havana! - Visit Cuba
Transcription
havana! - Visit Cuba
what’s on havana mar ! 2014 Dancers from Danza Contemporánea de Cuba perform Demo-n/Crazy at the Teatro Mella, February 2014. Photo by Alex Mene editorial Cover photo by Alex Mene showing X Alfonso performing at the Havana World Music Festival, February 8, 2014. This issue has put front and center the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (F.A.C.) and the Alfonso family, which has been instrumental in realizing this remarkable project. Opened in February 2014, this is a meeting-place where the best of the island’s avant-garde arts can be enjoyed under the same roof. Go see for yourself —it is open Thursday through Sunday from 8pm to 4am. We have included a profile of Wendy Guerra, one of Cuba’s very best literary talents as well as a review of Conducta: Ernesto Daranas’ brilliant new movie.If you haven’t seen it yet try and see it in a Cuban movie theatre—it is playing all across town to rapt audiences. Thanks to María del Pilar Rubí for sharing her work titled ‘I Invite You to My House’ which is a visually compelling body of work documenting the daily lives of several ordinary families living in a large building along the Malecón. From last month we have featured Auntie Flo & Zim Fox who performed as part of the inaugural Havana World Music Festival as well as Danza Contemporanea’s Demo-n/Crazy. Lydia Bell takes us inside Havana’s burgeoning Food Revolution from the inside out. From where to eat to how the new restaurant entrepreneurs source the food, this may just be the definitive food guide to Cuba’s buzzing capital city. There are plenty of events to keep you busy this month from the ongoing Festival de Música Antigua Esteban Salas to the Love & Peace Festival and the Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto. Don’t miss Art Attack —Stainless vs. The Merger at Galería Galiano and Just after Cuba at Fototeca de Cuba. And whatever you do, don’t forget to buy flowers on International Women’s Day (March 8). March 2014 Highlights • Festival de Música Antigua Esteban Salas: March 1-22 • Love & Peace Havana Festival: March 5-8 • Buena Fe: March 7-8 • Premiere of Celeste by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba: March 7-8 • Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto: March 11-16 Thanks to all of our contributors, sponsors, partners and readers. Do please keep providing us with your feedback, comments and suggestions. All the best. Viva Cuba! march 2014 havana culture Guide Photo by María del Pilar Rubí of girls enrolled in a Flamenco school in Old Havana Visual arts p5 Photography p8 Dance p10 Music p13 Theatre p24 For Kids p26 Not to miss during March 2014 Tue Wed 3 10 17 24 31 Festival de Música Antigua Esteban Salas: March 1-22 Time for a round of golf @ Diplo Club. Plenty of rum & cigars of the 19th hole. Premio y Coloquio Internacional de Musicología March 17-21 Encuentro Internacional de Academias de Ballet March 24 April 7, 2014 A day of rest and relaxation – smoke a Big Fat One and take the day off. 4 11 18 25 1 Art Attack. Stainless vs. Fiesta del Tambor The Merger @ Galería Guillermo Barreto: Galiano, through March March 11-16 15 Take the stress out of your day with lunch at Atelier – an ocean of calm with great food. XI Festival de Música de Cámara March 25-29 Madonna performing with Bill Clinton in Plaza de la Catedral @ 6pm 5 12 19 26 Love & Peace Havana Festival: March 5-8 Gerardo Alfonso @ El Diablo Tun Tun, 5pm Dinner at El Litoral, one of Havana’s best new restaurants – watch life pass by on Malecón. Lunch at Iván Chef Justo, Havana’s most imaginative food. Qva Libre @ Café Cantante Mi Habana, 5pm Geo-Gráfica @ Galería L, through March 28 Thu Fri 13 20 27 Festival de música de concierto A Tempo con Caturla, Santa Clara, March 6-9 Just after Cuba @ Fototeca de Cuba, through March 14 V Taller Danza en Construcción, March 20 to 31, 2014, Manzanillo Dinner & drinks at El Cocinero, Havana’s best industrial chic alfresco rooftop 7 14 21 28 Buena Fe @ the Karl Marx: March 7-8 Las lágrimas no hacen ruido al caer featuring Monse Duany @ Bertolt Brecht, 8.30pm (Fri-Sun): March 7-23 Antigonón, un contingente épico @ Teatro Trianón, 8.30pm (Fri, Sat & Sun) Dinner at Santy, Jaimanitas’s off the beaten track world class sushi restaurant. 8 15 22 29 International Women’s Day – Buy flowers! Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope @ Outside Capitolio in Havana Sombrisas by Danza Contemporánea de Cuba @ Teatro Mella, March 22-24 Concert as part of the National Chamber Music Festival @ Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís, 6pm Premiere of Celeste by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba: March 7-8 Possible Impossible by Retazos: March 7-8 Sat Love & Peace Havana Festival @ Parque Metropolitano: 6pm2am Sun Frank Delgado @ Teatro Mella, 8.30pm 6 Fragmentos de infinito by David Beltrán @ Fototeca de Cuba, through March 14 Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco @ Casa de la Música de la Habana Cuerda Viva Festival @ Teatro Karl Marx, March 22-23 9 16 23 30 En Buena Compañía @ Carpa Trompoloco, 4pm & 7pm Máquina de la Melancolía @ El Sauce, 5pm onwards Tarde en la siesta by Ballet Nacional de Cuba, March 22-23 Jazz at Privé Lounge, 10.30pm Jazz at Privé Lounge, 10.30pm En Buena Compañía @ Carpa Trompoloco, 4pm & 7pm Sueño de una noche de verano by Grupo de teatro El Arca @ Sala El Arca, 3pm visitcuba.com ! Mon Tue Wed With a Passion for Cuba Mon what’s on havana Thu Fri Sat Sun contents page 4 Visual Arts Intaglios by Mario Sánchez Edificio de Arte Cubano. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Through March 23, 2014 For the first time in Cuba, 30 intaglios (cut, carved and painted wood) by painter Mario Sánchez will be exhibited here. Mario Sánchez was lapelled by Folk Art Magazine the most important folk artist in the US during the 29th century. Born in Key West in 1908, of a Cuban father, Sánchez reflected in his scenes the everyday life and the human and spiritual diversity of that city, as well as and a profound humanistic view. Composed by pieces from private collections and from the Old Island Restoration Foundation, this exhibition is the first exchange between Cuban and American museums in over 50 years. Veinte años: luces y sombras Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura, Through March 11 On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Conjunto de Música Antigua Ars Longa (Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble), 20 renowned cuban artists have gotten together to pay tribute to these musicians through their art: Diana Balboa, Orlando Barroso, Amelia Carballo, Roberto Chile, Nelson Domínguez, Roberto Fabelo, Flora Fong, Isavel Gimeno, Sandor González, Carlos Guzmán, Alicia Leal, Manuel López Oliva, Juan Moreira, Ileana Mulet, Pedro Pablo Oliva, Cosme Proenza, Zaida del Río, Ernesto Rancaño, Ángel Ramírez, José Rodríguez Fuster, Eduardo Roca (Choco), Raúl Santos Serpa, José Omar Torres, Julia Valdés, Lesbia Vent Dumois and José Villa Soberón. Dios los cría Factoría Habana Throughout February Curated by Cuban artist René Peña and by Concha Fontenla, the exhibition includes visual, artistic, social and documentary materials spanning from the 1950s to the 1970s, as well as a selection of works by contemporary artists. The exhibition aims to question the view of curators as the being that has to make critical judgments and differentiate what is good and bad. The artists of this group show are Adrián Fernández, Aimée García, Alfredo Ramos, Amilkar Feria, Arién Chang Castan, Cirenaica Moreira, Duniesky Martín, Eduardo Hernández, Eduardo Muñoz, Glenda León, Jenny Brito, José Ángel Toirac, Marta María Pérez Bravo, Pepe Menéndez, Raúl Cañibano, Reinier Nande, Reynier Leyva Novo and Rodney Batista. Artists René Peña, Elisabetta Alé and Hilda María Rodríguez will lecture on the topic “Before and after. Autobiographical visitcuba.com contents page 5 Visual Arts Art Attack. Stainless vs the Merger Galería Galiano, Through March 15 Art Attack. Stainless vs the Merger exhibits the most recent production of the groups Stainless (Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, José G. Capaz Suárez and Roberto Fabelo Hung) and The Merger (Mario Miguel González, Niels Moleiro Luis and Alain Pino) with very diverse sculptures and installations. Posada, perfil de una época Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Throughout March An exhibition in tribute to José Luis Posada (19292002), contains 70 pieces in various techniques by this excellent Spanish draftsman and caricaturist who carried out prolific work, especially for the press in Cuba. El alma desnuda Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena, Through March 23 The drawings and paintings exhibited in El alma desnuda by Ernesto García Peña, confirm the artist’s mastery of brushstrokes, the use of light and transparency in a delicate and suggestive eroticism. Geo-Gráfica Galeria L of the Faculty of Economy of the University of Havana, at Calle L, entre 21 y 23, El Vedado.Through March 28 Geo-Gráfica, diseñadores cubanos del mundo is an unprecedented initiative of young Cuban designers who live outside Cuba. The exhibition shows the work carried out by them along with works for the international market made by designers living in Cuba. The show includes editorial design, logos, advertisements, videos, interior design, illustration and packaging. For more information see https://www.facebook. com/events/1434404043447251/ visitcuba.com contents page 6 Visual Arts Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín March 21-28 Exhibition by artists from the city of Riobamba in Ecuador, with paintings on canvas, paper and bamboo. The artists will lecture on the techniques and material they use for their works, as well as on symbolic characters of the region. Galería Espacio Abierto Through March 28 Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales Through March 7 Through March 7 Through March 7 Cómo es lo que es… combines the work and perspectives of artists Osvaldo González Aguiar and Francisco Alejandro Vives (Jim), and establishes differentiated approaches to the pictorial processes. Como te cuento mi cuento II, exhibition by Guillermo Rodríguez Malberti, who says he is “obsessed by the historical theme, or, rather, the ways in which history finds sensorial archetypes that manage to condense the meaning of significant historical events from which personal experiences are organized.” In Sala discontinua, artists Celia & Yunior and Ricardo Miguel Hernández invite viewers to understand the present through past events by way of documents from the late 19th and early 20th centurites, such as dedicated postcards, passports, seals, property deeds and letters of transferal of slaves. visitcuba.com In Tres partes para un diálogo, young artists Aluan Argüelles, Hander Lara, Ernesto Domecq, Manuel Hernández Cardona and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara use paintings, drawings, photography, video art, graffiti and installations to explore the relation between their roles as artists, the context and the viewers. Galería Villa Manuela Throughout No perder la tabla by the painter March Gilberto Frómeta is an exhibition of abstract art with incursions into matter painting. Palacio de Lombillo Opens March 7 Opening of Diálogo, an exhibition bu the artist José Ángel Báez, who carries out a “conversation” with one of the greats: Petrus Paulus Rubens. Salón Del Monte. Hotel Ambos Mundos March-April El Viejo y el mar, group show in which 13 artists, mostly illustrators, pay tribute to Ernest Hemingway on the 89th anniversary of the opening of the Ambos Mundos Hotel where the writer lived for some time. contents page 7 photography Fragmentos de infinito Fototeca de Cuba Through March 14 In the words of artist Glenda León, “David Beltrán’s new photographs…are fragments of reality, which he—changing the scale, the angle or the direction— has emptied of content, of history…Therefore, these images have lost all connection with their original realities remaining only the essential part that always has an invisible element which is beyond these fragments: it lies within each viewer’s capability to expand something.” Just after Cuba Fototeca de Cuba, Through March 14 Bradley Narduzzi Rex and Adrian Mealand Workman visited Cuba in 2010 to lay the groundwork for an unusual conceptual creation. This is the Cuba where history is overruled by contradiction, where mythology warns of unnoticed invasion, where life succumbs to encryption and where the future lays hidden in the shadows of the past. Each of the 30 works provides the viewer with an altered perspective on contemporary life in Cuba. A fusion of external concepts with traditional scenarios, forces a welcome escape from persistent stereotypes, generating an updated vocabulary, one that facilitates fresh interpretation of the Cuban experience. La luz en 2 miradas Quinta de los Molinos Throughout March Photographs by Laura M. Bártulos Broche and José A. Rey Rodríguez. visitcuba.com contents page 8 Photo by Alex Mene March 20-30, 2014 Universidad de las Artes (ISA), La Habana www.isa.cult.cu V Festival de las Artes by Victoria Alcalá Organized by Cuba’s University of the Arts (ISA), this art festival includes theater, exhibition, audiovisual screenings, competitions, lectures, master classes, demonstrations and workshops aimed at promoting the work of young artists; creating opportunities for a dialogue between writers and artists of different manifestations, training and origins; and showing the teaching process of students and graduates from the University of the Arts, conservatories and academies of the artistic educational system both in Cuba and in universities and art schools abroad. Participants include Cuban and international artists under 35 years of age with individual or group projects which have been accepted by the Organizing Committee. The Festival is divided into two main events: Musicalia (music in any format or genre and interdisciplinary projects), Elsinor (stage production, dramatized readings, performances, public interventions and video-installations), Marcapasos (contemporary dance, ballet, folklore and interdisciplinary projects), Imago (fiction films, documentaries, animated films, music videos, spots/trailers, one-minute shorts, radio shows, scripts), Expo-ISA (visual art projects of all kinds of expressive means and techniques and visitcuba.com interdisciplinary projects) and Jornada del Joven Restaurador (papers or posters on conservationrestoration of tangible cultural heritage, challenges faced by museology, Cuban intangible heritage and Cuban cultural heritage management; also a painting competition and a photography competition on Cuban national heritage). The Elsinore Theatre Festival has been held in Cuba every year for over 30 years. The staging of plays in theaters and open spaces, set design, dramatic texts, criticism and research related to the world of theater are part of the activities that take place during the festival. This is a showcase for young Cuban playwrights (there is an age limit of 35), and an opportunity for them to reach a wider public, to experiment with new works and to collaborate with old alumni from the University of the Arts (ISA). Venue: Universidad de Las Artes (ISA), Calle 120 No. 1110, entre 9 y 13, Cubanacán, La Habana Phone: +53 7 219771 For more information: [email protected] www.isa.cult.cu contents page 9 ballet Annabelle López Ochoa, choreographer of Celeste Celeste & Triad – World Premiers Sala Avellaneda. Teatro Nacional March 7-8, 8 pm; March 9, 5 pm The premiere of Celeste, choreographed by Belgian-Colombian Annabelle López Ochoa with music by Chaikovski, by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, will bring to the stage one of the greats of the company and world ballet: Viengsay Valdés, who will be accompanied by Yanela Piñera, Grettel Morejón, Jessie Domínguez, Mónica Gómez, Alfredo Ibáñez, Víctor Estévez, Arián Molina, Miguel Anaya, Gian Carlos Pérez and Lyvan Verdecia. Meanwhile, the other premiere, Triade, by Cuban choreographer Eduardo Blanco with music by Rossini, will have Chanell Cabrera, Cynthia González and Gabriela Mesa in the main roles. The programa also includes Prólogo para una tragedia based on Shakespeare’s Othello, choreographed by Brian McDonald with music by Bach, with Amaya Rodríguez, Anette Delgado, Yanela Piñera, José Losada, Camilo Ramos, Víctor Estévez and Arián Molina in the principal roles; and Suite generis, choreographed by Alberto Méndez with music by Händel and Haydn) with Anette Delgado, Dani Hernández, Alfredo Ibáñez and Grettel Morejón, Camilo Ramos, Miguel Anaya alternating in the main roles. Tarde en la siesta Sala Avellaneda. Teatro Nacional March 22, 8 pm; March 23, 5 pm The Ballet Nacional de Cuba announces a concert program made up by ballets with music by Cuban composers: Tarde en la siesta (choreographed by Alberto Méndez, music by Ernesto Lecuona), A la luz de tus canciones (choreographed by Alicia Alonso, music by Ernesto Lecuona, Orlando de la Rosa and Adolfo Guzmán), Flora (choreographed by Gustavo Herrera, music by Sergio Vitier) and Impromptu Lecuona (choreographed by Alicia Alonso, music by Ernesto Lecuona visitcuba.com contents page 10 modern dance Sombrisas Danza Contemporánea de Cuba Teatro Mella, March 22-23, 8:30pm; March 24, 5pm Danza Contemporánea de Cuba presents Sombrisas by choreographer Itzik Galili, and Identidad a la (-1) by George Céspedes. ‘Another slice of artily lit square-bashing from Itzik Galili. The ensemble is dressed with exemplary Cuban thrift in black shorts, dress shirts, bow ties and black leather boxing-gloves, which made it all very suggestive of a staff punch-up after an unusually fraught municipal banquet.’ Extract from a review of Sombrisas, June 2012 Posible imposible Danza Teatro Retazos Sala Teatro Las Carolinas March 7 & 8, 7pm Possible Impossible takes off from a landscape where the known laws of time, space and power have ceased to be valid. Imagine an associative world of magic, dreams and absurd impressions, where one dream relieves the next, and you fall, fly and balance between reality and fantasy. In this surprising world of dreams the door opens to other universes, where the mind is free and the impossible becomes possible. Concert Program Centro Prodanza Teatro Miramar March 7 & 8, 8:30pm; March 9, 5pm Tiempo a destiempo (choreographed by the Spanish Víctor Rodrigo); Mambo, Juntos, Dos, BB and A Retazos (by the company’s choreographer and maître Héctor Figueredo Abrantes); Sensemayá y Bandoneón (choreographed by Iván M. Alonso); and Majísimo (choreographed by Jorge García and music by Jules Massenet). visitcuba.com contents page 11 Dance Workshops V Taller Danza en Construcción Centro de Promoción de las Artes Escénicas, Manzanillo March 20 to 31, 2014 Under the theme of “Dance: breaking old borders”, this event has been created as an analytical workshop on the bases of cross-disciplinary approaches that are exploring and emancipating current dance trends. All artists and art students (dancers, choreographers, performers, video artists, observers, managers…) having an interest in research and choreographic annotation are welcome to participate in the aim of updating the role of theory in the practice of dance. Encuentro Internacional de Academias de Ballet Gran Teatro de La Habana y Escuela Nacional de Ballet (La Habana) March 24 April 7, 2014 Organized for the first time in 1993, this International Meeting of Ballet Academies has made it possible for dancers, teachers and students to become familiar with the technical and stylistic peculiarities of the Cuban School of Ballet through workshops, courses, and methodological and master lessons. Similarly, dancers and pedagogues from other countries have conveyed their experiences in a fruitful exchange with their Cuban colleagues. Workshop “Como tres en un zapato” Matanzas, 3-10 As an experience prior to the National Choreography and Interpretation Competition DANZANDOS, to be held in October 2014, the Danza Espiral Company has organized this workshop as an opportunity for exchanging experiences aimed at researching on choreography and offering young choreographers tools for making intelligent and revolutionary works. The workshop will be conducted by the young dancers and choreographers Sandra Ramy and Lubien Mederos, and will also include lectures by experts on the subject. visitcuba.com contents page 12 jazz Calle 88A No. 306 e/ 3ra y 3ra A, Miramar. +53 (07) 209-2719 Privé Lounge Sundays from 10:30pm Privé Lounge combines comfort, quality music, and a chill atmosphere brilliantly. It’s snug – the stage accommodates a trio comfortably, a quartet if the musicians squeeze in a lo cubano – but design elements like drop down noise- and echo-dampening panels mean it has terrific audio, plus the musicians who play here (Harold López-Nussa; Oliver Valdés; Aldo López-Gavilán) are among the country’s best. Café Jazz Miramar (Cine Miramar) Calle 5ta esquina a 94, Mirama,r Playa. Opens 2pm - Shows: 10:30pm - 2am - Cover: 50.00 MN or CUC 2.00 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. Asociación Cubana de Derechos de Autor Musical mar 20 6 pm Proyecto de Jazz Cubano with Alexis Bosch (piano). UNEAC mar 13 2 pm Jazz Café mar 1 10 pm César López (sax player and composer) and Habana Ensemble Somavilla (15 y H, El Vedado) Peña La Esquina del Jazz hosted by showman Bobby Carcassés. visitcuba.com mar 13 2 pm Zule Guerra (sinfer and composer) and Blues d’Havana. (admission free) contents page 13 bolero & son Asociación Cubana de Derechos de Autor Musical mar 29 6 pm Get-together with trovador Manuel Argudín, who sings both traditional songs to the most recent trova. Asociación Yoruba de Cuba Fridays Folkloric group Obiní Batá. 8 pm Saturdays Folkloric group Los Ibellis. Performance by the folkloric group Yoruba Andabo. Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Thursdays Elaín Morales. 5 pm Saturdays 6 pm 10 pm mar 8 7 pm mar 28 5 pm Saturdays 9 pm Waldo Mendoza, one of Cuba’s most popular singers today. Performances by the popular singer-songwriter Frank Delgado with his ironic view of society. A bolero puro, show with the performances of singer Rafael Espín and guests mar 1 mar 30 5 pm Rock/folkloric band Síntesis 3 pm mar 8, Fridays 9:30 pm 5 pm Fridays Casa del Alba 5 pm 7 pm mar 27 6 pm El Jardín de la Gorda with the performances of trovadores from every generation. An informal meeting with the versatile contralto Ivette Cepeda, who has been much celebrated thanks to the subtleties she brings to her voice and her wide repertory of Cuban and international music. Mundito González is one of the most popular Cuban bolero singers. Pabellón Cuba 3 pm mar 7 Performance by the duet Ad Libitum. Hurón Azul, UNEAC Fridays Folkloric group Obiní Batá Performance by Yeni Sotolongo, a young singer who boasts an exceptional voice and varied repertoire. Hotel Telégrafo 10 pm Casa de África Peña La Juntamenta, with trovadors Ángel Quintero, Benito de la Fuente and Tato Ayress Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima mar 8 mar 1 Peña with Marta Campos, renowned singer of contemporary songs with a trova feel to them. Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate Café Teatro Bertolt Brecht mar 29 Get-together with trovador Ireno García. Casa de la Cultura de Plaza 3 pm Café Concert El Sauce Fridays 5 pm 5 pm Cabaret Las Vegas 4 pm mar 30 Casa Memorial Salvador Allende 4 pm Saturdays Casa de la Cultura Comunitaria Mirta Aguirre Peña Tres Tazas with trovador Silvio Alejandro Peña Tres Tazas with trovador Silvio Alejandro With his beautiful and powerful voice, Eduardo Sosa and guests perform highlights of the best Cuban trova of all time. Piano bar Tun Tun Peña El Canto de Todos, with singer-songwriter Vicente Feliú, one of the founding members of Cuban Nueva Trova. Sala Avenida visitcuba.com Thursdays Peña with trovador Ray Fernández. 5 pm mar 16 3 pm The musical project Radio Enciclopedia and its Musicians will present the clarinetist, sax player and composer Javier Zalba. contents page 14 modern fusion Buena Fé Teatro Karl Marx March 7-9, 8:30pm In their performances, this popular duo combines the lyricism of Cuban trova with the explosive and communicative force of rock-pop. The trova influences are present in all their lyrics, which contain thoughts about the contemporary life, with contemporary sonority, allowing arrangements that makes each song fit in many Cuban genres, with influences from pop and rock. They make fusion music based in the trova style; and, while having pop tendencies, they use other styles and influences as well, which allows them to present more elaborate ideas. Gerardo Alfonso El Diablo Tun Tun March 5, 12, 19, 26, 5pm Singer-songwriter Gerardo Alfonso, whose songs range from social comment to ballads and songs in praise of national heroes, combines traditional Cuban genres such as trova and son with rock and rap. Undoubtedly, one of the most interesting Cuban composers today. Cuerda Viva Festival Teatro Karl Marx March 22-23, 9pm The best of young Cuban rock, rap and jazz soloists and bands in the annual Cuerda Viva Festival. visitcuba.com contents page 15 modern fusion 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. For more information about the best bars and clubs see our Havana Guide section. Wednesday nights has recently seen Interactivo playing at Bertolt Brecht – brilliant group and great venue (starts late!). The Sunday afternoon Máquina de la Melancolía - Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto García (5-9pm) at El Sauce has a large following. Look out this month for Habana Abierta performing in various locales. Don’t miss them! 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. Café Cantante Mi Habana. Teatro Nacional Casa de la Música de Miramar Wednesdays Performances by Qva Libre Sundays 5 pm 11 pm Tuesdays Performances by Kelvis Ochoa 5 pm Café Concert El Sauce Sundays 5 pm mar 1 Trovador Frank Delgado and the well-known actor Luis Alberto García, who on this occasion is a DJ, offer a selection of pop, rock, Cuban alternative music, singersongwriters and audiovisuals. Interactivo and Habana Abierta Performances by Giraldo Piloto and his band Klimax Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate Mondays 10: 30pm Wichy D´Vedado, one of the most famous DJs in Havana, who plays the best of world music. Fábrica de Arte Cubano (F.A.C.) mar 2 Performance by Polaroid 6 pm 9 pm mar 8 9 pm mar 22 Presentation of a new album by Kelvis Ochoa Jardines del 1830 Sundays David Blanco 10 pm Presentation of a new album by Vanito Caballero mar 8 9 pm mar 29 9 pm Teatro Lázaro Peña mar 15 8:30 pm Performance by Mezcla and guests Yoruba Andabo, Raíces Profundas, Obsesión, among others. This very successful band, led by the USborn guitarist and composer Pablo Menéndez has combined Cuban musical genres and added sounds from the Caribbean with genuine jazz, rock, blues and folk music. 10 pm Performances by one of the most popular bands in Cuba, playing an extensive repertoire of Cuban and Latin American music. Performance by Alexander Abreu y Havana d’ Primera Teatro Karl Marx mar 29 9 pm Concert by Waldo Mendoza, one of Cuba’s most popular singers today. La Gruta Thursdays Kola Loka 10 pm Tercera y 8 Teatro Mella mar 21 9 pm Mondays Concert with Karamba, one of the most popular bands today visitcuba.com Performances by Baby Lores. 11 pm contents page 16 salsa / timba Alexander Abreu at Casa de la Música de Galiano. Photo by Alexander Mene Casa de la Música Habana Casa de la Música de Miramar Wednesdays 11 pm José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda March 3, 17, 24, 31 11 pm Sur Caribe Thursday 5 pm Pupy y los que Son Son Mar 10 Isaac Delgado 11 pm Charanga Latina. Tuesdays 11 pm 11 pm Fridays 5 pm Azúcar Negra Wednesdays 5 pm Juan Guillermo Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo 11 pm Adalberto Álvarez y su Son Saturdays 11 pm 11 pm Thursdays 5 pm Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco Fridays 5 pm El Niño y La Verdad 11 pm José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda 5 pm Tumbao Habana 11 pm Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo 11 pm Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco Diablo Tun Tun Mondays Wednesdays Thursdays Saturdays 11 pm 11 pm 11 pm 5 pm 11 pm El Noro y Primera Clase To Mezclao José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda Manana Club Tania Pantoja 11 pm Thursdays Sundays Café Cantante Mi Habana El Jelengue de Areíto Tuesdays Fridays Septeto Habanero (traditional music) Monday 11 pm Manana Club Friday 5 pm 11 pm La Señorita Gladys Guaracheros (traditional music) 11 pm Fridays Rumberos de Cuba (rumba) 5 pm 11 pm Timbalaye (rumba) Caribe Girls Piano Bar Delirio Habanero Saturdays 11 pm Sundays Pedrito Calvo y La Justicia 10 pm Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro Discotemba La Década visitcuba.com contents page 17 XIII Festival Internacional Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in memoriam March 11-16, 2014, Havana Mella & Karl Marx theaters, Salón Rosado de la Tropical, Palacio de la Rumba and Habana Libre Hotel This festivity of percussion pays tribute to one of the cult figures of Cuban percussion: Guillermo Barreto, star of the Tropicana orchestra in the 1950s and founding member of the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna. While young talents measure their skills during the competition, experts disclose the secrets of the complex Cuban percussion at theoretical meetings, lectures and master classes, and the evenings are set aside for the performances of popular national and international bands and soloists. Percussionists from Cuba, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and the United States will be participating alongside guest Jojo Mayer, highly acclaimed Swiss drummer who now lives in New York City. The percussion competition will be open to musicians of all ages and nationalities in five different modalities and instruments: drums, paila, congas, bongos and batá. Each musician may compete in two different instruments. Another competition that will be held for the first time in this event will be casino style salsa dancing for couple, both Cuban and from other countries. Over 1,000 Cuban musicians will be playing during the Festival’s concerts, including Van Van, Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, Buena Vista Social Club, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Alexander Abreu y Habana D’Primera, Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor, Yoruba Andabo, Klimax, Anacaona, the Lizt Alfonso, Habana Compás Dance and Havana Queens dance companies, just to name a few. The festival will pay special tributes to the greatest Cuban composer of all time, Leo Brouwer, on his 75th birthday; to Juan Formell, leader of the Van Van; and to the outstanding Cuban percussionist José Luis “Changuito” Quintana. visitcuba.com contents page 18 Festival de Música Antigua Esteban Salas Through March 22, 2014 Organized by the Historian’s Office of Havana and the Ars Longa early Music Ensemble, the 10th edition of this festival of early music continues throughout the month. Throughout the years, the festival has been the ideal vehicle to disseminate the rich Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque musical heritage, performed by Cuban and international musicians. This year, the festival will travel to the each of the first seven towns established in Cuba. Program March 2014 Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís march 1 6 pm march 15 6 pm Compositions for viola by Mozart, performed by viola player Anolan González and guests. Two Exponents from the German Baroque, performance by the Solistas de La Habana orchestra conducted by María Elena Mendiola. march 16 7 pm march 21 6 pm Gulumbá Gulumbé: The sounds of Africa in the new World. Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble conducted by Teresa Paz and Aland López Un fandango barroco: Tembembe Ensamble Continuo from México, conducted by Eloy Cruz. Iglesia de Paula mach 2 7 pm mach 4 7 pm mach 8 7 pm 17th- and 18th-Century European Courts by harpsichord player Kathleen McIntosh from the US and the Orquesta Barroca of Cuba’s National School of Music. march 8 Galicia and its song, concert by the choir of the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Vigo (Soain) and the Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble conducted by Nanette Sánchez. march 9 Stylistic Musical Panorama of Early 18th-Century Europe: France, Italy and Germany by the Italian baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini and Ars Longa. 7 pm visitcuba.com 7 pm 7 pm march 12 Lumiere Baroque-Musique sacrée à la cour du Roi Soleil by Ensemble Vocal Claire Garrone (France) and Ars Longa conducted by Claire Garrone. Polychoral Art in Colonial America by Ensemble Vocal Claire Garrone and Ars Longa conducted by Teresa Paz. Historical and musical tour of Spain and its viceroyalties with the Exsulten Early Music Ensemble (Bayamo, Cuba) conducted by Yunexy Arjona. contents page 19 Iglesia de Paula mach 13 7 pm mach 14 7 pm mach 17 7 pm Two Masters from the 19th Century, two Different Views for Compositions for the Same Cathedral with the Ars Nova Early Music Ensemble (Santa Clara, Cuba) conducted by Angélica María Solernou. march 18 16th Century, splendor of Renaissance Polyphony by the chamber choir Exaudi (Cuba) conducted by María Felicia Pérez. 7 pm Versatility and Virtuosity in the Classic Formats for Wind Instruments by Ventus Habana (Cuba) conducted by Alina Blanco. 7 pm march 19 march 20 7 pm Baroque in Romantics-Musical Influence of Baroque Rhetoric in German Romantic Esthetics by the Ensemble Vocal Luna Ensemble and organist Moisés Santiesteban conducted by Wilmia Verrier. The Charming Recorder in Baroque Music with François Dolmetsch (UK) and David Gómez García (Colombia), and recorder players and soloists from the Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble. Colorful Latin America from the 16th to the 21st Centuries with organist Cristina García Banegas (Uruguay). Aula Magna del Colegio Universitario San Gerónimo mach 13 7 pm The Night Is Inviting: Concert with Ars Longa, Ars Nova, Exsulten, Ensemble Vocal Luna, Orquesta Barroca of the national School of Music, the children’s choir Cantus Firmus, Tembembe Continuo, Cristina García Banegas and Omar Morales Abril (Guatemala) conducted by Teresa Paz and Aland López Lectures and Workshops Edificio Santo Domingo mach 3-9 9 am mach 14 7 pm Master classes by Bernardin (Italy) for students of baroque oboe. Lectures and Workshops Colegio Universitario San Gerónimo march 22 9 am Symposium Early and Traditional Music: convergence. Masks, workshop on making mask with reused materials, conducted by Maray Pereda Peña, professor of the Design Institute. Polyphony Choral Singing of the 16th century: style and Context. Workshop conducted by the musicologist and director Omar Morales Abril, for members of early music ensembles. mach 17 7 pm Ornaments in 16th-century Attire, lecture by the art historian MSc. Silvia Llanes. Outside Havana Casa de Cultura Juan Marinello, Santa Clara mach 11 8:30 pm Polychoral Art in Colonial America by Ensemble Vocal Claire Garrone and Ars Longa conducted by Teresa Paz. visitcuba.com Lectures and Workshops Museo Municipal de Historia, Trinidad march 12 8:30 pm Polychoral Art in Colonial America by Ensemble Vocal Claire Garrone and Ars Longa conducted by Teresa Paz. contents page 20 classical music Photo by Alex Mene of Raul Paz performing in Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís, February 2014 Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís mach 7 6 pm mach 13 6 pm The Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana will pay tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach. march 8 The chorus Yale Glee Club from Yale University, conducted by Jeffrey Douma, and Entrevoces, conducted by Digna Guerra, will play works by Brahms, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Rachmaninoff, Conrad Winslow and Theodore Morrison, among other composers. march 25 6 pm 6 pm march 29 6 pm Concert by the Camerata Romeu conducted by Zenaida Romeu. Concert, National Chamber Music Festival Concert, National Chamber Music Festival Biblioteca Nacional José Martí Saturdays Performances by soloists and chamber ensembles. 5 pm Casa del ALBA Cultural march 2 5 pm march 9 3 pm En Confluencia, conducted by guitarists Eduardo and Galy Martín. Tarde de Concierto, conducted by the soprano Lucy Provedo. visitcuba.com march 16 5 pm march 23 De Nuestra América, conducted by pianist Alicia Perea. Concert by guitarist Rosa Matos. 5 pm contents page 21 classical music Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura mach 8 6 pm mach 29 6 pm Concert by the Solistas de La Habana chamber orchestra conducted by María Elena Mendiola. march 22 6 pm Concert by the Habana Martin chamber orchestra and guests conducted by the pianist Alina Martin. Concert by the Coro Polifónico de La Habana and the Chorus of the University of Ontario. Oratorio San Felipe Neri march 14 7 pm march 26 7 pm Concert by the University of the Arts Symphony Orchestra as the closing activity of the workshop conducted by Argentinian Jorge Rotter. march 20 National Chamber Music Festival: Concert by the trio Móviles and the Esteban Salas Chamber Orchestra: 7 pm Sala Covarrubias, Teatro Nacional sundays 5 pm Concerts by the National Symphony Orchestra. 7 pm march 27 Performance by the duo Deux à Grande Vitesse, made up by Frank Alejandro Suárez (bassoon) and Ariel Jorge Pérez (trombone) National Chamber Music Festival: Recital by pianists Mayté Aboy and Paula Suárez Sala Gonzalo Roig. Palacio del Teatro Lírico Nacional march 30 5 pm Cuerda Dominical with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina. Sala Ignacio Cervantes march 7 6 pm march 23 6 pm Cuban Classics, concert with soprano Bárbara Llanes and pianist Rolando Luna who will interpret works by Ernesto Lecuona, Oscar Hernández, Sindo Garay, Gonzalo Roig, Ignacio Cervantes, Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes, Guillermo Tomás, Emilio and Eliseo Grenet march 28 6 pm march 30 6 pm Concert by Dunia Anderus (clarinet), Alberto Rosas ( flute) and Félix Manuel Terrón (bassoon), prizewinners of the UNEAC Woodwind 2013 Competition. Concert, National Chamber Music Festival The Amadeo Roldán string quartet will play works by Cuban composers Guido López-Gavilán and Jorge López Marín, as well as works by violinists William Roblejo and Leonardo Pérez, members of this quartet. Sala Jean Lebrat, Casa Víctor Hugo march 8 5 pm Concert by the wind quartet Nueva Camerata conducted by Haskell Armenteros. march 22 5 pm Recital by guitarist Rosa Matos and soprano Ivett Betancourt. Sala Avenida march 3 pm The musical project Radio Enciclopedia and its Musicans will present the clarinetist, sax player and composer Javier Zalba visitcuba.com contents page 22 XI Festival de Música de Cámara March 25-29, Havana Presided by pianist Frank Fernández, the festival aims to advance the interpretation, development and performance of this form of classical music in Cuba, emphasizing on small format ensembles, as well as the interpretation of Cuban and Latin American music. Tributes will be paid to outstanding exponents of chamber music: Carlos Fariñas on his 80th birthday; Amadeo Roldán on the 75th anniversary of his death; Frank Fernández on his 70th birthday and 55 years of artistic career; Guido López-Gavilán on his 70th birthday and 45 years of his artistic career; Juan Piñera and Alfredo Muñoz on their 65th birthdays; and Czech composer Antonin Dvorák on the 110th anniversary of his death and the German composer Christoph Willibad Gluck on the 300th anniversary of his birth. Concerts and master classes will be given at art schools by members of the musical ensembles which have been invited to the event. Premio y Coloquio Internacional de Musicología March 17-21 The Musicology Prize was created to encourage scientific research and to spread knowledge and appreciation of Latin American musical culture; the competition covers unpublished papers on musical historiography, interpretation and critical explanations about musical creation, traditional and folklore music, theory and practice in the teaching of music, overall theoretical musicological framework papers and any other topics concerning musical esthetics, sociology and anthropology. During the event, the 8th International Musicology Colloquium and the 1st conference of the Regional Association of the International Musicology Association for Latin America and the Caribbean will also be in session. The organizers have announced several concerts, including Madre Tierra, all-star young jazz musicians by sax player and composer Michel Herrera, launchings of books and specialized journals. For more information, a press conference will be held March 7, 10am at the Manuel Galich Hall, Casa de las Américas. visitcuba.com contents page 23 Theatre Antigonón, un contingente épico Performed by Teatro El Publico Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5pmTeatro Trianón Carlos Diaz and his troupe, Teatro el Publico’s most recent performance involved 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 wellknown and brilliant Cuban theatre director with a reputation for directing plays with abundant nudity, transvestites and subtle winks at the Cuban national reality. Antigóne does not dissapoint – go see it for youself! Giordano Bruno Performed by Teatro de la Luna Sala Osvaldo Dragún, teatro Raquel Revuelta, Fri Sat & Sun, 6pm Written by Tomás González, the play approaches the life story of the famous Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake in 1600, and deals with topic such as the search for truth, superstition, religion and the liberty of thought from present-day perspective. Festival de teatro francófono March 16-23, Havana Directed by Serge Sándor, the French Theater Festival will present plays by contemporary authors from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. The organizers have announced the productions Por ahora dudo and La prueba de lo contrario by Swiss playwrights Marie Fourquet and Olivier Chiacchiari, respectively; Juan y Beatriz by Canadian playwright Carole Fléchette; El testamento de Vanda by French playwright Jean-Pierre Simeón; and La pandilla by Belgian playwright Xavier Carrar. visitcuba.com contents page 24 Theatre Las lágrimas no hacen ruido al caer Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht. Café teatro March 7-23, Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5:00pm Monse Duany is the legendary Cuban singer Guadalupe Yolí—La Lupe—n the monologue Las lágrimas no hacen ruido al caer by the late playwright Alberto Pedro. Monse Duany is versatility itself: She creates situations of humor and anguish, joy and sadness, understanding and impotence. She sings, dances, recites, dreams, shouts, cries, falls in love, suffers… She is the kind of actress that exudes energy and passion. Romance en Charco Seco Sala Adolfo Llauradó, Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5:30pm Teatro La Proa opens Romance en Charco Seco, a version by Erduyn Maza based on Amor de don Perlimplín con Belisa en su jardín, written by Federico García Lorca, set on this occasion in the present-day Cuban countryside. Fifty-four puppets in a show not suitable under 14s. The Mandrake Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht. Sala Tito Junco, Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5:30pm Teatro del Círculo reruns Miguel Montesco’s version of The Mandrake by Niccoló Machiavelli, a classic satire on corruption, manipulation, deceit in 16th-century Florence. La farándula pasa Sala Hubert de Blank Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5:00pm Rerun of La farándula pasa by the Hubert de Blanck theater company. visitcuba.com contents page 25 For kids Sueño de una noche de verano Grupo de teatro El Arca, Fri, Sat and Sun, 3pm, Teatro de Títeres El Arca The El Arca Puppet Theater presents Sueño de una noche de verano based on William Shakespeare’s immortal A Midsummer Night’s Dream with music by Mendelssohn. 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. Playas del Este Take the little monsters to the beach. March is a gorgeous month for all lovers of sun, sea and sand castles. Watch out for the occasional jellyfish (medusas) but in general relax and enjoy the uncrowded beaches 20 minutes to the East of Old Havana. visitcuba.com contents page 26 Love & Peace Havana Festival Concerts www.lovepeacehavana.com The festival was founded in 2011 as a collaboration between Skivbolaget National, the Swedish Peace & Love Festival and Fábrica de Arte Cubano, which is curated by Cuban megastar X Alfonso. When the Peace & Love Festival was forced to leave the organization due to financial difficulties in 2013, they were replaced by the Norwegian Embassy as new main partner. At this stage, the festival changed its name to ‘Love & Peace Havana’ as a way of putting focus on its love for fantastic Cuba and its world-class cultural life. PARTNERS: Skivbolaget National Fábrica de Arte Cubano Norska Ambassaden in Havana CONTACT Festival General: Eggis Johansson, [email protected] Press Inquiries: Petter Seander, [email protected], 0046739434920 Parque Metropolitano March 8-6 PM -2 AM X Alfonso (Cu) Atomic Swing (Swe) Honningbarna (No) 10pm: Concerts INVSN (Swe) March 5: Honningbarna (Norway) March 6: Luna Green (Sweden) & Razika David Blanco (Cu), Razika (No) (Norway) Obsesison with friends (Cu) March 7: INVSN (SE) Luna Green (Swe) Fábrica de Arte Cubano March 5, 6, 7 8pm: DJ’s, Art exhibition (March 5-7) 9pm: Short Movies (March 5) visitcuba.com contents page 27 ATOMIC SWING (Se) One of the most successful Swedish rock bands of all time, Atomic Swing, is back! After breaking big with their debut album in 1992, the band has continued to tour worldwide, leaving unforgettable hits as “Stone Me into the Groove,” “Dream On” and “Smile” as their legacy. DAVID BLANCO (Cu) Widely popular in Cuba with his mixture of Cuban influences and classic rock, blues and soul. Tours regularly all over Cuba and has a large following. INVSN (Se) INVSN (pronounced “invasion”) is imbued with the passionate spirit of hardcore-punk and emboldened by the rich history of rock‘n’roll. The Swedish band has developed a sound that delivers subversively deliberate pop through a post-punk lens. HONNINGBARNA (No) One of Norway’s most interesting new bands. With an explosive live show and fantastic recordings somewhere in between punk and rock—also adding political lyrics—the band has slowly built an audience for itself throughout Europe. LUNA GREEN (Se) Swedish debut artist Luna Green has received rave reviews during the past year and is hailed as one possible contender for “newcomer of the year” by Swedish music biz magazine Musikindustrin.se. RAZIKA (No) Razika, based in Bergen, Norway, has had great success since the debut album in 2011. The band’s dynamic ska-pop-punk has thrilled listeners all over the world, including music critics at NME and The Guardian in the UK. One of Norway’s great hopes for the future! X ALFONSO (Cu) One of the most popular artists in Cuba, selling out mega shows and known by all. X has played every Love & Peace Havana and is also the Cuban counterpart arranging the festival through Fábrica de Arte Cubano. visitcuba.com contents page 28 Festival Internacional de la Trova Pepe Sánchez March 18-23, 2014 Santiago de Cuba The International Pepe Sánchez Trova Festival began in 1962 in homage to local Santiago de Cuba composer José (Pepe) Sánchez (1856-1918), considered the father of Cuban trova (the troubador genre of voice, song and poetry that is usually accompanied by a guitar). Several generations of musicians from different musical trends within trova participate in this event, including exponents of more traditional trova, of filin (an evolution of bolero and trova), and of nueva trova (the very Cuban genre of personal commentary influenced by British, US and Brazilian popular music). Santiago de Cuba—the cradle of trova—hosts this festival which takes the city’s streets and parks by storm in a celebration where musicians and singers from abroad join their Cuban counterparts. La apertura of the festival on Troubador Day, March 19th, commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Pepe Sanchez. The festivals have been held since 1962, congregating musicians who belong to different generations and tendencies within the genre of Trova covering everything from its most traditional interpreters to the various artists espousing what has come to be known as “new Trova”. Santiago de Cuba is touted as being the “cradle of Cuban music” and this event spills over from the established theatres into the streets and parks, providing possibilities for Cuban and foreign musicians in similar genres. March 19th has been designated as Troubadour Day in Cuba, commemorating Sanchez’ birth and the entire city vibrates with serenades to the rhythm of the son. visitcuba.com contents page 29