Giovany Arteaga is a Cuban saxophonist born in Havana in 1977, into a family of musicians. He began his musical studies at the age of 9 at the Manuel Saumell School, then continued at the National School of Arts (ENA) and the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory. Early on, he collaborated with iconic figures of Cuban music such as Xiomara Laugart and Omara Portuondo (Buena Vista Social Club).

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Settled in Canada since 1998, Arteaga pursued his studies in jazz performance at the University of Montreal, where he joined the university Big Band and shared the stage with Ginette Reno, Alain Caron, and Gregory Charles. Winner of several prestigious awards, he notably received the General Motors Grand Jazz Prize in 2008 with Arden Arapyan‘s group and founded his own project, Cuban Conexion, which was awarded the Syli d’Or Grand Prize in 2011.

 

An eclectic and virtuosic musician, he blends jazz, Latin music, pop, and world sounds. He has performed on renowned stages such as the Francos de Montréal, the Québec Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London), and as the opening act for Diana Ross in North America.

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Since 2022, he has been touring with Corneille in Canada and Europe. He is also active as a composer for film and video games, and won the Best Original Song Award at Diversity in Cannes for Fuego. He released his current album "Timescape" in July or 2025, an album featuring Giovanni Hidalgo and Horacio “El Negro” Hernández.

 

A dedicated educator, Arteaga participates in music camps alongside legends such as Mike Mangini and Dennis Chambers, and is developing an innovative approach to immersive sound (Dolby Atmos).