Cuban night for the Monaco Bal de la Rose 2016

The 62nd edition of 2016 Bal de la Rose will be held in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation, on Saturday, 19th March, at the Salle des Etoiles, Sporting Monte-Carlo. 

H.R.H. the Princess of Hannover, President of the Princess Grace Foundation, asked her friend Karl Lagerfeld to imagine and design the 2016 Bal de la Rose. Together they envisioned an evocative evening that draws inspiration from Cuba. They felt that beyond the clichés and picture postcard landscapes, this creative starting point represents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the energy, optimism and hope of a Cuban society, currently undergoing immense change.

The 2016 Bal de la Rose will transport guests through the greenery of the sugarcane fields, the turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea and the terracotta of the Viñales valley, for an amazing explosion of colours and emotions. Result of a rich and complex mixed heritage, the ambiance will be elevated by an exceptional showcase of Cuban music, offering guests the opportunity to get on the dancefloor and try out some salsa moves to the beat of some of the world's finest musical talent. A "caliente" evening!

Upon arrival, guests will cross a winding path through the sugarcane fields, before arriving at Café Taberna. With just enough time for a mojito, they will then take their seats in the middle of the street, lined with characterful coloured facades, so very characteristic of Cuba, whose cracked, faded pastel buildings fondly evoke the past splendours of a Havana weathered by sunshine, tropical storms and ocean spray. 

Feel the beat
 
The guests of the Cuban Bal de la Rose will be immersed in a rich music program performed by a cast of supreme Cuban talent.
 
Son Del Nene will kick-start the line-up, accompanied by six trusted travel companions. Born Pedro Lugo Martinez, this Cuban artist is the spiritual son of the famous Ibrahim Ferrer of ‘Buena Vista Social Club' fame, and claims to have learned his authentic Cuban Sound from the masters themselves. In homage to his tutors, he starred in the film representation of the ‘Buena Vista Social Club' by Wim Wenders, powering the most moving musical scenes of the film.
 
The Sporting Monte-Carlo stage will then be given over to Son Damas, an all-female Cuban band, created in 1992 and comprised of ten spectacular musical stars, which has earned the reputation of being Cuba's best female band.  Their huge talent goes way beyond the country's borders as, after over twenty years, with sell out concerts across America of course, but also Europe and Japan.
 
The music programme for this 62nd Bal de la Rose continues with Septeto Nabori a band of eight musicians, all natives of Havana, featuring since 1993 Alejandro Morcate, Abel Delgado and Ramón ‘Monchí' Carbonell. Students of The Conservatory and the Institut Supérieur Polytechnique de Santiago de Cuba, these musical geniuses abandoned everything in pursuit of sharing their love and passion for traditional Cuban music with the world.
 
The night concludes in memorable style with the must-see Cuban Reggaeton, a sound that is a symbol of modernity. Originating in Porto Rico, locally known as ‘Cubaton', this genre integrates local rhythms with hip-hop and electro with a hint of reggae for a statement of Cuba's modernity that has captivated the youth scene.
 

Guests will loose themselves in the diverse Cuban musical heritage, dancing the night away for one of the most unforgettable nights on the international society calendar.