MY PERFECT WEEKEND

Jayda Kelly, musician

Jayda Kelly would spend hers in Havana

I love experiencing different places and cultures.

I think it is so important to travel and surround yourself with people who live and experience life completely differently to how you live and view the world. So this would be my dream weekend:

I have always wanted to experience Cuba

— it is definitely on my bucket list. I find the culture so vibrant and beautiful. It’s a place that shines and is not shy to express itself through music and dancing, over and above that Cuba is absolutely beautiful. I am a natural adventure seeker, so I would want to find places where the locals go. probably waking up really early, putting my running shoes on and running through the city, finding a coffee place that draws me in. I’d enjoy the coffee while taking in everything around me. My absolute favourite thing to do is sit and write music so I would have my song book with me and write lyrics. I seem to get inspired with new experiences or people.

I would explore the city

with no plan, meeting locals and finding out where the best live music would be. My family and I live our lives around live music so I would find the best places for all of us to go. I have the best family and I wouldn’t explore any new place without them. It wouldn’t be as fun and mean as much.

Before lunch

I would write and record with one of the talented producers there. We would sit with a guitar and see what we both write together.

The afternoons would be for heading to the closest beach,

which is apparently Playas De Estes, my family. We aren’t really the sitand-relax types, we are all adventurers and want to explorers. We would probably be climbing rocks, meeting locals or scuba diving.

Where to eat?

Anywhere vibrant, somewhere with live local music and salsa dancing. We would order rum and try new foods while dancing and singing.

Since this is my perfect weekend,

one of the band members would call me and my siblings on stage to sing with them. We would spend the afternoon performing for a huge crowd, singing our hearts out and dancing. I am more comfortable and at home on stage than any other time. It’s where I feel most alive and most confident.

My best friends,

who are dancers/ singers and incredible performers, my siblings, cousins and all my best male friends would all go to Cafe Cantare in the evening. Apparently it’s an incredible place for live Cuban music.

Then we would head to

a place I have always wanted to go: Cabaret Tropicana, one of Havana’s most authentic shows that highlights Cuban culture. We would experience and see performers from around the world in colourful costumes move to island music. Afterwards we would probably dance the whole night to salsa, make friends and listen to the best Cuban music.

Having the perfect weekend

for me would be surrounding myself with all these incredible people I love so much, all together in one trip. It would be all of these talented, amazing people experiencing a beautiful culture together. Perfect.