Hugo Cancio - President & CEO
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Hugo Cancio was born in Havana, Cuba in 1964, in a decade marked by events that changed people’s lives forever: his country disputing with the United States and Kennedy, Kruschev and Castro fighting for opposing ideals in a world that seemed to have lost its path. But his life was different. He grew up surrounded by music, art, dreams and a very unique family. His father, Miguel Cancio was part of Los Zafiros, one of the most influential quartets of Cuban music. His mother, Monica, was also a singer. At the age of seven, he moved from the capital to Varadero, in Matanzas District, where he completed elementary and middle school. He was later accepted into Colegio Vocacional, an important institution for outstanding students.

“I wanted to be a doctor,” he remembers. “Most of my family members were musicians, poets, painters and artists. My grandfather was a doctor, but none of his seven children followed in his footsteps, so, I promised him I would,” he says.

“When I woke up every morning, there were still folks there from the night before. My father would bring home his friends from the night clubs, singers like Elena Burke and Omara Portuondo and many other famous artists of the time,” he says recognizing that “at the time, I wanted a different life for myself. Not because of the music, but because I couldn’t come to terms with the bohemian lifestyle.”

In 1979 all his dreams of following in his father’s footsteps were cut short. “In school, a student overheard a joke that I made about Castro’s government, not fully understanding what I was saying. He recorded it and brought it to his father, who worked for the State Department.” After three days in jail and innumerable psychological pressures, they realized they were not going to obtain any other information from him so they released him. He tried to return to school but was openly repudiated. “From that moment on, my life change completely,” he affirms. “I promised myself that I would not allow anything or anyone to restrain my dreams.” His life, however, became increasingly complicated, eventually jeopardizing his future.

In 1980, when the Port of Mariel opened for all who wanted to leave the country, Hugo, his mother and younger sister decided to move to the United States. They arrived in Miami with plenty of dreams for a new life, one with freedom of thought. “We came to Miami not knowing anyone, but the city quickly became home,” he recognizes. “I am a universal being, I can live anywhere, but I am sure that Miami is my home.” At first, Hugo worked as a bus boy, security guard, and a salesman at a car dealer. At the latter, he discovered a talent for sales and became the dealership’s manager at age 20. As a result of this experience, he started an import-export car company.

News from the island changed his business life; Castro’s government would grant those departing during Mariel re-entry to Cuba. This offered an opportunity to move into the travel industry. Hugo opened an agency specializing in trips to Cuba and was able to revisit the country he had left years ago. That trip marked a return to his identity. “I returned and it changed my life. I came back to my language, my music, and my culture. I questioned my career choice. Why a travel agency when entertainment was my calling?”

During one of these trips, he discovered a documentary about Los Zafiros, his father’s musical quartet. “It was a joy to be transported to my father’s youth, but the program was narrated by El Chino, the only surviving member still living in Cuba. He deteriorated the image of Los Zafiros my father fought to maintain,” Hugo explains. That day, Hugo decided to start producing his own documentary to pay homage to his father and vindicate his legacy. He began traveling to Cuba more frequently to research and prepare this work. The documentary eventually became a movie with a $1.5 million dollar budget. “It was a great movie. It won 13 international awards and was screened for 8 consecutives months in Cuba,” he explains.

“All the money I made, I gave back to the people there. If the government took it, it’s on in their conscience.” After such success on the island, Hugo decided to bring the movie to Miami. The film was screened at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and 73 artists from Cuba were flown to the event. That evening, Hugo confronted an unexpected reality: approximately one thousand people had gathered to protest the event. “I felt like an alien in my own city,” he affirms.

"I felt I had to do something to change this attitude.” Hugo began programming more events that reaffirmed his intent to integrate two sides of the same city. The screening was followed with three concerts by Cuban artists Israel Delgado and Manolín, “El Médico de la Salsa.” The success of these and other ventures in the music industry motivated him to create a new company to represent and record these artists. Thus, Ciocan Music was born. The first group produced, Vocal Sampling, managed to rank among the top selling artists and obtain a nomination for the Latin Grammy Awards. This was followed by a second production and nomination for La Charanga Habanera.

Among the many efforts he has undertaken to benefit the Cuban community in Miami, Hugo’s extensive attempts to reunite baseball player Liván Hernández with his mother in Cuba are memorable. He was also very influential in the decision to overturn the City of Miami ordinance that forbade Cuban artists to come to Miami. This opened the door for the Latin Grammy Awards that later came to South Florida

Disciplined, enthusiastic and generous, Hugo Cancio has learned how to overcome numerous barriers since childhood. “I believe that every human being has a mission in life and you have to do everything in your power to complete it, always living in harmony with your community and yourself.” Hugo has become one of the more outstanding Latin entrepreneurs of his generation. He has understood his culture and has taken on projects that targeted his community. In only four decades, he has made notable contributions in music, television, and sports. His commitment and vision remind us that the best is yet to come.

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