Guitarist

Singer

Eliades Ochoa was born in Santiago de Cuba on June 22, 1946, in Songo la Maya, Santiago de Cuba. He is one of the most renowned Cuban “soneros” of all time, a notable defender of traditional Cuban music, and one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. His distinctive cowboy hat and his penchant for wearing black have led some to call him “The Cuban Johnny Cash.”

Eliades began playing the guitar as a youth, teaching himself with the aid of his parents. He alternated with itinerant troubadours from a very young age. In his walks through “guateques,” bars, and “zonas de tolerancia,” he began to learn the vast traditional repertoire of Cuban music, of which he is a teacher today. His musical style is due to his place of origin, the Cuban countryside, the anecdotes he listened to, and the “guateques campesinos.”

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Eliades Ochoa

The Freight

The Grammy Award-winning Cuban singer, guitarist, and songwriter, well known and loved worldwide as one of the original members of Buena Vista Social Club, performs songs from his new album Guajiro as well as Buena Vista classics.

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Eliades Ochoa, one of the stars and founders of Buena Vista Social Club, makes his Symphony Center debut. With a voice “that plunges the listener deep into the countryside surrounding his native Santiago” and “a dexterity on the acoustic guitar to dazzle any flamenco player” (The Austin Chronicle), Ochoa is recognized as one of the best guitarists and Cuban soneros of his generation.


Symphony Center

The rugged features, the signature hat, the cowboy boots and the iconic "man in black" image... the songs from the school of life imbued with the sort of hard-earned, country-tinged wisdom that can’t be bought. You don’t have to look or listen too hard to understand why Eliades Ochoa is often called "Cuba’s Johnny Cash." Yet if parallels abound, his music also shows him to be a singular voice with his own unique style and sound, rooted deep in Cuban tradition but with an appeal that is as timeless as it is universal.



Overture Center for the Arts

A double-bill direct from the island nation—these two Cuban artists represent the best of their generations. Eliades Ochoa, a member of the famed Buena Vista social club, coaxes the tropical sounds from his guitar, and the young and fiery Harold López- Nussa raises the temperature on the piano.

Guitarist, Singer

Eliades Ochoa

Events

Past events

15 - 16 May, 2025

Eliades Ochoa · The Freight

May 10, 2025

Eliades Ochoa · The Royal Conservatory of Music

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