Rosanna Mailan

Alternative Stage Founding Donor 

Following two successful editions, the Percussion Festival of the GNO Alternative Stage returns for a third, and most ambitious, run, offering a three-day experience dedicated to the art of percussion and to the dialogue among diverse musical traditions. Scheduled for 1, 2, and 3 July 2026, the Percussion Festival, curated by percussion soloist Marinos Tranoudakis, invites audiences to a fascinating experience of sound and vibrant rhythms that will shake up the GNO Alternative Stage at the SNFCC.

The 3rd Percussion Festival features renowned international soloists, distinguished Greek musicians, and emerging artists, offering audiences a diverse programme of concerts, workshops, masterclasses, and educational events. The Festival spans a wide range of the contemporary percussion scene, underscoring its role as one of the most important meeting points in Greece and Europe.

Concert
Ritmos de Cuba
Rosanna Mailan
GNO Alternative Stage – SNFCC • Starts at: 20.30

Rosanna Mailan, Juan Manuel (singing), Dimitris Papadopoulos (trumpet), Lázaro Castro (piano), Yoel Soto (electric bass), Carlos Menendez (percussion)

A night filled with rhythm, passion, and genuine Cuban energy. Singer Rossana Mailan from Havana, Cuba, with a long-standing presence in the Greek music scene, invites us to a two-hour musical journey through the sounds, colorus, and soul of Cuba. Accompanied by an exceptional team of musicians, she presents beloved traditional Cuban songs, brimming with emotion, dance energy, and authenticity. The Ritmos de Cuba concert is dedicated to Cuban rhythms – from son and bolero to salsa and timeless songs cherished worldwide. It is an evening of celebration, memory, and music, where Cuba comes to life through every note.

Brief biographical notes

Rosanna Mailan
Μusician, singer, guitarist, pianist, director, composer and producer. She was born in Havana, Cuba, and began her musical studies at the age of six, completing her education at a music academy in Havana. In 2007 she moved to Athens, where she developed a dynamic presence in the music scene, collaborating with Cuban and Greek musicians. Among them is her father, musician and painter Remy Mailan. One of her first important collaborations was with the group Latin All Stars Meeting, under the direction of Cuban bassist and conductor Yoel Soto, with whom she performed in well-known Latin clubs and festivals in Greece. In 2013 she began studying jazz at the Athenaeum Conservatoire in Athens, expanding her musical vocabulary and exploring new creative horizons. Since then she has participated in numerous festivals and events, including the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Cosmo World Kavala and the 2nd Attica Region Festival.

Carlos Menendez
At the age of 10 and for four years he studied general percussion in the conservatory Alfonso Perez Isaac and then he transferred to the National School of Arts of Havana for four more years to continue his studies and get his diploma. From the first years of his studies he attended various seminars and since the present he has been specialised in drums, congas, bongos, timbal, tambores bàtá, güiro, güira dominicana, clave, chekeré, tambora dominicana, djembe, cajón, maracas. At the age of 16 he started his career in drums and percussion in various Cuban bands such as Yaguarimu, with which he recorded his first album with Egreem productions. At the same time he collaborated with Maite y la Frontera band and recorded two more albums with Egreem and Sony productions. Since February 2010 he has moved to Greece, works with Latin and jazz groups in Athens and became a founding member of the Harmonia Misturata Trio, working on a project focused on the blending of classical music with Latin American sounds and rhythms.