full events guide
Transcription
full events guide
sep In co-operation with 2014 Let us Pray, Sep 8 6th Leo Brouwer Festival, Sep 26-Oct 12 The Word on the Street. by Conner Gorry Cuba spiritual ISSUE Havana Guide Restaurants — Bars & Clubs — Accommodation Cubania Travel Discovering the heart of Cuba http://www.cubaniatravel.com Unforgettable and unusual adventures in Cuba for those who would like a truly Cuban experience. Cubania is the leading provider of cycling tours through Cuba with over 15 years experience. We have over 200 Specialized and Trek bikes in country enabling us to guarantee that the quality and maintenance of our equipment is of the highest http://www.cubaniatravel.com standard. Cubania also provide a wide variety of cultural activities and other adventure activities including Trekking, fishing, bird watching, horse-riding and scuba-diving trips. Cubania is a British travel company, owned and managed by Lucy Davies with over 15 years experience on the ground in Cuba which enables us to create fantastic adventures for those who wish to share our passion for Cuba. Tel: +53 5 2079888 Email: [email protected] http://www.cubaniatravel.com by Nicolas Ordoñez PHOTO With a Passion for Cuba Cuba Absolutely is an independent platform, which seeks to showcase the best in Cuba arts & culture, life-style, sport, travel and much more... We seek to explore Cuba through the eyes of the best writers, photographers and filmmakers, both Cuban and international, who live work, travel and play in Cuba. Beautiful pictures, great videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips. HAVANA GUIDE The ultimate guide to Havana with detailed reviews of where to eat, drink, dance, shop, visit and play. Unique insights to the place that a gregarious, passionate and proud people call home. Navdeariez Like us on Facebook for beautiful images, links to interesting articles and regular updates. Over 100 videos including interviews with Cuba’s best artists, dancers, musicians, writers and directors. OUR CONTRIBUTORS Follow us on Twitter for regular updates of new content, reviews, comments and more. We are deeply indebted to all of the writers and photographers who have shared their work with us. We welcome new contributors and would love hear from you if you have a Cuba-related project. You can contact us at [email protected]. photo by Alex Mene editorial Cover picture by Alex Mene: Devotees of Our Lady of Regla, Sept 2013 We have found our spiritual side month. Maybe it was the ice-cold bucket of water that provoked some inner contemplation; perhaps it was the 24-hour yoga session or maybe it was simply something in the air this month—whatever it was, we are paying tribute to Cuba’s smorgasbord of beliefs and traditions, which largely co-exist in a happy equilibrium. After all, when you scratch beneath the surface in Cuba everyone believes in something—observe the most inflexible atheist when the Cuban baseball team gets to the final of the World Baseball Classic! September 8 marks the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and this is celebrated in various processions throughout Cuba. Conner Gorry is not buying into this religious renaissance and her article on the Pope’s visit to Cuba back in 2013 may be the necessary antidote for any remaining atheists who are not buying it. Lydia Bell and Antonio Baiano, who explore Santeria and the Secrets of the Saints, delve into the African roots of Cuba. Victoria Alcalá rounds out this religious issue with a piece on the past and present Jewish community in Cuba. September is a month for dance in Havana. Ballet, folkloric, Modern dance, Spanish dance—take your pick. We recommend Danza Abierta’s ShowRoom (Sep13), Ballet Español de Cuba (Sep 16-17) at Teatro Mella and Habana Rakatán at Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht (Sep 12-13). At the end of September, get ready for the 6th Leo Brouwer Festival, which is truly one of Cuba’s premier music festivals with world-class invitees scheduled to participate. If you have a chance, don’t miss the final summer party at Club Havana on Sunday night. These parties have been rocking all summer—beautiful people blowing bubbles at a hedonistic fiesta of music and dance. Do check out our expanded Havana Guide, which is growing to accommodate the new bars, restaurants and casas particulares that continue to spring forth adding vitality and energy to Havana’s entertainment and hospitality scene. September 2014 Highlights (Havana, unless stated) • Sep 7, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Sep 26-Oct 12, 6th Leo Brouwer Festival Thanks to all of our contributors, sponsors, partners and readers. Do please keep providing us with your feedback, comments and suggestions. All enquiries should be directed to Sophia Beckman at CubaAbsolutely@ gmail.com. All the best. Viva Cuba! September 2014 photo by Alex Mene Features [Cuba spiritual ISSUE] Cuba’s religious ajiaco (stew) p8 by Margaret Atkins Praise Be to Our Lady of Charity p11 by Lucia Lamadrid The black Cuban Virgin dressed in blue p14 by Victoria Alcalá Let Us Pray: The Pope comes to Cuba p16 by Conner Gorry The Jewish community in Cuba: past and present p20 Unlocking the secrets of the saints in Cuba p23 by Lydia Bell Santeria, the African roots of Cuba p26 by Antonio Baiano Summer Fashion: Iyawó Style p29 by Isabella Ramos Havana Listings Havana style Visual Arts p31 — Photography p35 — Dance p36 — Music p39 — Theatre p49 — For Kids p50 Alicia Leal: A universal mysticism p33 6th Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival p51 The Word on the Street p64 by Conner Gorry El Gato Tuerto – 54 years old and still packing it for ‘filin’ p66 El Litoral – An inspiration on the Malecón p68 Havana Guide Features — Restaurants — Bars & Clubs — Live Music — Hotels — Private Accommodation p74 ! Not to miss during September 2014 what’s on havana Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sum 1 15 22 29 What’s On Havana is Nativity of the out—make a plan for Blessed Virgin Mary the rest of the month Frank Delgado and Buena Fe in Concert September 15, 10pm Teatro Karl Marx Monday night—go traditional bar hopping: Bodeguita del Medio, El Floridita, Sloppy Joe’s. El papel de la cultura en el Caribe hoy Casa de las Américas, September 29-October 3 2 9 16 23 30 Dinner at Mr Miglis’s Swedish-Cuban fusion oasis of good food and style in Centro Habana Y lo español se baila así... @ Teatro Mella, Sept 16 & 17, Get a beer or six at Girl’s night out— Havana’s best new Cocinero, Up & brewery: Cervecería Down, Sangri-La Antiguo Almacén de la Madera y el Tabaco 3 10 17 24 Dinner at Santy, Jaimanitas’s off the beaten track world class sushi restaurant Dinner at El Litoral, one of Havana’s best new restaurants— watch life pass by the Malecón. 4 11 18 25 Jornada Pinar HipHop, September 4-7, Pinar del Río Dinner at La Guarida Festival Nacional Metal HG, September Havana’s legendary restaurant located in 18-21, Holguín Centro Habana 5 12 Concert by pianist Ernán López-Nussa and his trio @ Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Posible imposible by Habana Rakatán @ Centro Cultural Bertolt Retazos @ Sala Las Carolinas, Sept 19 & Brecht (Sep 12-13) 20 La Cenicienta según los Beatles Compañía “La Colmenita”, Sept 12 & 14, 10:30am. 6 13 Watch peace break out between Russian and Ukranian diplomats at Cuba’s premier Soviet restaurant, Nazdarovie Ecos Dance Company Danza Abierta ShowRoom @ Sala de @ Teatro América, El Ciervo Encantado, 8pm 8.30pm Ernán López-Nussa @ Teatro Nacional, Ballet Nacional de 8.30pm Cuba @ (Sep 12-13) En Buena Compañía, Carpa Trompoloco, Sat & Sun, 4pm & 7pm 7 14 21 28 Weekend at Cayo Levisa organized by Cubania Travel La Máquina de la Melancolía, with Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto García @ El Sauce, 5pm Beach day–enjoy the gorgeous Jibacoa 8 19 20 III Encuentro Amigos del Jazz, September 25-28, Santiago de Cuba 26 Opening of En colección @ Factoría Habana, Sep 26-Oct 12, 6th Leo Brouwer Festival 27 .com With a passion for Cuba Mon Tue Wed With a Passion for Cuba Mon Thu Fri Sat Sum contents page 7 photos by Alex Mene Cuba’s religious ajiaco (stew) by Margaret Atkins It is an undeniable fact that Cubans are on the whole a religious people. Strictly-by-the-book dialectic materialism, poorly taught, poorly repeated and poorly believed never firmly took hold of the collective consciousness. Atheism has lost the battle and it is a fact that today, in Cuba, almost everybody believes in “something.” “Something” can mean Marist devotion, adherence to the entities making up the Yoruba pantheon, the Bantu spirits of Africa, the spirits of the dead who are called upon to help or torment the living, the soul that helps a woman hold on to her man, universal energy, Our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the Cross to relieve us of our sins…or the mushroom that grants the person growing it three wishes and passes it on to another to form a chain of faith. In Cuba, there are Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Orthodox, Muslims, Protestants of various denominations, disciples of the “New Era” movement and followers of the spiritualism of Yoga. The economic crisis unleashed after the fall of the socialist bloc and the religious tolerance after years of political roadblocks that terminated with the constitutional reform of 1991 and the aperture permitting believers of all faiths to join the Communist Party are factors that have helped along the religious explosion that today permeates every stratum of society. Of all the tendencies, the Catholic faith is the oldest; it was brought by the Conquistadors and the aboriginal religions disappeared along with the aboriginal peoples. The Africans would enter the picture later on when the local labor force had become spent. In a recent publication, the Catholic Church stated that in 2012 approximately 52 % of the population was Catholic; this included non-apostate baptized persons. It has been said, however, that formal practitioners only number around 200,000. Popular religions are very noticeable: this is something common to all peoples but much more extended throughout Latin America. It is a term that has been much discussed and which includes a long list of phenomena. There are those in Cuba who are visibly and actively committed to the Christian community. There are those who believe “in their own way,” belonging to a church in which they have been baptized and for which they feel a certain sense of belonging, but do not regularly attend Mass. They will have their children baptized because it is the custom or because they think it is something “good for them.” And that’s the extent of it. There are those who believe in God but not in the priests and they won’t set foot inside a church if their lives depended on it. There are those who have Masses for their dead, they pray and wear .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 8 Photo by Alex Mene Saint Barbara whenever it thunders because her father, who had her put to death on account of her faith, died struck down by lightning in holy retribution. She is the patron of storms, firemen and miners. Saint Barbara is a Christian martyr and is often shown lifting the sword that cut off her head and for that reason she is erroneously associated with war. crucifixes and collect blessed palm leaves on Palm Sunday and attend the Midnight Mass once a year. There are those who feel themselves to be Catholic and yet they incorporate into their faith the elements of the African cults in an act of syncretism. A young colleague of mine once said that for him spiritual life was like an empty bag that gained in value the more it contained. And that was why he managed to be babalawo, palero, spiritualist, Catholic and Communist all at the same time. Without going to such lengths of cultural mixing, it is true that many Cubans are Catholic in a very special way. It is amazing to see the passionate devotion to the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, patroness of the Island. Our Lady of Charity’s Basilica at El Cobre near the city of Santiago de Cuba is visited by countless faithful who go there to make and carry out promises and make offerings. Before she became the official patroness of Cuba, she was the protector of Indians and blacks. The first Cuban flag that fluttered over the liberating troops of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes was sewn from the cloth of the Virgin’s canopy. Saint Jude Thaddeus, Saint Rita of Cascia and Saint Expeditus have been gaining in popularity in recent years. They intercede in impossible cases and urgent causes and Cubans beseech them whenever they are faced by some circumstance that they cannot resolve on their own. Saint Jude is especially consulted to intercede in migratory matters. People pray to the Virgin of Regla, a black virgin brought from Andalusia in Spain. The fishing village on the other side of Havana Bay was named after her and is where the Iglesia de la Virgen de Regla church is located. Our Lady of Mercy also has a large following. There are home which also have a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus so that prayers can be offered to Jesus for indulgence and compassion. The Virgin of Loreto has been extraofficially declared patron of Havana’s new-born real-estate business. If you want to sell or buy a house, that’s who you should pray to. San Lázaro, whose sanctuary is at El Rincón on the outskirts of Havana, is a strange case because he is not an official saint nor does his name appear on any calendar. The image that presides the altar of the church is Lazarus, Bishop of Marseille, but the pilgrims actually pay respect -- to another image situated to the left of the high altar, which the Church considers the same saint, but which popular tradition identifies with the Syncretic Lazarus, the one in crutches accompanied by a dog. If you are in Havana in December, you can take part in a huge pilgrimage because this poor, sickly Saint Lazarus accompanied by his dogs has been attributed with extraordinary powers over life and health. Another beloved saint is Barbara. A popular saying has it that there are persons who only remember Photo by Y. Monte .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 9 In every case, devotion to these saints is based on utilitarian needs. If you have lost something, get in touch with Saint Dismas, the Good Thief; if you want to get married, hang an image of Saint Anthony on the wall. One lady who is in charge of selling prints at an important church in Havana says: “People ask me what the saints are good for, as if they were appliances.” And in many cases, there is a syncretic relationship between Catholic saints and the entities in the Yoruba pantheon. To add to the confusion, these African deities are generically referred to as santos, that is, saints. Are you confused now? Well, that’s hardly surprising. Cuba is a small island but its spiritual world is enormous. What is perhaps the best feature is that every faith appears to coexist in harmony. Across the street where I live, there is an apartment building. The family on the first floor are 100% Catholic; the one on the second floor are santeros—the kind that play the drums at least three times a year—while the family of Pentecostals who libve on the top floor go to church regularly on Wednesdays and Sundays. Every morning, these three families all go and buy their bread at the same bakery, they greet each other and share stories, troubles and vicissitudes. That’s what people are like here. I love that, don’t you? Continue to read full article + slideshow .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 10 Praise Be to Our Lady of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad) by Lucia Lamadrid photos by Alex Mene .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 11 While many Cubans are by nature somewhat skeptical when it comes to religion, it doesn’t take much of a mishap before “Our Lady of Charity” (often known by the more intimate “Cachita”) is invoked for believers and non-believers alike. The church is well aware that while some people venerate the Marian image of Our Lady of Charity, others worship Ochun, the Orisha of love and money, the river Goddess, who always wears yellow and still others manage to worship both the Christian virgin and the goddess of the Yoruba religion syncretized in one. The image itself is syncretic—part of a process that has occurred through the centuries. The white man, the black man and the mulatto that lie at her feet in a small boat is a reminder of the three men—one black and two Indians—who found a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus in her arms while sailing around the Bay of Nipe in the early 17th century. The statue was fastened to a board with an inscription saying “I am the Virgin of Charity.” This is the same diverse, multiracial and devout Cuban people that now make the pilgrimage, rain or shine, and adorn the road with yellow sunflowers, calling out to her over and over: “Praise be to Our Lady of Charity!” .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 12 For the Catholic world as a whole, September 8 marks the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is venerated in many countries, cities and regions as their patroness, usually under a specific title or apparition. This is the case of Cuba, which celebrates that day as the feast day of Our Lady of Charity. Every year, several thousands of Cubans of all ages, races and social position accompany the statue in the traditional procession that takes place in the working-class neighborhood of Centro Habana. This tradition was taken up again after the historic visit of Pope John Paul to Cuba in 1998. The statue of the Virgin is carried on a platform followed by a throng of people that carry candles or flowers— sunflowers mostly. Many wear yellow, which is the color that identifies Our Lady of Charity. The people walk solemnly for several blocks around Nuestra Señora de la Caridad Parrish in Centro Habana. The procession is headed by Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana. Mass and made an appeal for peace around the world, in particular Syria. Although the principal celebration on this day takes place in Santiago de Cuba at the Virgin’s National Sanctuary, this beautiful and moving demonstration of faith takes place all over Cuba. Our Lady of Charity is a symbol of identity for Cubans wherever they may be, and her significance transcends the Catholic faith to the culture and history of Cuba. Continue to read full article + slideshow This past September 8, 2013, was no different in Havana. During the procession, the people sang hymns, prayed and shouted Viva! to Cuba’s Patroness and the Church. Other people followed the procession from the rooftops and porches of their homes. The procession ended at the Parrish of Our Lady of Charity where the Archbishop said .com With a passion for Cuba Photo Ana Lorena contents page 13 photos by Alex Mene The black Cuban Virgin dressed in blue (The pilgrimage of Our Lady of Regla) by Victoria Alcalá .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 14 Our Lady of Regla has an illustrious history that goes back to Saint Augustine (354–430), one of the early Fathers of the Church who, it is said, had received heavenly instructions to carve a statue of a black virgin in wood and to place it in his chapel in Hippo, present-day Annaba in Algeria. Thirteen years after the death of St. Augustine, when Hippo was attacked and destroyed by the Vandals, the monks fled to Spain and took the statue with them. They placed it on a spot that looked out to sea, and this is where the devotion began. In time, Our Lady of Regla became the patroness of mariners. This is why it was also adopted as the patron saint of the quaint village of Regla, located on the northeastern side of Havana’s Bay in a preColumbian Indian settlement that would later be populated by fishermen and sailors. On the Virgin’s feast day, September 7, the faithful come to Cuba’s National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Regla, continuing a tradition that began in the 17th century. The image that we see today is an exact copy of the head of the original statue. It was brought from Spain in 1696 by Sergeant Major Don Pedro de Aranda y Avellaneda and placed on the altar of the church that substituted the original wooden structure, which was destroyed by a hurricane. Today’s Sanctuary, a modest and humble building erected from 1811 to 1818, is far from majestic. Its altars are not filled with gold or other material riches. It stands on a small rise fittingly facing the sea. The statue of the Black Madonna, as it is also known, has lived an adventurous life. When Havana was captured by the British in 1762, it was taken to the church of the small town of El Calvario, and then to a sugar mill in nearby Managua. This was done to prevent the statue from falling in the hands of the subjects of “treacherous Albion.” In 1958, it was abducted, with the priest’s knowledge and consent, by young revolutionaries who opposed Batista’s dictatorship. As with Our Lady of Charity, devotion for Our Lady of Regla is part of this wonderful potpourri, which, according to the Cuban scholar Don Fernando Ortiz, is the basis of the Cuban nationality. The Virgin of Regla is syncretized with the Orisha Yemayá, owner of the moon, the seas and everything that lives there. She is vested with marine symbols, such as shells, conches, anchors, boats, corals, seaweeds and starfish. And her color, of course, is blue like the sea. While the pilgrimage of the patron saint of Cuba, Our Lady of Charity, is filled with yellow, the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Regla, the Cuban black virgin, is blue, as befits the Queen of the Seas. Continue to read full article + slideshow .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 15 Let Us Pray: The Pope comes to Cuba by Conner Gorry As anti-climactic as the Immaculate Conception—I’m sure you’ve already divined that the religious importance of having his Holiness here held no interest for me and in this I’m not alone: I’ve never seen an event so thinly attended in the iconic Plaza de la Revolución in my 10 years here. In fact, we strolled into the central area just a few moments before the 9:30 mass kicked off and were going against the current of people streaming away from the square. “I came and took the pictures I wanted; I’m going home,” a friend I ran into said. The curiosity seekers and thin crowds were surprising but make sense: as a whole, Cubans just aren’t that church-y. Religious and faithbound, yes, but that’s different from kneeling before a man in a dress and goofy hat while he proselytizes a doctrine peppered with sins bound to doom your mortal soul. there—especially when refracted through the lense of reporters sent to cover such an event—does not accurately reflect what we’re experiencing on the ground. It’s not only that every media outlet from The Militant to FoxNews has an agenda. The view is skewed also because Cuba newbies rarely grasp the complexities of our context (see note 2), nor the attendant history influencing those complexities. You don’t get this perspective unless you’ve been around and stick around and only if you speak Spanish—even a translator is no guarantee (see note 3). So let me tell you about the mass I attended yesterday under a blazing sun, delivered by a froglike man in a funny hat. What folks are saying: One of the pervasive myths about Cubans is that they’re afraid to speak their I ventured once again outside my comfort zone yesterday here in Havana: I went to mass. It was as oppressive (and let’s be frank, hypocritical) as I remember from Jesuit high school (see note 1), although this one was presided over by the big Catholic kahuna himself, Pope Benedict XVI. It was also mercifully short. While I’m sure you’re oversaturated with ‘The Pope in Cuba’ news up your way, one of the indelible lessons I’ve learned in my 10 years of island residency is that the picture you get of here from .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 16 minds or offer opinions, and that self-censorship is rampant. While it’s undeniable that people keep their heads far below the parapet in the workplace and have the tendency to adjust responses to what they think people want to hear, I’ve always found Cubans to be fiercely opinionated—once you get to know them. Or more to the point: once they get to know you. The Pope’s visit confirmed this impression. “I’m so sick of this Pope.” “Wasn’t he a Fascist?” “I’ll come by your house once The Almighty Pope leaves and things calm down.” “Son of a b@&*h! The Pope took our Internet.” (see note 4) “Faith, hope, and peace: that’s what it’s all about.” Rocking our rum-pork-party holy trinity: Another element piquing my interest was how Cubans approached this whole Papal visit. Essentially, yesterday felt much like hurricane preparation and landfall: people laid in stores and stayed home watching events unfold on TV, with some chicharrones and a bottle of rum close at hand. Except—and this was a rude awakening for several of my unprepared friends—authorities instituted a booze ban the evening before, which lasted until the Pope Mobile and its cargo were safely at the airport. So those who didn’t lay in the ron were homebound with pork, friends, and family, but no curda. In my decade here, I only recall a few alcohol-free events: election days are always dry and if I’m not mistaken, they did the same during the Non-Aligned Summit here in 2006. Let me tell you: no rum makes Havana kinda grumpy. Revenue coup: The cleverness of Cuba never ceases to amaze me and yesterday didn’t disappoint once I saw the huge numbers of tourists in the Plaza for mass. My first clue was the distinguished older gentleman of means dressed in khakis, a pink Oxford, and penny loafers, with not a gin and tonic in sight; clearly not one of us. I started looking closely at the crowd and their clothes and distinguishing different accents. Nicaragua, Argentina, Chile, Panama, the DR, USA, PR, Mexico, Venezuela—flags from all across Latin America snapped in the wind whipping across the Plaza and I realized that aside from the pride and so-called “soft power” the Papal visit signified, it also represented a hugely-needed and greatly- appreciated influx of tourist cash. There wasn’t a hotel room to be found; paladares overflowed; extra charter flights were added from Florida. And all Habaneros (save for cops and docs), were given a paid day off. This is the type of devotion we could use more of and we thank you for supporting the cause. The US matters less: After Juan Pablo II’s visit in 1998, Bill Clinton’s White House issued a press release announcing new policies ostensibly resulting from this historic trip. Most importantly, the release approved people-to-people visits in order to foment “regime change” and “promote a peaceful transition to democracy”—concepts mentioned no fewer than six times in the short document. Blatantly threatening the national sovereignty of an independent and peaceful country thusly is absurd enough, but that Obama maintains precisely the same policies and parrots exactly the same rhetoric 14 years later, that’s just loco. While the US is embarrassingly and unjustly static in its policy, the world and, importantly, Cuba has changed—is changing still. Raúl is a different bird from his brother and that manifests itself in many ways, including less of the ping pong policymaking that based decisions on what the bully to the North was doing. That’s how it looks publically anyway. Holy jama! As anti-climactic as the Immaculate Conception: I’m sure you’ve already divined that the religious importance of having his Holiness here held no interest for me and in this I’m not alone: I’ve never seen an event so thinly attended in the iconic Plaza de la Revolución in my 10 years here. In fact, we strolled into the central area just a few moments before the 9:30 mass kicked off and were going against the current of people streaming away from the square. “I came and took the pictures I wanted; I’m going home,” a friend I ran into said. The curiosity seekers and thin crowds were surprising but make sense: as a whole, Cubans just aren’t that church-y. Religious and faith-bound, yes, but that’s different from kneeling before a man in a dress and goofy hat while he proselytizes a doctrine peppered with sins bound to doom your mortal soul. Cubans just aren’t down with that, but they do love a spectacle: one of my favorite moments was when a women who wanted to taste the host tried to fake her way through the motions while the priest held the wafer aloft. When he caught on, he patted her on the head and returned the host to his jaba. Though the Pope himself failed to inspire, Cubans never do. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 17 Continue to read full article + slideshow Notes 1. This, Fidel and I have in common, except those same Jesuits expelled me my junior year (another story entirely!) 2. A simple example: journalists arrive here and compose some flaccid or purply prose (even leading with it occasionally, dios mío) about all the old cars rumbling about. For those of us with continuity here, that’s ‘dog bites man.’ The more compelling, ‘man bites dog’ story is the unbelievable amount of new cars on the road and what that means for traffic, transport options, pollution, etc. 3. The press conference by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez upon the Pope’s arrival is case in point: his response to an Englishspeaking reporter about “freedom of consciousness” was elegant and sweeping in the original Spanish, mangled and less inspired in English. 4. Cuba has limited bandwidth due to the US embargo-cum-blockade which prohibits the island from connecting to underwater cables running nearby. Instead, the connection for the entire island is provided by a sole, slow Italian satellite. This bandwidth was prioritized for visiting press so they could report live from Cuba. It’s back now, thankfully, obviously. Conner Gorry is one of the most insightful writers about Cuba. Author of Here is Havana blog (http://hereishavana.wordpress.com/), she also puts together the Havana Good Time iPad/ Phone/Touch application http://itunes.apple.com/app/havana-good-time/id385663683?mt=8 (Android version) http://sutromedia.com/android/Havana_Good_Time - essential guide to What’s On in Havana. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 18 ALL FOR US$ 2.99 Free updates for life Havana Good Time Discover Havana on your iPhone, iPad and Android, for the price of a mojito! Written by resident author and travel expert, Conner Gorry, Havana Good Time is: Fully functional in Cuba without internet connection Top rates in iTunes Scrupulously researched and continually updated Packed with the hottest new clubs, bars and paladars About the Author Travel writer, essayist, and journalist Conner Gorry first landed in Havana in 1993. Conner has traveled the length and breadth of Cuba writing on everything from wild camping to disaster medicine, 5-cent cigars and funerals. Photos by Humberto Mayol The Jewish community in Cuba: past and present by Victoria Alcalá There are records that the first Jews, among them Luis Torres the man who introduced tobacco to Europe and Rodrigo de Triana, arrived in Cuba with Christopher Columbus. By undertaking such a hazardous journey into the unknown they were hoping to escape the long arm of the Spanish Inquisition. It is said that the one and only female governor of Cuba, Doña Isabel de Bobadilla, wife of Hernando de Soto, also governor of Cuba and explorer of Florida, had been converted to Christianity. Likewise, it is thought that Pedro Agustin Morell de Santa Cruz, Bishop of Santo Domingo, much loved in Havana for his dignified attitude during the 1762 English invasion, was a convert; at the moment of his death he spoke words in a “strange language” that could be attributed to his possible condition of convert to Christianity. Within the quiet and under-cover settlement of Jews during the colonial era, there was the outstanding Diaz-Pimienta “dynasty” of Portuguese descent; some members of this family were well-known shipbuilders and smugglers and they intermarried with African women. the new possibilities opening up with the recently won independence from Spain. Just two years after the birth of the Republic in 1904, the United Hebrew Congregation was inaugurated and in 1906 they acquired a cemetery in the outskirts of Guanabacoa (Independencia and Avenida de los Mártires). The community at that time numbered around one hundred families, including the prominent family of the businessman Steinhart, founder of the Cuban Tramways and Electrical Company. A number of Jews took part in the wars for Cuban independence and others collaborated with José Martí in the United States. During the American intervention of 1898, a number of Jews (almost all of Rumanian descent) arrived in Cuba attracted by .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 20 Many centers and institutions were created in the early 1920s: the Orthodox Jewish Adath Israel (1925), the Jewish Leftist Union (1926), the women’s organization Forein Farein (1926), the Zionist Union of Cuba (1929), Knesset Israel (1929) Wiso (1942), etc. In 1953, the Jewish Community House Trust was established and its large community center was built, an excellent design by architect Aquiles Capablanca, who combinrd the Cuban Modernist Movement with Jewish spirituality becoming one of the jewels of modern Havana architecture. In 1959, the Sephardic Jewish Center of Cuba was founded. In 1952, the total Jewish population reached around 15,000 with approximately 75% of them living in Havana and the rest in the other provinces except Pinar del Rio. By this time the poverty which had accompanied many of the new-arrivals was far behind, transformed into family prosperity with some considerable fortunes and a highly respected professional sector. Ideas of work-ethic and intelligence identified the Jewish community among other Cubans. In relatively a few short years, the Jewish community had transformed from peddlers (it was said they had introduced credit sales to Cuba) to prosperous businessmen and entrepreneurs. Their descendants were doctors, architects and lawyers and they left the so-called Jewish or “Polaco” Quarter in La Habana Vieja to set up homes in El Vedado or Miramar as a symbol of their newly-acquired social status. Sephardic Jews who had been expelled from Turkey and the Middle East, suffering from the asphyxiating economic situation, arrived in Cuba in the first decades of the twentieth century and established the Chevet Ahim community organization. In the 1920s, the Ashkenazi immigration from Eastern Europe began to arrive bringing mostly povertystricken Poles, Russians, Czechs and Hungarians, among others. It seems that their ultimate goal was to go on to the United States but the toughening of US immigration policy forced them to lay down roots in Cuban soil, which welcomed them into an open and hospitable society. This European wave of immigrants received the nickname of “polacos.” Cubans tended to call all Jews Poles regardless of their actual geographic provenance. By 1925, there were roughly 8,000 Jews on the Island (about 5,200 Ashkenazi, more than 2,500 Sephardic Jews and 100 Americans). Anti-Semitic persecutions of the 1940s in Europe also contributed to Jewish emigration. Refugees from Belgium introduced the diamond industry into Cuba; at its height there were 24 factories with approximately 1,000 workers. With the abolishment of private business and schools after 1959, more than 90% of the Cuban Jewish community, mainly businessmen and professionals, emigrated. Most went to the US and others left for other parts of Latin America, Europe and even to Israel. This sudden exodus caused a marked decline in the activities of the .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 21 Jewish organizations, to the extent that the Jewish Trust was forced to rent space in their splendid building to theater groups while the Sephardic Center entered into similar agreements with musical institutions. Nevertheless, the Jewish community was reorganized and rebuilt. Today, there is a sustained increase in numbers of young practicing Jews due to the flexibility of accepting not just those born to Jewish mothers as tradition dictates, but also those who are Jewish on the paternal side and even converts with no family histories. Of the 1,500 Jews in Cuba today, only about 100 have both parents who are Jewish. Increases in Jewish weddings, numbers of young people learning Hebrew and studying Jewish history, activities in the community library housing more than 13,000 volumes on Jewish philosophy and history including texts written in Yiddish all point to the revitalization of a community whose heritage is part of the “ajiaco” [‘stew’ or melting pot] that is Cuban nationality. Continue to read full article + slideshow Principal Jewish Institutions Present Today in Cuba: Comunidad Religiosa Hebrea Adath Israel de Cuba (Acosta y Picota, La Habana Vieja) Centro Hebreo Sefaradí de Cuba (17 y E, El Vedado) Unión Hebrea Chevet Ahim (Inquisidor 407, La Habana Vieja) Patronato de la Casa de la Comunidad Hebrea de Cuba (13 e I, El Vedado) Sinagoga Tiferet Israel (Camagüey), Sinagoga Hakitva (Santiago de Cuba) Cemeteries of Guanabacoa, Santa Clara, Camajuaní, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 22 photos by Humberto Mayol Unlocking the secrets of the saints in Cuba by Lydia Bell Rain is beating down on steaming asphalt in central Havana, a hard-bitten patch of town. I am looking for a street-corner rumba and know my destination will call me by the 12/8 slap of a palm on the Cuban batá and cajones—wooden boxes—and that distinctive clave sound. Finally, I find Callejón de Hamel, a graffiti-plastered alley where, at noon on Sundays, Havana’s Afro-Cuban community worship their gods with bewitching dance and song. Four centuries ago, African slaves brought to Cuba by the Spanish were forbidden to practise their native religion. They resisted by fusing African deities with Catholic saints, worshipping them like the Spanish did, but imbuing them with their own gods’ characteristics. So the super-macho African God, Shango, became Santa Barbara, a woman clothed in the red colour associated with her fiery African counterpart; Oya, the undergoddess of the Niger River, became the Virgin of Candelaria. Rumba is more than music and dance—it is the expression of Cuba’s creole identity. The music is a hybrid, blending Congolese percussion and flamenco-style soul-baring singing in the Yoruba language. It is rhythmic, dark, intense—one of the island’s first and enduring sounds, and one that has changed little since the colonial era. I see a man and a woman doing a rooster-hen dance. Soon, other dancers join. At some point, it becomes a drum-fuelled marathon with spectators piling in. The air is thick and soupy, the beat relentless. Finally, I’ve had enough and elbow my way out of the tiny corridor and head toward the work of local painter Salvador González Escalona, who started plastering the walls of this back alley with vivid murals in 1990, bringing a sacred space to this poorest part of town. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 23 need to be placated through gifts or, in extreme cases, animal sacrifice to keep evil from the doors. There’s a common phrase in Cuba: “Voy a tener que ir a Guanabacoa” or “I need to go to Guanabacoa.” But what it actually means is: “I am in trouble; only a priest can save me.” This township in eastern Havana, once a major trading centre for slaves, has a marked Afro-Cuban musical and cultural identity strongly associated with Santería; the secret brotherhood of Abakuá and Palo Monte, a nature-worship cult. It’s one of those barrios where the potencia—literally, spiritual potency--is strong. I go there with Tomás, a Santería practitioner who runs grassroots Santería tours in Havana for the uninitiated. The Museo Histórico de Guanabacoa tells a compelling story of the evolution of Afro Cuban culture. Here, clever, youthful guides will prep you on the main deities, from maternal Yemaya to firebrand Shango. My guide, José, tells me that you cannot understand Cuba until you know Santería, which is present in the way Cubans eat, dress, speak, think and act. He also tells me Santería, because of its natural-born secrecy, could never be suppressed during the austere Communist years in the way Catholicism was. Over time, they genuinely integrated customs and beliefs from the Spanish. Some white Creoles— native born Cubans of European descent— adopted African practices too, and continue to do so. Santería is growing in every sector of the community, more publicly so since the mid-1990s, as the government started to show a new tolerance towards religion. In many Cuban houses, eerie, unblinking dolls form a mini altar laced with fruit and tobacco offerings, icons of saints, crosses and seemingly random objects. You might think this is a deep devotion to Catholicism. But these are in fact marks of Santería, still one of the best-kept secrets here. Next stop is the Babalawo, the high priest. Tomás takes me to the top guy in his neighborhood, Diez de Octubre. The Babalawo is a tall white man in his sixties, who is quietly dignified. I ask for a consultation and I offer him some money. (He makes the sign of the cross with it before pocketing it.) He says he will consult Olorun—the divination aspect of the great divine entity—about my past, present and future, and leads me into a bare kitchen. He begins by writing details of my name and date of birth, then embarks on a ritual of chanting in Yoruba (invoking his ancestors to clarify his mind, Tomás advises), splashing water from half a coconut shell, tapping the table, clicking his fingers and throwing a chain hung with discs of coconut rind on to the You can spend weeks in Cuba, learn about the Revolution, cigars, the proportion of Cadillacs to Chevrolets, and how to live on ration books, and yet learn nothing about Afro-Cuban culture. This is due not to the lotus-eating indolence of tourists, but the secrecy in which Santería is cloaked. It was born in Nigeria, along the banks of the Niger River, among the Yoruba people who had a pantheon as rich as the Ancient Greeks. In Cuba, about 25 deities remain. Santería says the orishas .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 24 table. He keeps telling me to keep my open palms towards him. I am slightly distracted by the sound of a squealing pig somewhere in the house – Tomas tells me that there is an initiation ceremony going on as we speak, when the faithful make official their association with Santería through days of intense ritual and animal sacrifice. Then his wife bursts in and makes everyone coffee, he lights up a cigarette and starts chatting with Tomás . The famous Cuban pragmatism is not diluted by any magic at work, and it puts me at ease. He tells me (Tomás is available to translate for anyone who cannot speak Spanish) that I am in a state of positive evaluation, that I have been blessed with great tranquility in my relationship, gifted to me by the orisha Oya. I’m feeling quite relieved. Then he announces: “until the point of marriage. The trouble is you are very bossy. You seem quiet now but you could change suddenly and become like a hurricane, doing something completely out of character. You are way too demanding and your husband knows this.” He leans forward: “You better watch out because you could become demented.” Later that evening, slightly perturbed by this onslaught, I read up on Oya. She is a warrior woman who raises tornadoes and hurricanes, and who guards the underworld. Ever since meeting Tomás, I can’t help noticing motifs of Santería everywhere I go: discarded herbs on street corners; “initiated” Cubans wearing white from head to toe (even their earrings, shoes and umbrellas); strange artefacts and animal bones in the surf. One day, crossing the Rio Almendares, I look down the lush, iridescent green vista of palm smothered banks. On a boulder at the river edge is a smiling woman about to chop a chicken’s head off into the swirling emerald waters. Santería is everywhere, if you choose to see it. Continue to read full article + slideshow TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Getting there Lydia Bell travelled with Esencia Experiences (01481 714 898; esenciaexperiences.com), which offers a seven-day Santería-themed holiday to Cuba from £1,590pp, including Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick, B&B at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana, an expertled half-day Santería tour with a visit to a rumba and the Museo Histórico de Guanabacoa. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 25 The images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro seem to watch over a Santeria shrine. Santeria, the African roots of Cuba photos and text Antonio Baiano I came into contact with Santeria for the first time in 1999. Impressed by the fervor that my Cuban friends showed for it, I decided to investigate this cult, which may superficially appear as a form of superstition or witchcraft in its worst meaning. Santeria indeed conceals great complexity in both active and passive practice. It represents for its believers a guide and a support to their lives, whose benefits are to be found in earthly life. A limpieza (cleansing) is a way to get rid of negative influences and self-purify. An ebbò (offer) to an Orisha (the deity), whether a fruit basket or a ritual sacrifice, is important to maintain closeness to the deity and receive help against the adversity. Consulting a santero or a santera is a frequent practice, being primarily a moral support to the daily difficulties. Many people who have visited Cuba will have come into contact with some aspects of daily life intertwined with the culture and traditions of Africa whether from the complex rhythms of Cuban music through visual artists and performance art. Probably the most explicit reference to the African soul is to be found in Santeria, which represents the synthesis of the cults of African slaves and the Catholic religion. This embodies almost all aspects, mystic and earthly, of the identity of African origin. Josvani Hernández González, possessed by Babalú-Ayé, sprinkles some rum on the participants to purify them. I came into contact with Santeria for the first time in 1999. Impressed by the fervor that my Cuban friends showed for it, I decided to investigate this cult, which may superficially appear as a form of superstition or witchcraft in its worst meaning. Santeria indeed conceals great complexity in both active and passive practice. It represents for its believers a guide and a support to their lives, whose benefits are to be found in earthly life. A limpieza (cleansing) is a way to get rid of negative influences .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 26 In the first part of the ceremony, the musicians play for the Orishas facing the shrine. and self-purify. An ebbò (offer) to an Oricha (the deity), whether a fruit basket or a ritual sacrifice, is important to maintain closeness to the deity and receive help against the adversity. Consulting a santero or a santera is a frequent practice, being primarily a moral support to the daily difficulties. When strolling the streets of Havana or of another Cuban city, it is possible to be reached by the echoes of drums and songs and eventually run into the house from which they come. It is likely a Toque de Santo (or de Tambor), one of the rituals that I consider among the most fascinating and engaging. This is one of the rites where the African roots occur with their greatest intensity. Facing the participants and the altar erected for the rite, musicians play the sacred batàa drums and other percussion, weaving complex polyrhythms of African origin and singing chants to the Orishas in the Yoruba language. Under the guidance of drums and singings, one can see the trancelike state of some participants. For the believers this is the Oricha, who, through the possession of the body and mind of the person, shows himself to the participants and gives them support and advices. It is this ritual as well as those involving the sacrifice of animals, which provoke the most critical reactions in non-believers. The trance can generally provoke distrust, fear or charm, while the ritual sacrifices often generate indignation and pity. Critics often claim that Santeria is a means to deceive and suck money from believers. In my opinion, clearly there are some less than honest santeros, which combined with naïve tourists may contribute to a superficial appearance in some instances. We should not however go from this observation to a general condemnation especially when this is based on our own prejudices and our cultural filters. This religion is one of the essential aspects of Cuban culture, influencing the daily life of a large part of the population. Understanding Santeria and its rites is one of the ways for the comprehension of the primary rhythms of everyday life in the island; without forgetting that this cult is the testimony of an identity that in vain conquerors attempted to obliterate. The “akpwon” (singer) “calls” the Orishas in the ancient language of the slaves to the rhythm of batás, the ritual drums. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 27 Leading a santero to trance. Continue to read full article + slideshow Antonio Baiano Born in Naples (Italy) in 1962, Antonio has lived in Turin, Italy since 1990. He began his photography career in 1997 shooting jazz concerts. His main interest is in reportage and travel photography, which he sees as a mean of exploration and knowledge of social themes and cultural diversities and identities. He has attended several workshops with David H. Harvey, Kent Kobersteen, Tomasz Tomaszewski and Alexandra Boulat, which he considers fundamental in developing his photo skills. Antonio started the project “Roots” based on the AfroCaribbean religions, in 2001 and traveled various times until 2007 to Cuba and Brazil to shoot Santeria and Candomblé rites and people. The photos from these reportages have been exhibited in Cuba, France and Italy and a copy of them is stored in “Casa de Africa” museum in Havana. Antonio has also published pieces in various magazines and newspapers, and is a member since 2002 of American Society of Media Photographers. Antonio is an Italian reportage and travel photographer who has put together the ‘Roots’ project on Santeria in Cuba and Candomble in Brazil. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 28 Photo Y. Monte Summer Fashion: Iyawó Style by Isabella Ramos “Santo Iyawó.” That’s what a young man on the street said to me as I walked by him one afternoon dressed in white. White skirt, white blouse and white sneakers identified me as an Iyawó. In Cuba, the branch of the Yoruba religion called Regla de Osha designates an initiation period for a person who will become a Santero or Santera that begins with the initial ceremony and lasts one year. A guardian angel, holy father or mother is crowned to look after their person and they are delivered to the rest of the deities in the pantheon. The ceremony lasts seven days and that is what they call “hacerse santo”. According to the santo and along with the prophesy dictated by the “Diloggun” of the babalosha, the person receives advice that they must follow for the rest of their life. Along with this, there are some rules that they must follow during the “iyaboraje” stage. At this time, the initiates are considered to be newborns. They are persons who, even though they have just received a great power, are in a fragile process of purification. That’s why they must dress entirely in white and always wear protective head gear and clothing to protect the feet and the back. This includes everything from caps, stockings, closed shoes, skirts and shawls for women, even walking-stick parasols. The “layette” of these initiates refers to morality and social .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 29 less accepted by the religion such as using shorts and low-cut blouses or t-shirts. Many Iyawós also start to personalize their clothing with small white handbags, white Ipods, white headphones, white wallets, white earrings and even white SmartPhones. A certain baroque element is also introduced with the wearing of multicolored necklaces that denote the santos they have received, often up to a dozen at a time. The special necklace that announces the guardian angel always matches the bracelet or “iddé” worn on the left wrist. Nowadays, the designs are undergoing modernization. Materials used in the religious costume jewelry have started having more “bling” and sequin decorations, and the beads emulate Swarovski crystals that are symbolic of popular luxury. projection. Such customs have nothing to do with fashion trends and they form part of the sacrifice the person undertakes with pride. On many Havana streets, you will find private stores that sell this kind of clothing. Even though the dress code is quite strict, the way of wearing white as well as the ritual and the “being Iyawó” gets established depending on each “house of saints” (casa santoral) because, as the saying goes, “every person writes their own ticket.” Within all these customs, however, certain esthetic tastes can be identified: women prefer lace shawls, pantyhose or ankle socks with frills and embroidered skirts. Men use pointy shoes, berets, sports caps, long sleeved shirts, guayaberas, kerchiefs, etc. It’s no news that wearing all these clothes is a serious challenge during the long hot Cuban summers, and whoever wears it stands out in any crowd. These articles are a reflection of a recycled esthetic that belonged to the rules of being well-dressed in the mid-twentieth century. There is a certain vintage feeling to all this brilliant white. When the year ends, the worn-out clothing stops being the rule. Many never wear them again. Some will just put them away in some drawers while others will show them off to family and friends, or give them away. What is certain is that after the party and the offerings to the gods have come to an end, the clothing remains as evidence of the sacrifice. And although I am not Iyabó, I wear white, and while I walk around Havana, I enjoy the blessings of those who have made this style a cult. Continue to read full article + slideshow The initiation period for an Iyabó is divided into different periods according to the ceremonial phases characterizing them. They are cleansing and purification ceremonies that eliminate the rigidity of the clothing after the first three months until finally the year has passed and the person is considered to be grown up and can abandon the regime. Iyawós then start mixing articles of clothing with colors, such as blue jeans, and the women use ribbons in their hair instead of headscarves. Some even assume behavior that is .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 30 Visual Arts Cundo Bermúdez: pasión y lucidez Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Universal Through Oct 13 With this selection of 25 pieces from 1940 and 1964, the National Museum of Fine Arts has organized, for the first time, a solo exhibition of one of the leading artists of the so-called School of Havana and of the second Cuban artistic avant-garde, who, according to Roberto Cobas Amate, curator of the exhibition, “deserves that both critics and the public recognize the validity and strength of his art.” 2x2 Galería La Acacia, Opens Sept 17 Works by artists who participated in two exhibitions that were landmarks in Cuban visual production: Once pintores y escultores (1953) and Volumen uno (1981). En colección Factoría Habana, Opens Sept 26 Conceived as part of the 6th Salón of Cuban Contemporary Art, this exhibition includes works by artists representative of the 1980s which are part of the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros collection: Juan Francisco Elso, Tomás Esson, José Manuel Fors, René Francisco, Flavio Garciandía, Félix GonzálezTorres, Ana Mendieta, Glexis Novoa, Gustavo Pérez Monzón, Ricardo Rodríguez Brey and Lázaro Saavedra. The exhibition is supplemented with texts and videos on collecting. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 31 Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín Through Sep 15 Galería Diago Crónicas de una existencia. Paintings by Dimas Bencomo in which—through irony, parody and suggestions—different objects are witnesses to the material scarcity of some sectors of Cuban society. Opens Sept 12 Galería El Reino de este Mundo Opens Sept 5 Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam Opens Sept 13 Las otras narraciones: una década de animación independiente. As part of the 6th Salón of Cuban Contemporary Art, this exhibition explores a decade of the work of 50 Cuban artists involved in animation films through TV spots, messages for the public, cartoons, music videos, installations, videogames, visual experimentation, interactive works and mapping. Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Opens Sept 12 Cómplices y testigos. Yoan Pérez plays ironically with the symbols of power and manipulates them to provoke different interpretations. Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plásticas Sept 19, 8pm Noche de galerías. Exhibition by artists from the Génesis: Art Gallery Catalogue plus the performance of Aires de Concierto Jazz Group. Works will be sold with a 20% discount for those accredited to the event. Un día cualquiera. Felipe Dulzaides, essential figure in Cuban photography, video art, installation and public art, explores everyday commonplaces. Galería Servando Opens Sept 12 En el mismo tiempo, en el mismo lugar. Group exhibition by artists Frank Mujica, Eduardo Ponjuán, Léster Álvarez, Yornel Martínez, Alejandro Campins and José E. Yaque, who all have in common the conceptual approach as the ultimate intention of their work. Memorial José Martí Sept 19-Oct 16 Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño Through Oct 3 Solo exhibition by José Yaque, who has a taste for the hybridization of formats and the complicity of the works with the space around them. Galería Habana Throughout A ambos lados del Atlántico. September Exhibition of 25 illustrations and drawings made by 20th-century Spanish, Mexican and Cuban artists, such as Picasso, Miró and Saura; Rivera, Orozco, López Loza and Eloy Tarcisio; and: Amelia Peláez, Arístides Fernández, Carlos Enríquez and Fidelio Ponce, respectively. Exhibition of naive art. Tribute to the poet, ethnologist and painter Samuel Feijóo (19141992) who found in Cuban Nature, popular fables and what is simple in appearance an inexhaustible source for his creation. Museo Nacional de la Cerámica Contemporánea Opens Sept 19 Eros. An exhibition by artist Aisar Jalil. Taller de Serigrafía René Portocarrero Opens Sept 12 Exhibition of graphic arts. Group show of young graphic artists who will present and sell silkscreen posters from the CACA (Club Amigos del Cartel) Project Galerías Collage Habana y Galiano Opens Sept 12 Post-it. Competition and expo- sale of works by artists under 35. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Through Oct 27 Artistas afronorteamericanos y abstracción. Thirty-eight works by nine artists make up this selection, which was curated by Nanette Carter, Melvin Edwards and Ben Jones. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 32 Alicia Leal: A universal mysticism by Victoria Alcalá In Alicia Leal’s work, in which one can appreciate the appropriation of medieval color theory, spatial layout and a decorative delight in fabrics, floors and curtains reminiscent of Matisse, women play a central role, providing refuge, as in the recurring image of the Virgin of Charity, patron saint of Cuba and eternal protector of mariners and fishermen syncretised with the sensuous Ochún of AfroCuban religions. Victoria Alcalá sits down with her to find out what makes her tick… Fascinated by the mystery and magic of the work of Alicia Leal, I visited the studio-gallery that the artist shares with her husband, painter Juan Moreira, at 262, 8th St. in El Vedado. The spacious, high-ceilinged house with pale walls has typical Creole inner doors that partition off the rooms where wooden and wicker furniture are predominant. The location of the studio, very close to Línea Street—one of Havana’s main thoroughfares—and the park dedicated to John Lennon, seems to relate to Alicia’s work, full of universal symbols in a harmonious symbiosis with Cuban nature, mythology and idiosyncrasy. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 33 Born in the central region of Cuba—where 16th century chronicles depict the presence of hundreds of demons that possessed the bodies and souls of terrified inhabitants, and the site of an important colony of immigrants from the Canary Islands—Alicia admits her debt to the rich popular tradition that spontaneously, and not consciously, emerges in her work. During her beginnings, after graduating from the San Alejandro Academy, the oldest art school in Cuba, she wanted to be an expressionist painter, but did not succeed in channeling her creative urges into this style. The search for her own personal expression led her to a primitive, naïve manner of bringing forth an inner world populated by symbols, tales and the desire to commune with nature. In Alicia Leal’s work, in which one can appreciate the appropriation of medieval color theory, spatial layout and a decorative delight in fabrics, floors and curtains reminiscent of Matisse, women play a central role, either providing refuge, as in the recurring image of the Virgin of Charity, patron saint of Cuba and eternal protector of mariners and fishermen syncretised with the sensuous Ochún of Afro- Cuban religions; in the poignant Death of Martí, where the Apostle of Cuban independence, in the arms of an angel embarks on the journey to immortality; in Chagallesque flying beings, who refer to other dimensions different from what is depicted; and even in the series dedicated to the circus where women participate in a microcosmic world in which the painter seems to perceive subtle similarities with society, behind the show’s lights and masks. Alicia’s work is of a markedly narrative nature; her characters speak intensely, not only amongst themselves, but with the onlooker, who becomes an active participant and even protagonist of the painter’s unsettling scenarios. Intensely subjective, symbolic, exploring the subconscious and dreams, Alicia Leal’s work establishes a magnetic relationship with the viewer; the critics’ task is to determine where the secret of this magic is concealed. Perhaps the key lies in the profound humanism and in the warm compassion, admixed with humor, with which Alicia Leal approaches the heartbreaks and pleasures of the everyday adventure of dreaming and living. Continue to read full article + slideshow Alicia Leal Veloz (Zaza del Medio, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, 1957) graduated in 1980 from Havana’s San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts. She has held solo shows in Havana, Matanzas and Sancti Spíritus in Cuba, and in Kuala Lumpur; Kingston; Houston and Berlin, and she has taken part in collective exhibitions in numerous countries. Her work forms part of permanent and private collections in many countries internationally. She has illustrated a number of Cuban and foreign books and cultural magazines. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 34 photography Eso que anda Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Throughout September Solo show of photographer Iván Soca as a tribute to Juan Formell and his popular orchestra Van Van. The photographer has accompanied the band on tours and concerts over the last ten years. Silencio roto Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín , Opens Sept 12 In the 16 black and white pictures by Annia Leyva and Aníbal de la Torre, the human figure is combined in the forefront with objects associated with everyday life. xl´2. Fototeca de Cuba, Opens Sept 12 Focused on the concern of young artists in relation to the meaning of communication in everyday life, this exhibition, which is part of the 6th Salon of Cuban Art, deals with the impact of alternative forms in information flow in Cuba. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 35 dance Lago de los cisnes Ballet Nacional de Cuba photo by Alex Mene Taller coreográfico del Ballet Nacional de Cuba Programa de concierto del Ballet Nacional de Cuba Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Sala Avellaneda Sept 6, 8:30pm; Sept 5, 5pm Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Sala Avellaneda Sept 12 & 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm Performance of works by the Choreography Workshop organized by the National Ballet of Cuba, including Concerto by Carlos Luis Medina; Preludios de la noche by Maysabel Pintado; El relato by Regina Hernández; SDOS by Ariadna Suárez; 3D by Juan Carlos Hernández; Piazzolla X 6 by Tania Vergara (all of these world premieres); SAFE by Raúl Reinoso; Sobre un hilo y Retrato by Lyvan Verdecia. Concert program with Les silphidés (choreographed by Alicia Alonso based on Mijaíl Fokín’s original version with music by Chopin), Dido abandonada (choreographed by Alicia Alonso based on the ballet of the same name by Gasparo Angiolini with music by Angiolini), and the Tchaikovsky pas de deux from the Third Act of Swan Lake (choreographed by Alicia Alonso based on Marius Petipa’s original version with music by Tchaikovsky). Habana Rakatán Del Caribe soy Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht. Sala Tito Junco Sept 12 & 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm Cine teatro Miramar Sept 20, 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm Open to a wide diversity of styles within modern and contemporary dance, the Rakatán Dance Company harmoniously combines African dances, flamenco and Cuban rhythms in its repertoire. Show by the Ban Rará Company with an interesting dramatization of the Tumba Francesa with expression of yoruba origin, campsino dance styles and different forms of Son. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 36 dance Danza Teatro Retazos photo by Ana Lorena Momentos Posible imposible Sala las Carolinas Sept 12 & 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm Sala Las Carolinas Sept 19 & 20, 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm Based on fragments of works from the Danza Teatro Retazos repertoire, Momentos potentiates the expressiveness of the body and the integration of dance with visual arts, music, cinema and literature. By Danza Teatro Retazos, Possible Impossible takes off from a landscape where the known laws of time, space and power have ceased to be valid… In this surprising world of dreams, the door opens to other universes where the mind is free and the impossible becomes possible. ShowRoom Programa de concierto Sala de El Ciervo Encantado Sept 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm Teatro América Sept 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm The brilliant contemporary dance company Danza Abierta performs ShowRoom, choreographed by Susana Pous with music by X Alfonso. Concert program by the Ballet of Cuban Television, a company that can undertake choreographies of different Cuban and international musical genres. Programa de concierto Presentación del grupo Persona Cine teatro Miramar Sept 16 &17, 8:30pm Concert program by the Neotango Company with attractive modern versions of tango. Teatro Trianón Sept 19 & 20 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm Presentation of Persona, a company directed by Sandra Ramy that erases the boundaries between dance and theater. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 37 dance Y lo español se baila así... De la misma rama Teatro Mella Sept 16 & 17, 8:30pm Teatro América Sept 20, 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm An anthology of the work carried out by the Ballet Español de Cuba, whose repertoire includes Spanish regional dances, flamenco and fusion, incorporating techniques from classical, modern and contemporary dance. Show by the Ecos Dance Company, which combines traditional and contemporary flamenco with contributions from the music and dance of Cuba. Fusión y pasión De Cuba y el Caribe Cine teatro Miramar Sept 13, 8:30pm; Sept 14, 5pm Teatro América Sept 16 &17, 8:30pm Habana Compás Dance performs an exciting and original combination of rhythms and dances which merges the essence of Spanish dance with Afro Cuban rhythms and contemporary dance. Show by the Santiago Alfonso Company, which integrates modern and contemporary dance, theatre codes and popular dances into shows conceived both for the stage and nightclubs with a fresh and experimental spirit Programa de concierto A escena Teatro Mella Sept 19 & 20, 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Sala Avellaneda Sept 19 & 20, 8:30pm Concert program by the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, the first professional folkloric dance company created in Cuba to delve into and recover certain manifestations of traditional popular Cuban culture. A selection of works by the Ballet Lizt Alfonso, a successful dance company that features a fusion of Spanish and Cuban dance within contemporary choreographic and theatrical work. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 38 MUSIC Contemporary Fusion Club Habana Party Photo Alex Mene The contemporary fusion and electronic music scene has expanded recently as new bars and clubs have opened party promoters have organized events in parks and public spaces. Good live music venues include Bertolt Brecht (Wed: Interactivo, Sunday: Déjá-vu) and El Sauce (check out the Sunday afternoon Máquina de la Melancolía) as well as the newly opened Fábrica de Arte Cubano which has concerts most nights Thursday through Sunday as well as impromptu smaller performances inside. In Havana’s burgeoning entertainment district along First Avenue from the Karl Marx theatre to the aquarium you are spoilt for choice with the always popular Don Cangreco featuring good live music (Kelvis Ochoas and David Torrens alternate Fridays), Las Piedras (insanely busy from 3am) and El Palio and Melem bar—both featuring different singers and acts in smaller more intimate venues. Ernán López Nussa and his group in Concert Frank Delgado and Buena Fe in Concert September 20, 8:30pm Teatro Nacional. Sala Covarrubias September 15, 10pm Teatro Karl Marx .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 39 Contemporary Fusion Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Fresa y Chocolate Wednesdays Performances by Qva Libre Sundays 5 pm 10 pm Thursdays Elaín Morales Havana Hard Rock 5 pm Sept 19 Isis Flores 5 pm 5 pm La Máquina de la Melancolía, with Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto García Thursdays Mucho Ruido 9 pm Sept 15 Luna Manzanares and Alejandro Falcón DJ Alejandro Nuñez and guests Gretel Barreiro Tesis de Menta Sept 18 Grupo Síntesis Sept 20 Interactivo Tesis de Menta 9 pm Sept 12 Estigma Zeus 9 pm Eddy Escobar 9 pm Wednesdays Roberto Carcassés and Interactivo 10 pm Sept 15 Congregación 9 pm Sept 15 Deja Vu La Vieja Escuela 9 pm 10 pm Sept 15 Dead Point 9 pm Escaleras al Cielo Miriela Moreno and her group Aceituna sin Hueso for inclusión, diversity and difference. Sept 15 Combat Noise 9 pm Sept 15 Fábrica de Arte Cubano 10 pm Frank Delgado 6 pm Sept 14 Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht Sept 14 Yerbabuena 6 pm Sept 13 7 pm 10 pm Deja Vu 9 pm Casa del Alba Cultural Fridays Grupo Síntesis 6 pm Sept 11 10:30 pm Sundays Sept 11 Maxim Rock Café Corner Sept 20 Jardines del Teatro Mella Sept 14 9 pm Thursdays Cover bands 6 pm Deja Vu 9 pm Sept 17 Sat & Sun Sept 14 9 pm Sept 12 Soul Train, a show of soul music 6 pm 10 pm Sept 11 Every other Friday 10 pm Café Concert El Sauce Sundays Aceituna Sin Hueso David Blanco 9 pm Síntesis and Family Sept 15 Síntesis 9 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 40 Contemporary Fusion Submarino Amarillo Sept 11 Piano bar Diablo Tun Tun Ernesto Blanco 9 pm Sept 12 5 pm Tierra Santa Fridays 9 pm Sept 13 La Vieja Escuela Gretel Barreiro Dimensión Vertical 9 pm Sundays 9 pm Los Tackson Concert Con sello urbano 11 am Eddy Escobar and his group 9 pm Sept 15 Sept 14 Sept 16 9 pm Sept 19 Rap with El Urbano 11 am Los Tackson 9 pm Sept 18 Sept 12 11 am Miel con Limón 9 pm Sept 16 Gens 5 pm 9 pm Sept 15 Wednesdays Gerardo Alfonso Los Kents Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Sept 11 Aldo López-Gavilán 9 pm Sept 17 Gerardo Alfonso 9:30 pm Tercera y 8 Mondays Baby Lores 11 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 41 Photo by Alex Mene los Van Van Salsa / Timba Casa de la Música Habana Casa de la Música de Miramar 5 pm 11 pm 5 pm El Noro y 1ra Clase 11 pm NG La Banda Mondays Thursdays 5 pm Pupy y los que Son Son 11 pm Charanga Latina Tuesdays 5 pm Habana D’Primera 11 pm Pedrito Calvo y La Justicia Fridays 5 pm Tania Pantoja 11 pm Azúcar Negra Wednesdays 5 pm Juan Guillermo 11 pm Adalberto Alvarez y su Son Thursdays 5 pm Juan Guillermo 11 pm Adalberto Alvarez y su Son Fridays 5 pm El Niño y La Verdad 11 pm NG La Banda Wednesdays Saturdays Sept 12 Sept 19 11 pm Adalberto Álvarez y su Son 11 pm Manolito y su Trabuco Café Cantante Mi Habana Sept 16 Arnaldo y su Talismán 5 pm Sept 19 Saturdays Sundays Caribe Girls 11 pm Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Mondays 11 pm Manana Club El Micha Sur Caribe 5 pm Tumbao Habana 5 pm Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo 11 pm Azúcar Negra Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Salón 1930 Sept 11 Orquesta Jorrín 10 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 42 Salsa / Timba Salón Rosado de La Tropical Sept 11 Teatro Karl Marx Adalberto Álvarez y su Son 9 pm Sept 12 Laritza Bacallao Sept 13 NG La Banda Elito Revé y su Charangón Pablo FG y su Élite Yumurí y sus Hermanos Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco Pachito Alonso y los Kini Kini Haila Mompié y Vania Borges 9 pm Diablo Tun Tun Mondays Sept 20 Sept 21 Café Concert El Sauce Sept 13 Sept 20 Los Van Van 9 pm Wena Onda Fridays Azúcar Negra 10 pm Sundays 11 pm 10 pm Dancing casino with Moncada José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda Tercera y 8 11 pm 5 pm Isaac Delgado 9 pm Wednesdays To Mezclao Saturdays Charanga Habanera Jardines del 1830 11 pm Thursdays Pablo FG y su Élite 10 pm 9 pm Sept 21 Maraca y su Familia 10 pm 9 pm Sept 20 Laritza Bacallao 10 pm 9 pm Sept 19 Sept 14 Sept 19 Van Van 9 pm Sept 18 Habana D’Primera 10 pm 9 pm Sept 17 Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini 10 pm 9 pm Sept 16 Sept 12 10 pm 9 pm Sept 14 Van Van 10 pm 9 pm Sept 13 Sept 11 Manana Club Wednesdays Alain Daniel 11 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 43 MUSIC jazz Café Jazz Miramar Shows: 11 pm - 2am This new jazz club has quickly established itself as one of the very best places to hear some of Cuba’s best musicians jamming. Forget about smoke filled lounges, this is clean, bright—take the fags outside. While it is difficult to get the exact schedule and in any case expect a high level of improvisation when it is good it is very good. A full house is something of a mixed house since on occasion you will feel like holding up your own silence please sign! Nonetheless it gets the thumbs up from us. Jazz Café Calle 88A No. 306 e/ 3ra y 3ra A, Miramar. +53 (07) 209-2719 Shows: 10:30pm - 2am Mellow, sophisticated and freezing due to extreme air conditioning, the Jazz Café is not only an excellent place to hear some of Cuba’s top jazz musicians, but the open-plan design also provides for a good bar atmosphere if you want to chat. Less intimate than La Zorra y el Cuervo – located opposite Melia Cohiba Hotel. La Zorra y el Cuervo Shows: 10:30pm - 2am The ‘Fox & Crow’ offers an intimate environment in this basement venue notably marked by a red English telephone box at its entrance. Top jazz players perform here on a nightly basis. Dark, cramped, low ceilings and an absolute firetrap this has much more atmosphere of the gritty kind than the Jazz Café, which seems too pretty and sterile by comparison. Asociación Cubana de Derechos de Autor Musical Sept 18 6 pm Alexis Bosch (pianist) and Proyecto Jazz Cubano. Teatro Karl Marx Saturdays 10 pm Sept 11 Jardines del Teatro Mella Roberto Carcassés &composer) and his trio (pianist Aires de Concierto 10 pm Sept 15 6 pm Carlos Miyares (saxophon) Sept 12 Sept 17 6 pm PMelvis Santa (singer) 10 pm Harold López-Nussa (pianist &composer) and his band Sept 20 6 pm Sexto Sentido Sept 16 Lynn Milanés (cantante) y su grupo Sept 17 Casa del Alba Cultural Sept 13 8 pm 10 pm Ruy López Nussa (percussion) and La Academia 9 pm Sept 18 10 pm Bellita Expósito (pianist & composer) and her Jazztumbatá William Roblejo (violinist) Alejandro Moroño .com With a passion for Cuba and contents page 44 MUSIC Bolero, folklore, son & trova Casa Memorial Salvador Allende Asociación Yoruba de Cuba Saturdays Los Ibellis (Folkloric group) 4 pm 5 pm Café cantante, Teatro Nacional Saturdays Waldo Mendoza 4 pm Sept 12 Sept 26 Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima Sept 28 5 pm Juego de Manos 4 pm Fridays Plus Trova with Charly Salgado and guests. Adrián Berazaín Tony Ávila Sept 13 3 pm Homenaje a las dos aguas: Yemayá y Ochún, a cargo del grupo Síntesis. Gala didáctica dedicada a Ochún, Yemayá y Obbatalá, con el grupo folclórico Obiní Batá Casa del Alba Sept 18 6 pm 5 pm Peña El Canto de Todos, with singer-songwriter Vicente Feliú Get-together with trovador Ireno García. Peña with Marta Campos. 7 pm 3 pm Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez Fridays Rumberos de Cuba 5 pm Sundays Timbalaye 5 pm Hotel Telégrafo Ivette Cepeda. Hurón Azul, UNEAC Sept 13 Mundito González. 10 pm Pabellón Cuba Fridays Peña Tres Tazas with trovador Silvio Alejandro Piano Bar Tun Tun (Casa de la Música de Miramar) Thursdays Peña with trovador Ray Fernández 5 pm Centro Cultural Habaneciendo Sundays Thurdays 5 pm Casa de la Cultura de Plaza Sept 13 trova. 9:30 pm Casa de la Cultura Comunitaria Mirta Aguirre Sept 28 5 pm Fridays Polito Ibáñez 8 pm Sept 25 5 pm 5 pm Casa de África 4 pm Sexteto Habanero Wednesdays Trovando, a meeting with good 9 pm Sept 6 Son del Nene 5 pm Tuesdays 10 pm Sept 19 El Jelengue de Areíto Mondays Frank Delgado 11 pm Sept 18 Marta Campos 4:30 pm Café Concert El Sauce 8 pm El Jardín de la Gorda with trovadors from every generation. Centro Memorial Martin Luther King, Jr. Aug 21 Tuesdays Peña La Juntamenta, with trovador Ángel Quintero. Fausto Durán and guests Salón Rosado de La Tropical Sept 15 Orquesta Aragón y Juego de M 5 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 45 Bolero, folklore, son & trova Palacio de la Rumba Sept 11 Teatro Raquel Revuelta Estrellas Cubanas Sept 18 6 pm Sept 12 6 pm Sept 13 8:30 pm Fausto Durán y Septeto Habanero Sept 19 Timbalaye 8:30 pm 10 pm Septeto Piñeiro Sept 14 Clave y Guaguancó Nacional de Ignacio Orquesta de Barbarito Diez 9 pm Sept 16 Yoruba Andabo 6 pm Sept 18 Sept 20 Orquesta Sensación 6 pm Sept 21 Timbalaye 9 pm Sept 21 9 pm Jardines del teatro Mella Sept 12 Habana C 6 pm Sept 13 Sept 13 9:30 pm Conjunto de Arsenio Rodríguez Sept 20 Yoruba Andab Liuba María Hevia Agrupación Compay Segundo 10 pm Leo Vera and Beatriz Márquez Plaza de San Francisco de Asís Sept 17 Rumba 4 pm Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht Tania Pantoja Centro Memorial Martin Luther King, Jr. 8:30 pm Sept 18 Marta Campos 4:30 pm UNEAC 2 pm Vocal Sampling Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Salón 1930 Sept 13 9 pm Sept 11 William Vivanco 9:30 pm Casa de 18 Sept 18 Dúo Jade 6 pm Clave y Guaguancó 5 pm Sept 15 D’Corazón Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Los Papines Casa de la Música Habana Sundays Adrián Berazaín 6 pm 10 pm Sept 20 Tony Ávila 8:30 pm Sept 19 Sept 19 Polito Ibáñez 8:30 pm 6 pm Sept 15 Pedro Luis Ferrer Peña La Esquina del Jazz hosted by showman Bobby Carcassés. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 46 classical MUSIC Photo by Ivan Soca Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís 6 pm Soprano Ivette Betancourt and pianist Mayté Aboy, with guests soprano Cristina Rodríguez, tenor Roger Quintana and flutist Niurka González will play works by Hector Berlioz, Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Chausson, Jules Massenet, Nadia Boulanger, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc, André Caplet and Albert Roussel. Sept 13 Concert by pianist Ernán López-Nussa and his trio Sept 6 5 pm Sept 13 5 pm Concert in honor of Leo Brouwer by the guitar orchestra Sonantas Habaneras conducted by Jesús Ortega. Guest musicians Yalit González, Alexander Álvarez and Luis Ángel Chouza (guitarists) and the Contraste.duo. Biblioteca Nacional José Martí Saturdays Performances by soloists and chamber ensembles. 5 pm Casa del ALBA Cultural Sept 7 En Confluencia, conducted by guitarists Eduardo and Galy Martín. 5 pm Sept 14 Tarde de Concierto, conducted by soprano Lucy Provedo. 5 pm Sept 21 De Nuestra América, conducted by pianist Alicia Perea. 5 pm Sept 28 Concert by guitarist Rosa Matos. 5 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 47 Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Sept 13 Conert by Schola Cantorum Coralina conducted by Alina Orraca. 5 pm Iglesia de Paula Sept 5 7 pm Sept 12 7 pm Sept 19 7 pm Sept 26 7 pm Concert Las cortes europeas del siglo XVIII by cellist Alejandro Saúl and guest musicians Anolan González, Maite Rodríguez, Alberto Rosas and Yanner Rascón. Concert by students of the Convivium Musicum academic program led by the Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble. Concert Música en mujeres. Siglos XVII y XXI by the Ensemble Vocal Luna and sopranos Lucelsy Fernández and Vanessa Herrera. Concert by the Ventus Habana quintet conducted by Alina Blanco with guest musician, the Móviles trio. Museo Nacional de Bella Artes. Edificio de Arte Sept 20 Concert by guitarist Luis Manuel Molina 4 pm Oratorio San Felipe Neri Sept 6 4 pm Sept 18 The Promúsica duo has announced a program with works by Cuban composers Amadeo Roldán, Juan Piñera and Javier Iha. Concert by Cuban pianist Víctor Díaz. 7 pm Sept 25 7 pm Concert by Cuban pianist Fidel Leal, Cubadisco prizewinner in the concert soloist category for his album Cuatro por uno. Sala Covarrubias, Teatro Nacional Sept 12 Camerata Romeu. 8:30 pm Sept 13 Frank Fernández and the Música Eterna chamber orchestra. 8:30 pm Sept 14 National Symphony Orchestra. 5 pm Sept 19 Aldo López-Gavilán, Ernán-López Nussa and Chamber Orchestra. 8:30 pm Sala Gonzalo Roig. Palacio del Teatro Lírico Nacional Sept 28 Cuerda Dominical with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina. 5 pm .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 48 Theatre Antigonón, un contingente épico Teatro El Público / by Carlos Díaz, Teatro Trianón, Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5pm Antigonón, un contingente épico, Carlos Diaz and his troupe, Teatro el Publico’s most recent performance involves a trip back to the classics, guided and partnered by Rogelio Orizondo who wrote Antigonón, un contingente épico especially for them. Carlos is the most well-known and brilliant Cuban theatre director with a reputation for directing plays with abundant nudity, transvestites and subtle winks at the Cuban national reality. Antigonón does not disappoint– go see it for yourself! Delirio habanero Teatro de la Luna / Directed by Raúl Martín Sept 14, 17 & 18, 6pm, Sala Adolfo Llauradó A prize-winning play written by Alberto Pedro in which three delirious characters who believe they are Varilla (a former waiter at La Bodeguita del Medio Restaurant), Benny Moré and Celia Cruz meet every evening at a run-down building to recall a long gone Havana, or to plan a future that will never be. Que el diablo te acompañe Teatro Pálpito / Directed by Ariel Boza Sept 19 & 20, 8:30pm; Sept 21, 5pm Sala teatro El Sótano Based on the famous literary myth of Don Juan, this pleasant comedy by Cuban playwright Abelardo Estorino delves into a recurring theme on the Cuban stage and society—machismo, and reflects on defects like slander and prejudices that weigh down the fulfillment of man. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 49 For kids La Cucarachita Martina y los Van Van Compañía infantil de teatro La Colmenita, Sept 19, 6pm; Sept 20 & 21, 10;30am, Sala de teatro de la Orden Tercera Another version by La Colmenita based on a classical children’s story as a tribute to the popular Los Van Van band, whose songs are interpreted by the children with great self-assurance. Mowgli, el mordido por los lobos Teatro La Proa, 9-10 de agosto, 10am, Teatro de la Orden Tercera This puppet show, written by Erduyn Maza, based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, tells about the adventures of Mowgli, the jungle boy when he returns to a human village. La Cenicienta según los Beatles Compañía infantil de teatro La Colmenita, Sept 12 & 14, 10:30am; Sept 13, 6pm, Sala de teatro de la Orden Tercera Agustín (Tin) Cremata, director of La Colmenita Children’s Theater Company, has created this version of Cinderella with songs by The Beatles sung by the company’s child actors. En Buena Compañía Carpa Trompoloco Sat & Sun, 4pm & 7pm The magical and adventurous world of the circus continues. Cuba’s prime circus venue, Carpa Trompoloco, presents “En Buena Compañía” (In Good Company), the new show featuring, among other acts, tightrope walkers, acrobats, clowns, gymnasts, trained animals, and the fascinating flying trapeze, which was awarded the Grand Prix during the past CIRCUBA 2013 Festival. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 50 Photos by Alex Mene events in havana 6th Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival September 26-October 12, 2014 Karl Marx, Mella, Martí, Miramar theaters; Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís, Charles Chaplin Cinema, Fábrica de Arte Cubano, Café Miramar, Habana Café, Centro Cultural El Sauce, Casas de la Música de Miramar y Habana Alternative and integrating, the Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival Festival, named after the greatest Cuban musician ever, aims to “make the perfect combination of different kinds of intelligent music” integrating, free of any bias or exclusion, genres and many types of rhythms. The organizers have announced the participation of over 300 musicians and artists from 16 countries, including Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud, US vocalist Bobby McFerrin and Argentinean singersongwriter Fito Paez, as well as other musicians from Brazil, Mexico, Spain, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Paraguay, Italy and Uruguay. More than 40 world and national premieres will take place, featuring music from the Renaissance to remixes as a tribute to leading names in popular music. part from the main attraction, which is the concerts, the event has also scheduled lectures, master classes, film screenings, video art, exhibitions, flashmobs, jam sessions, tributes to Cuban and international artists and cultural institutions, launching and sale of CDs, books and sheet music. The Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, who has been acknowledged as one of the living geniuses of classical music in the international arena, has been, since its inception, the heart and soul of the festival through his supervision and total devotion. With regard to the festival, Brouwer has said: “Our policy is not figure-oriented, but rather repertoire-oriented…We have the privilege of having excellent Cuban musicians and first-rate young artists performing the best versions that exist in this regard, perhaps not the only ones, but certainly the best.” .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 51 Program 6th Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival Sunday, Sept 28 Friday, Oct 3 Teatro Mella, 11am Las Aventuras de Elpidio Valdés y Los Van Van Compañía de Teatro infantil La Colmenita (Cuba) Teatro Martí, 5pm Concert Noruega en su música Henning Kraggerud (Norway), Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana and Schola Cantorum Coralina (Cuba) Café Miramar, 7pm - 2am Noche blanca del Jazz (dedicada a Julio Cortázar) Chucho Valdés, Ernán López-Nussa, Rolando Luna, Yasek Manzano, Ruy López-Nussa and La Academia (Cuba), Pancho Céspedes (Cuba-Mexico) Monday, Sept 29 Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert En la ruta de la danza oculta Schola Cantorum Coralina (Cuba), Gorgias Sánchez and Gabriel Meneses (Venezuela) Tuesday, Sept 30 Teatro Mella, 8:30pm Concert Sonidos de la América oculta Orchestra of native instruments technologies (Argentina) and new Teatro Miramar, 2:30pm-5:30pm Clase magistral de Leo Brouwer Kcho Estudio Romerillo. Laboratorio para el Arte, 5:30pm Exposición Praga, ciudad de la música Photos: Jiří Všetečka Casa de la Música Miramar, 7pm-2am Noche Blanca del Flamenco Aceituna sin Hueso, Josué Tacoronte, Reynier Mariño, Gabriel Elizondo, and others Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert Les Voix Humaines Jordi Savall (Spain) Saturday, Oct 4 Teatro Martí, 5pm Concert Donna in Musica. Compositoras italianas ss. xvi-xvii Anna Aurigi y Giovanni Bellini (Italy), Vocal Luna (Cuba) and guests Teatro Mella, 8:30pm Concert Vivaldi siglo xxi. Sinfonity (España) Sunday, Oct 5 Wednesday, Oct 1 Teatro Karl Marx, 9pm Concert Fito Páez Esencial Leo Brouwer, Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana (Cuba) e invitados Teatro Mella, 5pm Concert Del medioevo al danzón Horacio Franco, Victor Flores and Santiago Álvarez (Mexico) Monday, Oct 6 Thursday, Oct 2 Teatro Miramar, 9:30 am-12:30pm Clase magistral de Leo Brouwer Teatro Mella, 8:30pm Concert Palabras Haydée Milanés, Ernán López Nussa, Enrique Plá, Gastón Joya, Nam Sam Fong, Edgar Martínez, Roberto García, Molote, Carlos Frank, Schola Cantorum Coralina and Cuarteto de Cuerdas Presto (Cuba) e invitados Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert De Praga a La Habana ArteMiss Trio y Pavel Steidl (Czech Rep.), Niurka González, Gretchen Labrada and Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana (Cuba), Leo Brouwer Tuesday, Oct 7 Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert Jenny Q Chai & Friends Jenny Q Chai (US), Niurka González and Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana (Cuba) and guests .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 52 Saturday, Oct 11 Wednesday, Oct 8 Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert Tras las huellas de Mangoré Berta Rojas (Paraguay), Arístides Porto (Cuba), Ricardo Gallén (Spain), Josué Tacoronte (CubaMexico), Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana (Cuba) and guests Thursday, Oct 9 Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís, 10am Cello Plus (el cello más largo) Professional cellists and students of the instrument throughout the Island will play the longest cello Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert Las cartas de Julieta Cuarteto Latinoamericano (Mexico), González and Augusto Enríquez (Cuba) Niurka Centro Cultural El Sauce, 7pm-2am Noche Blanca de la Trova Friday, Oct 10 Cine Charles Chaplin, 5pm Presentación del documental Festival Leo Brouwer, sus raíces de Joel Ramírez Teatro Mella, 8:30 pm Alas Ballet Lizt Alfonso Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís, 6pm Concert El amor en el baile. Inéditos pianísticos cubanos del s.xix Liana Fernández, Lianne Vega, Milagros de los Ángeles Soto, Lisa María Blanco and Gabriela Pineda (Cuba), Josué Tacoronte (Cuba-Mexico), Teatro Martí, 8:30pm Concert El arco y la lira Carlos Prieto (Mexico), Yo-Yo Ma (US), Ricardo Gallén (España), Brasil Guitar Duo (Brazil) Sunday, Oct 12 El Ciervo Encantado, 11am Musica electroacústica: 50 años del primer concierto en Cuba Quinteto de Viento Nueva Camerata, Ricardo Martínez and Victor Piverno (Cuba) Teatro Karl Marx, 5pm Concert de los ancestros Leo Brouwer, Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana, Chucho Valdés, , Cuarteto Presto, Rodney Barreto, Gastón Joya, Yaroldy Abreu, Dreiser Durruthy and Reinaldo Melián (Cuba), Ricardo Gallén (Spain) Casas de la Música de Miramar and Habana 10pm6am Noche Blanca del Son (homenaje a Juan Formell) For more information:www.festivaleobrouwer.com .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 53 events in havana El papel de la cultura en el Caribe hoy Casa de las Américas, September 29-October 3 Organized by the Center for Caribbean Studies of Casa de las Americas in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, Germany) the French Institute and the Cultural Services of the Embassy of Germany and France in Cuba, the Seminar includes lectures by Dr. Anja Bandau, Richard Price, Sally Price and Felix Valdés, plus panels and workshops that will foster the conception and sharing of projects. The themes that will be addressed are “Contemporary Caribbean: A Multicultural, Transterritorial Cultural Context,” Transdisciplinary Approaches: Popular Religiousness, Community, Marginality and Exclusion in the Caribbean,” “The Role of Culture and Critical Debate in the Caribbean Today: Artistic Creation and Institutionalization,” Knowledge Perspectives and New Dissemination Networks in the Era of Global Communication.” VI Congreso Latinoamericano y del Caribe sobre Calidad e Inocuidad de los Alimentos September 15-18 Palacio de las Convenciones Organized by the Food Science and Technology Association of Cuba, the 6th Latin American and Caribbean Congress on Food Safety and Quality will be held under the theme “Nutritional Culture in Food Science, Gastronomy and the Media.” The event will include the Expo-Fair Latin American and Caribbean Salon for the Food Industry (SIALCUBA, 2014) in which Cuban and international companies involved in food processing, equipment, state-owned and private restaurants, as well as educational and health institutions will exchange experiences and discuss new trends in the preparation of foods, gourmet cuisines and molecular gastronomy. Another associated event will be Cubalumieregourmet 2014, which aims to facilitate the union of the science and technology sectors, food tourism and culture with the participation of actors, filmmakers, filmgoers, gourmets, visual artists, musicians, craftspeople, journalists, technologists, chefs, sommeliers, barmen and maître d’. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 55 Around Cuba Festival Nacional Metal HG September 18-21, Casa del Joven Creador Armando Mestre Martínez, Holguín One of a kind in the eastern part of the country, this festival promotes a space in which different generations of Cubans, who decades ago defended a music considered as “resistance music,” can exchange experiences with more recent bands under absolute freedom of expression and aesthetics. Jornada Pinar Hip-Hop September 4-7, Pinar del Río Meetings, concerts and talks on Hip-hop and Rap with musicians, critics and other participants from all around Cuba. III Encuentro Amigos del Jazz September 25-28, Santiago de Cuba Important jazz musicians from areund Cuba will participate in concerts, jam sessions and theoretical meetings. Guests include, among others, Bobby Carcasses, National Music Award 2012; César López, Yasek Manzano, Alfred Thompson, and Arruan Ortiz, who lives in the United States. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 56 The word on the street by Conner Gorry Anyone who speaks a language foreign to their own knows what an embarrassing, ego-crushing, confusing and even dangerous proposition it can be. If you’ve poked around my blog a bit, you know I’ve had my share of missteps, malapropisms, and foot-in-mouth moments. Trust me: it sucks. with slang and dichos, oblique (for non-Cubans) historical/cultural/political references, and island particular vernacular, it can get tricky. Few people believe me, let alone heed my counsel (see note 1). I figure I suffer more than most in this foreignlanguage-learning struggle for three reasons: 1) there’s a lot of static in that part of my brain wired for music and language (luckily I make up for lack of natural ability with pure tenacity); 2) as a writer, words are my medium and I’m spoiled in English, where I have many and varied options to express myself clearly and precisely (not that it always works). When you’re learning a foreign language, for instance, it takes time to learn how to say sneaker, stiletto or ballet flat, obligating you to default to the generic ‘shoe’ in the meantime; and 3) Cuban Spanish is far removed from the español I learned in university, Guatemala and the streets of NYC. “¿Que bolá asere? Tengo pincha y me hace falta una botella. Tírame un cabo y te doy un pescao.” I can hear some readers scoffing across the World Wide Web. But take this exchange for example: Very simply, this translates to: Hey man. I have to get to work and need a lift. Help me out and I’ll give you 10 pesos. See what I mean? Tricky. I often advise native Spanish speakers to prepare themselves for a different linguistic experience here, adding that they may encounter problems understanding Cubans. Clearly, asking directions, exchanging pleasantries, or ordering a meal/drink/bit of fellatio will be (or should be) straightforward enough for hispanoparlantes. But once conversations get cooking, seasoned .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 64 Of course, every country has its own terms for this, that, and the other thing. Vocabulary varies from region to region and between cities as well. For instance, I recently took a straw poll amongst friends from across the USA, asking what they called the type of sandwich sold at Subway. In New York, we call it a hero. In other parts of the country, you’ll hear it referred to as a submarine, a sub, grinder, or po’ boy (which really is in a class by itself, as anyone who has feasted in New Orleans will tell you). But although we have regional differences on the island, it’s much more complex. This way-withwords business goes beyond variable regional vocabulary since Cubans pepper their Spanish with terms of African origin (like the aforementioned asere); many American English words are in daily use, including lager, homerun, and brother, all uttered in a sultry accent; and entire syllables are regularly dropped (e.g. ño), while other words are contracted (e.g. equivoca’o). Needless to say, this complicates matters, as does Cuban-specific vernacular. Some of these words may be used in other Spanish-speaking countries, but probably not in the same way Cubans use them. Have insights? Drop me a line or submit a comment. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 65 Almendrón – Old US car; almendra means almond. Almendrón is a big almond, which these cars resemble. Bala, bata, petaca – Cigarette Caña, fula and tabla – Every day terms, these are used to denote CUC or ‘kooks,’ the hard currency here. Other terms include chavitos (which I hear infrequently in Havana) and morrocota, used exclusively for the 1 CUC coins. ‘Fula’ has other meanings as well; see below. Curda – Alcohol; can also be used as an adjective for someone who’s drunk. Faster – Bicycle; also called a chivo. Fula – Screwed up, twisted, somehow malevolent or damaged. Used to refer to situations or people: “¿Ella? Tremenda fula.” Gabo – Slang term for house or home; also a diminutive of Gabriel, used most famously for García Márquez. Guagua – Bus Jama – Food; grub Jeva/o – girlfriend/boyfriend Nescafé – Nothing doing; no way, as in ‘did you two hook up?’ ‘¡Nescafé! Pincha – Work, job Run run – Word on the street; rumor; grapevine. Synonyms include radio bemba and la bola. I could go on (and on), but I’ve got other work to do, deadlines to meet, and dreams to realize. Me voy en fa’. Notes 1. Anyone planning a visit here will benefit from learning a few phrases and sayings with the Cuban dichos app. Continue to read full article + slideshow .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 66 El Gato Tuerto Calle O e/ 17 y 19, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2224 Cover CUC 3 Open 12m-4am Performances from 10pm Photos Y. Monte El Gato Tuerto – 54 years old and still packing it for ‘filin’ by Lily Moreno I had been told that this was a favorite hangout of Elena Burke and one of the clubs where she gave her last performances before her untimely death. Nicknamed “Lady Sentiment,” she seemed to have left part of her feelings and emotions in that small space called El Gato Tuerto—The One-Eyed Cat. Other artists who have been protagonists here include Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club fame, the late Moraima Secada (Elena, Omara and Moraima all came from the Cuarteto d’Aida), Lino Borges, César Portillo de la Luz and José Antonio Méndez, just to name a few. These voices of “filin” (see note 1) will always be part of the spirit of the iconic bar, which this past August 31 celebrated its 54th anniversary with a big bang. the charismatic editor and cultural promoter Felito Ayón (who rubbed shoulders with the avant-garde of Havana) who put El Gato Tuerto on the map turning it into an intimate, glamorous and select place, chosen by Havana intellectuals for their nocturnal meetings. The house was refurbished and when it reopened on August 31, 1960 it had already become famous for being the place to enjoy the best “filin.” Throughout the years, the club’s walls have been graced with paintings by renowned Cuban artists, like Acosta León, Mariano Rodríguez, Luís Mariano Pedro, Alberto Falcón, Tomás Marai and Raúl Tickets had been sold out early that week, but I never suspected that such a small place could pack so many people, who effectively bumped into one another. Sitting at the tables, people chatted, laughed or shared intimate moments. I chose to sit at the bar and ordered a mojito. Settled there, with cocktail in hand, I felt like I too was part of the history of this place. Before 1959, El Gato Tuerto was one of the two bars in Havana that opened 24/7. The owner would sometimes delight guests with trumpet solos, and in time, the club began to attract popular musicians as well as artists of all kinds. But it was .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 67 Tapia. And the restaurant’s first dinner service was designed by Amelia Peláez (author of the spectacular mural on the façade of the Habana Libre Hotel). on the tall building next to the club that said “I love El Gato Tuerto” amidst colors and lights, the work of the Cuban video mapping group *.IMG. But August 31 was special. Musicians and singers filled the stairs are tuning up their instruments and their voices. The show was presented by the popular Cuban TV host Julio Acanda, who is also the artistic director of El Gato Tuerto. He has managed to bring El Gato back into the spotlight with a new generation of musicians who, although continuing to perform songs from the filin repertoire, have also incorporated other rhythms, aesthetics, lyrics and thoughts that are making El Gato a place of renewal that takes pride in good Cuban music. Continue to read full article + slideshow The restaurant on the second floor, which faces the sea, had been decorated with works by painters Fabelo, Mendive, Lara and Maikel Herrera, as part of an exhibition on occasion of the anniversary. Passersby around the Malecón, O Street or the Nacional Hotel could easily make out a projection The party ended with cheers and a toast to the club’s long life, which was honored by the countless musicians who performed that evening at El Gato Tuerto and the enthusiastic crowd who were lucky enough to take part in the celebration. Note 1: filin, a renovating movement in Cuban song that evolved from bolero and trova, and was influenced by jazz. .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 68 Photos Y. Monte El Litoral – An inspiration on the Malecón by Margaret Atkins Would you like to feel like you owned a little piece of the Havana Malecón, even if only for a little while? Well, that’s exactly what I felt this afternoon as I sat under one of El Litoral’s umbrellas. The location can’t be beat: Malecón Ave. on the corner of K Street, where a solitary piece of the seawall is visible. It’s just you, the blue sky and the vastness of the sea. The place is unrivaled if you want to watch how the sun, turned into a red rubber ball, is swallowed by the sea at sunset while you dine or sip your favorite cocktail. And in the evening, you might catch the flickering lights of some distant ship. Alain, the chef was busy in his kitchen, I decided I would explore the place. When you cross the glass door, which bears the name of the restaurant, you enter into an air-conditioned area that is much appreciated in the August heat. To your left, you will find the bar and to your right, a half-lit waiting room. There is lots of black, white and gray. The first impression is of elegance and comfort. “The interior of a luxury boat, that’s what we wanted to achieve,” said Mae, who along with her husband Alejandro, has created this lovely restaurant in what was once her husband’s family home. Remodeling the place took them an entire year, but scarcely eight months after they first opened to the public, El Litoral has a loyal clientele. The central hall leads to the main dining room with six tables, .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 69 And now we come to the main dishes, and this being a sea-themed restaurant, it is only natural that the specialty of the house is fish, like the cava style lobster, stir fry shrimp or fish stew. But if you’re more of a meat person, then you should go for the filet mignon served on a timbale of roasted potatoes and onions, which, like almost every dish here, comes with steamed vegetables in a tropical color scheme. But if you are undecided as to what to choose, then close the menu and talk to your waiter. Tell him what you would like to eat and how you would like it to be prepared. Your waiter will then go to the kitchen, he will talk with Alain, and will do everything possible to come back with a dish that will meet your expectations, even if it’s not on the menu. The maitre d’ personally chooses and trains all the waiters and bartenders, and the chef takes care that no ingredients are missing, despite the unstable and variable Cuban market. Alain is proud of his menu, which is not only stable, but expanding. Proof of this is a project they have in mind for late this year involving avant-garde cooking techniques, also known as molecular gastronomy. It is really difficult to capture the enthusiasm and commitment of the people that make El Litoral, not just a business but also an inspiration. while the private room retains somewhat the spirit of the dining room you would find in a large Cuban home. They have also set up a room for smokers in what was once the garage and lateral courtyard.. A mural of sea motifs in relief created by Cuban artist Rafael Consuegra graces the sand-colored wall. The decor here is coherent, a feature that is hard to find in the many new restaurants that are gradually populating the city. At last I come to the kitchen and I meet Alain. Proud of his sanctuary, Alain takes me to where the hors d’oeuvres are prepared. For a fixed price, guests may choose from a number of cold starters: four different kinds of cheese; salads made of truly organic vegetables; fish escabeche, shellfish, sushi, salmon, smoked fish, ham, sausages, olives, dressings, breads from the in-house bakery and so much more. If you liked the cold starters, then you will simply have to come back another day and choose from the tapas (more like hot entrees) menu: beef and salmon carpaccio; bruschetta topped with tomato, ham and mozzarella; crunchy focaccia topped with octopus; croquettes in cheese fondue (mmm!); chorizo casserole in wine, risottos (which the chef tells me are made with the high-starch, mediumor short-grain white rice that this dish requires, and so much more. Continue to read full article + slideshow .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 70 Ice Ice Baby by Sophia Beckman Cuba has remained largely immune to the Ice Bucket Challenge fever that has swept the rest of the world over this summer. There are a few exceptions including British Ambassador to Havana, Tim Cole whose daughter put him under the gun to pay up or suffer the consequences. Then again in Cuba’s endless summer having a bucket of ice cold water poured over one’s head actually sounds quite refreshing. Hold my checkbook and let me ponder my options. In any event we spent the day with Alex Mene looking for the right Cuban alternative to the Ice Bucket Challenge. Lets call it Ice Ice Baby since we are skipping the video upload and going straight to stills. We will donate US$ 100 to charity of the Winner’s Choice for the best still photo of someone getting the Ice Ice Baby treatment in a Cuban context! .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 71 The Ice Bucket Challenge, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation .com With a passion for Cuba contents page 72 Nazdarovie Havana’s best places to eat El Atelier CA 5 Bella Ciao CA 5 Café Bohemia CA 5 Café Laurent CA 4+ Experimental fusion Homely Italian Café Spanish/Mediterranean Beautiful décor, interesting menu. Great service, good prices. A real home from home. Bohemian feel. Great sandwiches, salads & juices Beautiful penthouse restaurant with lovely terrace. Calle 5 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado (+53) 7-836-2025 Calle 19 y 72, Playa (+53) 7-206-1406 Calle San Ignacio #364, Habana Vieja Calle M #257, e/ 19 y 21, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2090 La California Carboncita La Casa Casa Miglis CA 5+ CA 4+ CA 5 CA Cuban-Creole/International Italian Contemporary fusion Swedish-Cuban fusion Beautiful C19 colonial building. Great fresh pastas. Walter’s place. Great pizza. Quick & reliably good VIP service. The Robaina family place. Thurs Sushi night. Oasis of good food & taste in Centro Habana Calle Crespo #55 e/ San Lázaro y Refugio, Centro Habana (+53) 7-863 7510 Ave. 3ra #3804 e/ 38 y 40, Miramar (+53) 7-203 0261 Calle 30 #865 e/ 26 y 41, Nuevo Vedado (+53) 7-881-7000 Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y Lagunas, Centro Habana (+53) 7-864-1486 Chanchullero Le Chansonnier CA Cocina Lilliam CA El Cocinero CA 5 4+ 4+ 5 CA 5+ Spanish/Mediterranean Contemporary fusion International International Fabulous value hole in the wall tapas. Trendy. Stylish & contemporary with good food. Not cheap. Beautiful garden setting, quite posh. Teniente Rey #457 bajos, Plaza del Cristo, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-872-8227 Calle J #257 e/ Línea y 15, Vedado (+53) 7-832-1576 Calle 48 #1311, e/ 13 y 15, Miramar (+53) 7-209-6514 Spectacular industrial chic alfresco rooftop with a buzzing atmosphere Corte Príncipe CA Il Divino D. Eutimia 5+ CA 4+ Italian International Sergio’s place. Simple décor, spectacular food, excellent service. Set in huge gardens outside town. Great for the kids. Calle 26, e/ 11 y 13, Vedado. (+53) 7-832-2355 CA 5+ Esperanza CA 4+ Cuban/Creole Cuban fusion Absolutely charming. Great food. Intimate, idiosyncratic & charming (although not cheap). Calle 9na esq. a 74, Miramar (+53) 5-255-9091 Calle Raquel, #50 e/ Esperanza y Lindero, Mantilla, Arroyo Naranjo (+53) 7-643-7734 Callejón del Chorro #60C, Plaza de la Catedral, Habana Vieja (+53) 7 861 1332 Calle 16 #105 e/ 1ra y 3ra, Miramar (+53) 7-202-4361 La Fontana La Guarida Iván Chef El Litoral CA 4+ CA 5+ CA 5+ CA 5+ International International Spanish International Consistently good food, attentive service. Old school. Justifiably famous. Follow footsteps of Queen of Spain & Beyonce. Brilliantly creative and rich food. Watch the world go by at the Malecón’s best restaurant. Aguacate #9, esq. a Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-863-9697 Malecón #161 e/ K y L, Vedado (+53) 7-830-2201 Piccolo Río Mar Calle 46 #305 esq. a 3ra, Miramar (+53) 7-202-8337 Nautilus CA 5 Concordia #418 e/ Gervasio y Escobar, Centro Habana (+53) 7-866-9047 Nazdarovie CA 5 CA 4+ CA 5 French/Mediterranean Soviet Italian International Imaginative, tasty and innovative menu. Cuba’s first true Soviet style restaurant. Beautiful view, great food. Kitsch pizza place with animals. Great after the beach. Contemporary décor. Wonderful sea-view. Calle 5ta A #50206 e/ 502 y 504, Guanabo, Habana del Este (+53) 7-796-4300 Ave. 3raA y Final #11, La Puntilla, Miramar (+53) 7-209-4838 Starbien El Templete Calle 84 #1116 e/ 11 y 13, Playa. (+53) 5-237-3894 (+53) 5-4001068 San Cristóbal CA 5+ Malecon #25, 3rd floor e Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947 Santy CA 5+ CA 5 CA 5- Cuban/Creole Sushi/Oriental Spanish/Mediterranean Spanish/Mediterranean Deservedly popular.Consistently great food. Kitsch décor. Authentic fisherman’s shack servicing world-class sushi. Fabulous. Spacious. Serving some of Havana’s best food at present. Overlooking harbor. Good quality but expensive. Calle 29 #205 e/ B y C, Vedado (+53) 7-830-0711 Ave. del Puerto #12 esq. a Narciso López, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-8807 San Rafael #469 e/ Lealtad y Campanario, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-9109 Calle 240A #3023 esq. a 3ra C, Jaimanitas (+53) 5-286-7039 .com september 2014 contents page 74 La Guarida CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Contemporary fusion CostExpensive www.laguarida.com Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Authentic, charming and intimate atmosphere in Cuba’s best known restaurant. Great food, professional. Classy. Don’t Miss Uma Thurman, Beyoncé or the Queen of Spain if they happen to be dining next to you. Concordia #418 e/ Gervasio y Escobar, Centro Habana. (+53) 7-866-9047 Iván Chef Justo CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Spanish CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Spectacular innovative food. Light and airy place where it always seems to feel like Springtime. Don’t Miss The lightly spiced grilled mahimahi served with organic tomato relish. Try the suckling pig and stay for the cuatro leches. Aguacate #9, Esq. Chacón, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-863-9697 / (+53) 5-343-8540 El Litoral CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food International CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Quality décor, good service and great food. Best new place recently opened. Don’t Miss Drinking a cocktail at sunset watching the world go by on the Malecón Malecón #161 e/ K y L, Vedado. (+53) 7-830-2201 Santy CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Sushi CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Fabulous sushi, wonderful ambience overlooking fishing boats heading out to sea. World class. Don’t miss Getting a reservation here. Calle 240A #3023 esq. 3raC, Jaimanitas. (+53) 5-286-7039 .com september 2014 contents page 75 La California CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Cuban-Creole/International CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Beautiful C19 colonial building. Popular place with quality food and great service. Love the fresh pastas. Dont’t Miss The interesting history of the neighbourhood, where Chano Pozo (legendary Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist) hung out. Calle Crespo #55 e/ San Lázaro y Refugio, Centro Habana (+53) 7-863-7510 Casa Miglis CA 5 CA TOP PICK Style of food Swedish-Cuban fusion CostExpensive www.casamiglis.com Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for The beautifully designed interior, warm ambience and Miglis’s personality create the feeling of an oasis in Central Havana. Don’t Miss Chatting with Mr Miglis. The Skaargan prawns, beef Chilli and lingonberries. Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y Lagunas, Centro Habana. (+53) 7-864-1486 Nazdarovie CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Soviet CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Getting a flavor of Cuban-Soviet history along with babuska’s traditional dishes in a classy locale. Don’t miss Vodka sundowners on the gorgeous terrace overlooking the malecon. Malecon #25 3rd floor e/ Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947 Starbien CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food Spanish/Mediterranean CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Eating some of Havana’s best food at present. Consistently good, excellent service Don’t miss The fish terriaki is to absolutely die for. Get a reservation on the main terrace. Calle 29 #205 e/ B y C, Vedado (+53) 7-830-0711 .com september 2014 contents page 76 Atelier CA 5 CA TOP PICK Style of food Experimental fusion CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Interesting menu, beautiful building with great décor and service. Don’t miss Dinner on the breezy terrace during summer. Calle 5ta e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado (+53) 7-836-2025 [email protected] Café Bohemia CA 5 CA TOP PICK Style of food Café CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Bohemian feel. Great sandwiches, salads & juices Don’t miss Thursday night happy hour (7-9pm) Ground floor of the Palacio de la Casa del Conde de Lombillo, Calle San Ignacio #364, (Next to Factoría Plaza Vieja) [email protected] http://www.havanabohemia.com El Cocinero CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Style of food International CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Fabulous industrial chic alfresco rooftop with a buzzing atmosphere, great service & good food. Don’t miss The best parties in Havana, held on the rooftop attracting a new crowd of Cuban entrepreneurs. Calle 26, e/ 11 and 13, Vedado. (+53) 7-832-2355 La Casa CA 5 CA TOP PICK Style of food International/sushi CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Food Ambience Service Value Best for Warm hospitality and openness from the four generations of the Robaina family. Quality food. Don’t miss Thursday night sushi night. The Piña Colada. Calle 30 #865 e/ 26 y 41, Nuevo Vedado. (+53) 7-881-7000 [email protected] .com september 2014 contents page 77 Sloppy Joe’s Havana’s best Bars & Clubs Traditional Bars El Floridita CA 4+ Hemingway’s daiquiri bar. Touristy but always full of life. Great cocktails. Obispo #557 esq. a Monserrate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1299 Factoría Plaza Vieja CA 5 Microbrewery. Serves ice chilled bong of light locally brewed beer. New locale as well overlooking Havana bay. Sloppy Joe’s Bar CA 4+ Recently (beautifully) renovated. Full of history. Popular. Lacks a little ‘grime’. Ánimas esq. a Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-7157 San Ignacio esq. a Muralla, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-4453 Cervecería CA 5+ Antiguo Almacén Madera y el Tabaco de la Stunningly well done larger version of the microbrewery on Plaza Vieja. Located by the waterfront area. Simply brilliant. Avenida del Puerto y San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Contemporary Bars El Cocinero CA 5+ Fabulous rooftop setting, great service, cool vibe. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (+53) 7-832-2355 Espacios CA 5- Laid back contemporary bar with a real buzz in the back beer-garden. Esencia Habana CA 4+ Spacious modern bar. Good service and nice cocktails. Nonsmoking inside. Calle 10 #510, e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar Calle B e/ Línea y Calzada, Vedado (+53) 7-836-3031 (+53) 7-836-3031 Contemporary bars/clubs Don Cangrejo CA 4+ Love it/hate it—they have at least filled in the pool—this is the oldest Friday night party place and is still going strong. Outdoor by the sea. CA 4 Über modern and stylish indoor bar/club. Miami style crowd and attitude. Calle 94 #110 e/ 1ra y 3ra, Miramar (+53) 7-206-4167 Ave. 1ra e/ 16 & 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837 Other Meliá Sports Bar CA Kpricho 4 Big-screen sports-bar in modern outdoor terrace with cooling air jets (when working!). Good for sports and live music, not cheap for drinks/food. El Gato Tuerto CA Up & Down CA 5 From the team that brought you Sangri-La. Attracting a young party crowd, very popular. Calle 3ra y B, Vedado 4+ Late night place to hear fabulous bolero singers. Can get smoky. El Tocororo CA 4+ Expat favorite hangout. Small indoor bar with live music and eclectic clientele. Fábrica de Arte CA 5+ X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Great concerts, funky young scene. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) (+53) 5-329-6325 www.facebook.com/fabrica. deartecubano Sangri-La CA 5 For the cool kids. Basement bar/club which gets packed at weekends. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 7-264-8343 Bertolt Brecht CA 5 Calle O e/ 17 y 19, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2224 Calle 18 e/ 3ra y 5ta, Miramar Think MTV Unplugged when musicians play. Hip, funky and unique with an artsy Cuban crowd. Humboldt 52 Fashion Bar Havana Café Bar Madrigal Meliá Habana Hotel Ave. 3ra e/ 76 y 80, Miramar (+53) 7-204-8500 Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354 Gay-friendly Cabaret Las Vegas CA 4 Can get dark and smoky but great drag show (11pm) from Divino—one of Cuba’s most accomplished drag acts. Infanta #104 e/ 25 y 27, Vedado. (+53) 7-870-7939 CA 5 One of the hottest venues for gay nightlife in Havana at present. Humboldt #52 e/ Infanta y Hospital, Centro Habana. (+53) 5-330-2989 CA 5 A superb example of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a fantastic floor show. San Juan de Dios, esq. a Aguacate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1676 .com september 2014 CA 4 Pop décor, fancy cocktails, and the staff’s supercilious attitude, this is a gathering spot for all types of folks, including gay men and women. Calle 17 #809 e/ 2 y 4, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2433 contents page 79 Bertolt Brecht CA 5 CA TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/clubs Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Hanging out with hip & funky Cubans who like their live music. Don’t Miss Interactivo playing on a Wednesday evening. Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354 Espacios CA 5- CA TOP PICK Contemporary Bar Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Laid back lounge atmosphere in the garden area which often has live music. Good turnover of people. Don’t Miss Ray Fernandez, Tony Avila, Yasek Mazano playing live sets in the garden. Calle 10 #510 e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar (+53) 7-202-2921 Sangri-La CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/CLUB Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Hanging out with the cool kids on the Havana Farundula in the most popular bar/club. Don’t Miss The best gin and tonic in Havana. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 5-264-8343 Don Cangrejo CA 4+ CA TOP PICK CONTEMPORARY Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Interesting venue with good décor and great bands. Busy. Don’t Miss Friday night attracts a LGBTI crowd. Great bands, hip crowd, pole dancing—what more could you want? Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837 .com september 2014 contents page 80 Humboldt 52 CA 5 CA TOP PICK Gay friendly Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Hot staff, comfortable setting, and welcoming vibe at Havana’s first full-time, openly-gay bar Don’t Miss The disco ball, a talented opera duo performing Wednesdays and karaoke and drag performances other days of the week Humboldt #52 e/ Infanta y Hospital, Centro Habana. (+53) 5-330-2989 Fábrica de Arte CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Contemporary Bar Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for X Alfonso’s superb new cultural center has something for everyone Don’t Miss Ne pas manquer Les meilleurs musiciens cubains Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) Fashion Bar Havana CA 5 CA TOP PICK Gay-friendly Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for A superb example of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a fantastic floor show. Don’t Miss The staff performing after 11pm San Juan de Dios, esq. a Aguacate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1676 Kpricho CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/CLUB Ambience Popularity Entertainment Service & drinks Best for Über cool & stylish indoor space where Havana’s coolest DJs keep the party going. Don’t Miss ‘Mas que una noche es un kpricho’ 94 e/ 1ra y 3ra #110, Miramar. (+53) 7-206-4167 [email protected] Kpricho Facebook .com september 2014 contents page 81 Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Havana’s best live music venues Concert venues Karl Marx Theatre CA 5 World class musicians perform prestigious concerts in Cuba’s best equipped venue. Calle 1ra esq. a 10, Miramar (+53) 7-203-0801 Jazz Café Jazz Miramar CA 4+ This newish club is clean, modern and atmospheric where Cuba’s best musicians jam and improvise. Cine Teatro Miramar 10:30pm – 2am Ave. 5ta esq. a 94, Miramar Salsa/Timba Café Cantante Mi Habana CA 4 Attracts the best Cuban musicians to play including for matinees. Recently renovated with an excellent new sound system. Ave. Paseo esq. a 39, Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7-878-4273 Contemporary Café Teatro Bertolt Brecht CA 5 Think MTV Unplugged when musicians play. Hip, funky and unique with an artsy Cuban crowd. Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354 Trova & traditional Barbaram Pepito’s Bar CA 4+ Some of the best Cuban Nueva Trova musicians perform in this small and intimate environment. Calle 26 esq. a Ave. del Zoológico. Nuevo Vedado (+53) 7-881-1808 Basílica Menor CA 5 Fábrica de Arte CA 5 Sala CovarrubiasCA de San Francisco de X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Teatro Nacional Great concerts inside (small Recently renovated, this is Asís and funky) and outside (large A truly beautiful church, which regularly hosts fabulous classical music concerts. Oficios y Amargura, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Habana Vieja Jazz Café CA 4 A staple of Havana’s jazz scene, the best jazz players perform here. Somewhat cold atmosphere wise. Galerías de Paseo Ave. 1ra e/ Paseo y A, Vedado Casa de la Música CA 4 and popular!). Great mix of people. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) Privé Lounge CA 5+ Small and intimate lounge club with great acoustics and beautiful decor. Jazz groups play Sunday night. Calle 88A #306 e/ 3ra y 3raA, Miramar (+53) 7-209-2719 Casa de la Música CA 4 Centro Habana Miramar A little rough around the edges but spacious. For better or worse, this is ground zero for the best in Cuban salsa. Smaller and more up-market than its newer twin in Centro Habana. This is an institution in the Havana salsa scene although probably seen better days. Galiano e/ Neptuno y Concordia, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-8296/4165 Don Cangrejo CA Calle 20 esq. a 35, Miramar (+53) 7-204-0447 4+ Love it/hate it—they have at least filled in the pool—this is the oldest Friday night party place and is still going strong. Outdoor by the sea. Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837 Gato Tuerto CA 4+ Late night place to hear fabulous bolero singers. Can get smoky. Calle O entre 17 y 19, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2224 El Sauce CA 5- Great outdoor concert venue to hear the best in contemporary & Nueva Trova live in concert. Ave. 9na #12015 e/ 120 y 130, Playa (+53) 7-204-6428 Legendarios de Guajirito CA 5 See Buena Vista Social Club musicians still performing nightly from 9pm. Touristy but fabulous. Zulueta #660 e/ Apodaca y Gloria, Centro Habana (+53) 7-861-7761 .com september 2014 5 one of Cuba’s most prestigious venues for a multitude of events. Paseo y 39, Plaza de la Revolución. La Zorra y el Cuervo CA 5 Intimate and atmospheric, this basement club, which you enter through the Red telephone box, is Cuba’s most famous jazz club. Calle 23 e/ N y O, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2402 Salón Rosado de la Tropical CA 5 The legendary beer garden where Arsenio tore it up in the 40s Look for a salsa/timba gig on a Sat night and a Sun matinee with an older crowd. Ave. 41 esq. a 46, Playa Times: varies wildly (+53) 7-203-5322 Teatro de Bellas Artes CA 4+ Small intimate venue inside Cuba’s most prestigious arts museum. Modern. Trocadero e/ Zulueta y Monserrate, Habana Vieja. CA 4+ Salón 1930 ‘Compay Segundo’ Buena Vista Social Club style set in the grand Hotel Nacional. Hotel Nacional Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835-3896 contents page 82 Havana’s Best Hotels Hotel Nacional de Cuba Simply the best… CA Iberostar Parque Central 5+ Luxury hotel overlooking Parque Central Neptuno e/ Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-6627 Santa Isabel CA 5+ Luxurious historic mansion facing Plaza de Armas Saratoga CA 5+ Stunning view from roof-top pool. Beautiful décor. Narciso López, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201 Terral CA 5 Wonderful ocean front location. Newly renovated. Paseo del Prado #603 esq. a Dragones, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201 Malecón esq. a Lealtad, Centro Habana (+53) 7-862-8061 Boutique Hotels in Old Havana Florida CA 5 Beautifully restored colonial house. Obispo #252, esq. a Cuba, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-862-4127 Business Hotels Meliá Cohíba CA 5 Oasis of polished marble and professional calm. Ave Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado (+53) 7- 833-3636 Palacio del Marqués... CA 5 Cuban baroque meets modern minimalist Oficios #152 esq. a Amargura, Habana Vieja Meliá Habana CA 5 Attractive design & extensive facilities. CA 4 A must for Hemingway aficionados Mercure Sevilla CA 4 Stunning views from the roof garden restaurant. Calle Obispo #153 esq. a Mercaderes, Habana Vieja (+53) 7- 860-9529 Trocadero #55 entre Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8560 Economical/Budget Hotels Bosque CA 3 On the banks of the Río Almendares. Calle 28-A e/ 49-A y 49-B, Reparto Kohly, Playa (+53) 7-204-9232 Deauville CA 3 Lack of pretension, great location. Galiano e/ Sán Lázaro y Malecón, Centro Habana (+53) 7-866-8812 5+ Immensely charming, great value. Oficios #53 esq. a Obrapía, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1037 Occidental Miramar CA 4+ Good value, large spacious modern rooms. Ave. 3ra y 70, Miramar (+53) 5-204-8500 For a sense of history Ambos Mundos Hostal Valencia CA Conde de Villanueva CA 5 Delightfully small and intimate. For cigar lovers. Mercaderes #202, esq. a Lamparilla (+53) 7-862-9293 H10 Habana Panorama CA 4+ Cascades of glass. Good wi-fi. Modern. Ave. 5ta. e/ 70 y 72, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3583 Ave. 3ra. y 70, Miramar (+53) 7 204-0100 Hotel Nacional Riviera CA 5 Eclectic art-deco architecture. Gorgeous gardens. CA 3 Spectacular views over wavelashed Malecón Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835 3896 Paseo y Malecón, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4051 Saint John’s Vedado CA 3 Lively disco, tiny quirky pool. Popular. Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-833-3740 .com september 2014 CA 3 Good budget option with a bit of a buzz Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4072 contents page 83 Havana’s best private places to stay Maison Cuba For Help reserving any Private Accommodation (Casas Particulares) in Cuba please contact [email protected] Mid range - Casa Particular (B&B) 1932 CA 4 Carlos in cuba CA 5 Gay Friendly BED and Breakfast in Havana Visually stunning, historically fascinating. Welcoming. Campanario #63 e/ San Lázaro y Laguna, Centro Habana (+53) 7-863-6203 Calle 2 #505 e/ 23 y 21, Vedado (+53) 7-833-1329 (+53) 5-295-4893 [email protected] www.carlosincuba.com Habana CA 5 Beautiful colonial townhouse with great location. Julio y Elsa CA 5 Cluttered bohemian feel. Hospitable. Calle Habana #209, e/ Empedrado, y Tejadillo, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-861-0253 Consulado #162 e/ Colón y Trocadero, Centro Habana (+53) 7-861-8027 Artedel Hostal Guanabo Up-scale B&Bs (Boutique hostals) Rosa D’Ortega CA 5 Beautiful and welcoming large home Patrocinio #252 esq. a Juan Bruno Zayas, 10 de Octubre (+53) 7-641-4329/5-263-3302 [email protected] www.larosadeortega.com Vitrales CA 5 Hospitable, attractive and reliable boutique B&B with 9 bedrooms. Habana #106 e/ Cuarteles y Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-2607 CA 5+ Ydalgo Martínez Matos’s spacious and contemporary 3-bedroom penthouse is magnificent. CA 5 Beautiful 4 bedroom seafront villa in sleepy Guanabo. Excellent food. Calle I #260 e/ 15 y 17, Vedado (+53) 5-830-8727 Calle 480 #1A04 e/ 1ra y 3ra, Guanabo (+53) 7-799-0004 Habana Vista Suite Havana Apartment rentals Bohemia Hostal CA 5+ Gorgeous 1-bedroom apartment beautifully decorated apartment overlooking Plaza Vieja. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja Habana Vieja (+53) 5- 403-1 568 (+53) 7-836-6567 www.havanabohemia.com Luxury Houses Villasol CA 5 Rent Room elegant and wellequipped. Beautiful wild garden and great pool. Calle 17 #1101 e/ 14 y 16, Vedado (+34) 677525361 (+53) 7-832-1927 (+53) 5-360-0456 Casa Concordia CA 5+ Beautifully designed and spacious 3 bedroom apartment. Spanish colonial interiors with cheerful, arty accents. CA 5 Two-storey penthouse b&b with private pool Calle 13 # 51 esq. a N, Vedado (+53) 5-388-7866 Lamparilla #62 altos e/ Mercaderes y San Ignacio, Habana Vieja (+53) 5-829-6524 Concordia #151 apto. 8 esq. a San Nicolás, Centro Habana (+53) 5-254-5240 www.casaconcordia.net Casablanca CA 5 Elegant well-equipped villa formerly owned by Fulgencio Batista. Beautiful wild garden. Morro-Cabaña Park. House #29 (+53) 5-294-5397 www.havanacasablanca.com CA Michael and María Elena This leafy oasis in western Havana has an attractive mosaic tiled pool and three modern bedrooms. Calle 66 #4507 e/ 45 y Final, Playa (+53) 7-209-0084 .com september 2014 CA 5 Elegant 2-bedroom apartment in restored colonial building. Quality loft style décor. 5 Residencia Mariby CA 5 A sprawling vanilla-hued mansion with 6 rooms decorated with colonial-era lamps, tiles and Louis XV furniture Vedado. (+53) 5-370-5559 contents page 84 Artedel Luxury CA 5+ CA TOP PICK 3 Bedroom penthouse Facilities Rooms Ambience Value Best for Stylish and contemporary furniture along with a beautiful 360-degree view over Havana Don’t Miss Ydalgo – an impeccable host, discreet or gregarious, as you prefer Calle I #260, e/ 15 and 17, Vedado (+53) 7-830-8727 Bohemia Hostal CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Gorgeous 1 bedroom apartment Facilities Rooms Ambience Value Best for Independent beautifully decorated apartment overlooking Plaza Vieja. Don’t Miss Spending time in Havana’s most atmospheric Plaza. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja [email protected] (+53) 5 4031 568: (53) 7 8366 567 www.havanabohemia.com Maison Cuba CA 5+ CA TOP PICK 3 Bedroom apartment Facilities Rooms Ambience Value Best for The terrace with a view of Havana and its people. Don’t Miss Getting in touch with the architecture and splendor of a Cuban colonial home. Cienfuegos #207 altos e/ Misión y Arsenal, Habana Vieja. (+53) 5-412-0166 www.lamaisoncuba.com Rosa D’Ortega CA 5+ CA TOP PICK Boutique Villa Facilities Rooms Ambience Value Best for Large elegant villa away from the bustle of downtown Havana. Gracious hosts, beautiful rooms. Don’t Miss Exploring the off-the-beaten track neighbourhood. Patrocinio #252 esq. a Juan Bruno Zayas, 10 de Octubre (+53) 7-641-43-29 / (+53) 5-263-3302 http://www.larosadeortega.com .com september 2014 contents page 85