the congregations of the Second Baptist Church in Santiago de Cuba, the Baptist Church of Mariana in Baracoa, and neighboring communities. Tickets are $30 per person, $10 for youth/students, plus a small ticketing fee ($35 at the door).

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Not able to attend but would like to contribute? You can follow this link to make a donation. Please type "Sol y Canto Concert" on the Special Collections memo line.... and thank you!

What's happening in Cuba? The circumstances in Cuba continue to get worse. People across the country are struggling through one of the worst economic and energy crises in recent memory. Nationwide power outages, sometimes lasting up to 20 hours per day, have become a part of daily life as the country's aging electrical system struggles to keep up with demand. At the same time, rising prices and shortages have made it harder for families to obtain essential items such as food and medicine.

These challenges have been further intensified by natural disasters and public health crises. Last October, Hurricane Melissa struck eastern Cuba, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and disrupting daily life for many communities. In the storm's aftermath, outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases placed additional strain on an already overstretched healthcare system. At the same time, Cuba's tourism sector—one of the country's most important economic drivers—has experienced a sharp decline in visitor arrivals, reducing a critical source of revenue. Compounding these difficulties, ongoing U.S. sanctions and restrictions on fuel imports and trade have constrained Cuba's access to international markets and financing, making economic recovery increasingly difficult.

The Event: In an effort to support the Cuban people, the United Church of Christ in Boxborough, MA, will host a benefit concert at UCCB on October 25th, featuring the Boston-based band Sol y Canto, an award-winning Pan-Latin ensemble known for its vibrant concerts and critically acclaimed music that blends diverse Latin American styles. The Boston Globe and WBUR describe their performances as “exhilarating and moving,” highlighting the duo's poetic lyrics, intricate guitar work, and engaging stage presence. Their music is often described as a "journey" through different rhythms and cultures, making it accessible to both Spanish- and non-Spanish-speaking audiences.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the congregations of the Second Baptist Church in Santiago de Cuba, the Baptist Church of Mariana in Baracoa, and neighboring communities.

Not able to attend but would like to contribute? You can follow this link to make a donation. Please type "Sol y Canto Concert" on the Special Collections memo line.... and thank you!

Artists: Sol y Canto brings more than three decades of acclaimed music-making to the stage, led by husband-and-wife team Rosi and Brian Amador. Known for their luminous harmonies, poetic songwriting, and genre-defying Latin fusion sound, the duo has built a celebrated career performing across the United States and internationally.

The Amadors are thrilled to be joined by Sol y Canto’s newest member, Brian Urra. Brian is a Chilean jazz violinist and vocalist who blends jazz, soul, and contemporary classical improvisation with the rich influences of his Chilean heritage and Latin American roots. He brings a fiery energy and presence through both his expressive violin playing and lush harmony vocals that weave seamlessly alongside Rosi and Brian, breathing new life into the band’s lyrics.

Founded in 1994, Sol y Canto is widely recognized for blending Pan-Latin rhythms, folk traditions, jazz influences, and deeply personal storytelling. Rosi Amador’s expressive vocals and driving percussion pair with Brian Amador’s intricate guitar work and creative songwriting, creating a sound that is both intimate and expansive. Performances feature playful vocal improvisations, in which the audience is invited to participate.

Their music has been featured on major stages and in cross-disciplinary collaborations, earning praise for storytelling that bridges cultures while staying rooted in themes of family, migration, joy, and resilience. Their work consistently invites audiences into a shared emotional space shaped by connection and craft.

With a long-standing commitment to community engagement and arts education, Sol y Canto continues to bring audiences together through music that is warm, welcoming, bilingual, and deeply human.

Music critic Norman Weinstein of the Christian Science Monitor and Boston Phoenix observes:

“Every Sol y Canto album is a demonstration of what the poet Federico García Lorca identified as deep song. Always they evoke the sensual splendor of simply being vitally, vividly alive in a magical and mysterious universe. Brian Amador is a Spanish modernist poet in the guise of a musician…Together, Rosi and Brian Amador create a musical marriage made in heaven.”

Organizer: Maricel Lucero's father, Oscar Lucero, played a significant role in the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Unfortunately, he was captured and killed by Batista’s officers, only months before the triumph of the Revolution. Today, he is known as “The Martyr of Silence” because he refused to reveal the names of other rebels when he was captured.

Maricel immigrated to the U.S. as a child, leaving behind a significant part of her extended family. She has journeyed back to Cuba many times to learn about her father's legacy and to reunite with loved ones. Over the years, she has guided groups from the U.S. to Cuba, bringing not only visitors but also vital humanitarian aid.

Host: United Church of Christ, Boxborough (UCCB) Whether you’re looking for meaningful worship, a welcoming community, ways to volunteer, a place to meet people, or an opportunity to learn and grow, you are welcome at UCC Boxborough. UCCB's worship services are full of progressive theology, personal connection, reverence, and laughter. But they are much more than their Sunday worship services.

Welcoming All, Caring for the World, Growing in the Spirit