In 1993 Carlos performed in Havana to celebrate the anniversary of the Galician anthem, that had been first played there commissioned by the Galician community.
He found old Galician pipers who had preserved playing techniques disappeared in Galicia for over a century (a bit like the Scots do in Cape Breton). He also found that Galician music had mixed with the Afro-Cuban rhythms and the result was superb!
Please see here Carlos remembering that experience in a recent visit to Cuba.
Soon after, he would tell this to Paddy Moloney and Ry Cooder while they were touring and recording in he US. The next thing was to go there and record for the Chieftains’ Galician album “Santiago”, which received a Grammy and in which Carlos was a honorary member of the band, “The 7th Chieftain”. Please see here that album’s EPK.