The story behind Guajirón
A love for Cuban music, carried into the room.
Guajirón began with years of listening, dancing, travel and study—and with the friendships that made Cuban music something lived, not simply collected.
The beginning
From one record to the dance floor
Michael Terkowski’s path into Cuban music began in 1998, when Buena Vista Social Club opened a door into the island’s musical history. In 2007 he began studying Cuban partner dancing—Casino and Son—with Ryan and Sidney at San Francisco’s ODC.
By 2014 he was dancing four or five nights a week. A trip to Santiago de Cuba that year brought the music into sharper focus: he encountered the tres cubano, spent time with local musicians and began returning to Cuba frequently to spend time with friends, play, dance and study.
Teachers and collaborators
Learning through people
Michael gratefully acknowledges the musicians and teachers who have guided him along the way. Their generosity, knowledge and friendship are part of Guajirón’s foundation.
- Jorge Luna RoqueSantiago All Stars
- Geovanni RodriguezFamilia Valera Miranda y Estudiantina Invasora
- Prof. Osmar AsinEscuela de Bellas Artes, Guantánamo
- Jose Andrés Rodriguez, Carmelo y PiroloChangüí Guantánamo
- Vladimir SolorzanoTambores Enrique Bonne
- Ernesto ValeraLa Familia Valera Miranda
- Yuri Rivera CamachoSones del Oriente
The purpose now
Classic songs, alive for today’s audiences
Guajirón brings that experience home to San Francisco. The orchestra revisits classic Cuban popular songs in original arrangements—honoring their rhythmic depth while making space for today’s dancers and attentive listeners.
We play this music because we love it: the polyrhythms, the melodies, the exchange between musicians, and the way a song can bring a room together. The goal is not to freeze a tradition in time. It is to meet it with care, then share it fully and joyfully.