havana! - Cuba Travel Services

what’s on
havana
!
may
2014
The ideal 3-week Cuba
itinerary
by Christopher P. Baker
Red Bull Cliff Diving
World Series
May 10, 2014
Havana Guide
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With a Passion for Cuba
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videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips.
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GUIDE
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We are deeply indebted to all of the writers and photographers who have shared their work with
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May 2014
A look back… a look forward
Now is a great time to reflect about our year’s accomplishments and challenges – to learn from
them and to continue our efforts. This is why Cuba Travel Services wants to start the New
Year right with the introduction of this newsletter; which will provide you with more up to
date and in-depth knowledge with a contemporary and very real twist.
Looking back, this past year was filled with many endeavors and some challenges. In 2013 we
started four new routes. The first one in March from Miami to the province of Camaguey,
the second, third and fourth in the month of December from Miami to Santiago de Cuba and
from Tampa to Santa Clara and Havana. We are proud to offer more flights than any of our
competitors and to do so with the newest generation of 737-800 aircraft.
Another great win was the new partnership with Sun Country Airlines which started in July.
Thanks to their professionalism and efforts we have been able to continue offering some of the
most flexible and on-time schedules and their aircraft provide our passengers with the highest
level of comfort and security. Another partner, American Airlines, has also contributed to our
great success by offering exceptional customer service, experience and security.
In 2014 we aspire to be in the travelers’ minds as their first choice when visiting Cuba. This
entails the addition of new US routes, new partnerships and most importantly building
awareness.
Cuba, from an American’s point of view, is still a mystery which needs to be discovered.
Our efforts this year will include increasing awareness and educating the public as much as
possible about what Cuba has to offer. We will emphasize people-to people programs and
provide insight related to OFAC guidelines and see to the eastern part of the island for new
educational activities and interactions. We also want to provide information about Cuba via our
new in-flight magazine “Oye Cuba” (“Hey Cuba”). This publication will feature topics of cultural
interest, illustrated stories, restaurant suggestions, hotels a la carte, destinations, lifestyles,
trends, art and events. It will be on board at least 18 of our regularly scheduled weekly flights
and will be in both English and Spanish.
We are eager to take on these new undertakings and we hope that our travelers can witness
our transformation via our services and efforts. If you didn’t visit Cuba last year, perhaps you
can in 2014 because “haven’t you waited long enough”?
-Emily Sanchez, Marketing Director
Cuba Travel Services
You’ve
waited Long Enough
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MiCayito beach, April 2014: Photo by Alex Mene
editorial
Cover picture by Alejandro González from
the series Conducta impropria in which he
tries to “erase” the features that identify his
subjects in terms of gender.
“Homosexuality is not a disease, but homophobia is.”
Mariela Castro Espín
This month’s issue is dedicated to Gay Cuba. To all of the individuals, groups, institutions and other entities
that have helped change hearts and minds in this most macho of Latin American countries towards the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Not only is Cuba celebrating the Jornada Cubana Contra la
Homofobia from May 5-24, but it is also hosting the annual Latin American and Caribbean Unity (ILGALAC)
Conference for LGBTI rights from May 5-9 in Varadero.
Thanks to Conner Gorry for her insights on social and political issues impacting the gay community in Cuba as
well as her rundown of the best gay-friendly bars & clubs. Sue Herrod has written a piece on Ramón Silverio’s
groundbreaking El Mejunje in Santa Clara, while Ricardo Pérez meets one of Cuba’s most famous drag artists Pedro
González Reinoso/Roxana Rojo. Two exceptional collections of photographs round out this section—Conducta
impropria by Alejandro González and the recently released TRANSCUBA by Mariette Pathy Allen.
May is also a month packed with other cultural activities including two exceptional art exhibitions: the return of
Tomás Sánchez and an exhibition of the works of the late Agustin Cárdenas. Cubadisco, the Cuban version of the
Grammys, will shake things up in late May while Mayo Teatral is a real highlight for fans of performing arts.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on May 9-10, 2014 which will see the world’s
best cliff divers launch themselves off from a specially built platform from the Morro Castle in Havana. This
promises to be something else. Still in sport—congratulations to Cuba’s Domadores after crushing the Russians
at home 5:0 to reach the World Boxing Final (8:2 on aggregate) where they will face Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan on
May 30 (first leg).
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.
May 2014 Highlights (Havana, unless stated)
•
Festival Romerías de Mayo: May 2-8, 2014 (Holguín)
•
Sixth Regional Conference of ILGALAC: May 6-10, 2014 (Varadero)
•
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series: May 9-10
•
Cuban Conga/Gala Against Homophobia: May 10 (10.30am/8.30pm respectively)
•
Cubadisco: The Cuban Grammys: May 17-25, 2014
•
World Series of Boxing Final Cuba vs Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan: May 30
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 [email protected].
All the best. Viva Cuba!
may 2014
FEATURES
Jornada Cubana contra la Homofobia p5
May 5-24, 2014
We’re Here, We’re Queer, Get Used to It! p8
The Machismo Hydra & other factors in Gay Cuba p10
by Conner Gorry
Ramón Silverio’s El Mejunje in Santa Clara p12
Pedro González Reinoso & Roxana Rojo p15
Conducta impropria by Alejandro Gonzales’s p17
TRANSCUBA by Mariette Pathy Allen p20
Havana
Listings
around cuba
sport
Travel
Visual Art p22 — Photography p28 — Cinema P29 —
Dance p30 — Music p31 — Theatre p40 — Other p43
Festival Romerías de Mayo p45
May 2-8, 2014, Holguín
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series p47
May 9-10, 2014, El Morro Castle Havana
Havana Motor Club p49
The Ideal 3 week Cuban Itinerary p51
by Christopher Baker
The Havana Club Rum Museum p56
by Margaret Atkins
Havana Guide
Features—Restaurants—Bars & Clubs—Live Music—
Hotels—Private Accommodation p67
With a Passion for Cuba
Mon
Tue
Sat
Sum
19
26
Jornada Cubana
contra la
Homophobia
May 5-24, 2014
Monday night—go
traditional bar
hopping: Bodiguita
del Medio, Floridita,
Sloppy Joe’s
Enjoy a traditional
Italian dinner
at Opera, a new
homely and intimate
paladar with
beautiful décor.
Festival
Internacional
de Poesía de La
Habana, May 25 to
31, 2014
6
13
20
27
ILGALAC
Girl’s night out—El
Cocinero, Up &
Down, Sangri-La
Encuentro sobre
Manejo y Gestión de
Centros Históricos,
May 20 to 23, 2014
Movie Night at
home. Get a copy of
Conducta, Ernesto
Daranas’s latest
smash hit.
Latin American and
Caribbean Unity for
LGBTI Rights, May
5-9, Varadero
Opening of
Itinerrances by
Ferrante Ferranti
Tue
Dinner at El Litoral,
one of Havana’s best
new restaurants—
watch life pass by on
Malecón.
Fotosub, May 14-18
2014, Cayo Largo
IV Jornada de la
Diversidad Cultural
para el Diálogo
Qva Libre @ Café
y el Desarrollo,
Cantante Mi Habana, Camagüey
5pm
Boy’s night out—
Don Cangrejo,
Las Piedras, Dos
Gardenias,
1
8
15
22
29
May 1
Bobby Carcassés @
UNEAC, 2pm
Manolito Simonet y
su Trabuco matinee
@ Casa de la Música
de Miramar
Dinner at La
Guarida Havana’s
legendary
restaurant located
in Centro Habana
Dinner at Santy,
Jaimanitas’s off
the beaten track
world class sushi
restaurant.
Matinee at El Diablo
Tun Tun, (from 6pm)
best night out of the
week so we’re told!
21
Mon
14
International
Workers Day,
March in Plaza de la
Revolución
Fri
12
7
Wed
Thu
5
Sacrilegio by Ernán
López-Nussa @ ISA,
6pm
!
what’s on havana
Not to miss during May 2014
28
Wed
Thu
2
9
16
23
30
Cuba Domadores
vs Russian Boxing
Team—WSB SemiFinal
Red Bull Cliff
Diving World
Series, Morro
Castle, May 9-10
Mayo Teatral, May
16-25, 2014
El tío Vania @ Argos
Teatro, Fri & Sat,
8pm; Sun, 5pm
World Series of
Boxing Final (Cuba
vs Azerbajan or
Kazakhstan)
Fri
Festival Romerías de Coppelia by Ballet
Mayo, May 2-8, 2014, Nacional de Cuba,
Holguín
May 9-11 & 16-18
Mayo Renacentista @
Iglesia de Paula, May Rascacielos by Teatro
16, 23 & 30
El Público @ Sala
Get crazy at Escaleras
Adolfo Llauradó, Fri & al Cielo LGBTI night,
Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm
from 11pm.
3
17
24
31
Telmary in concert @ Conga contra
F.A.C.
homophobia @ Calle
23, 10.30a.m.
Los Van Van in
concert @ El Sauce
Gala performance,
Cuba contra
homophobia, 8.30pm
Karl Marx theatre.
International Day
Against Homophobia
and Transphobia
(IDAHOT)
Champions League
Final on big screen
at Meliá Habana
Sports Bar
Beach day—Playas
del Este to build
sandcastles
followed by pizza at
Piccolo in Guanabo
4
18
25
1 June
Inaugural gala for
Cubadisco, 11am
(*as per program)
@ National Theatre
Closing gala for
Cubadisco 11am
(*as per program) @
National Theatre
Take the dog for a
walk. Wait for the
June Issue of What’s
On Havana.
10
11
La Máquina de la
Mother’s Day
Melancolía, with
Frank Delgado and
Luis Alberto García @
El Sauce, 5pm
You’ve
waited Long Enough
Verdehr Trio in
Concert Basílica
Menor, May 24, 6pm
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5-24, 2014
Havana, Granma, Manzanillo & Bayamo
may
Photos by Humberto Mayol
VII Jornada Cubana contra
la Homofobia (IDAHO)
From May 5 to May 24, Cuba will celebrate the 7th
Jornada Cubana contra la Homofobia in Havana,
Granma and other locations in Cuba. The twoweek event included symposiums, lectures, films,
art exhibits and a theatrical festival, headlined by
Cuban superstar, singer Haila Mompié.
Leading this unique revolution on the behalf of the
LGBT community is activist Mariela Castro Espín,
the 48-year-old daughter of Cuba’s President, Raúl
Castro, and niece of Fidel Castro. Heterosexual
and a married mother of three, Castro Espín is
going into her tenth year as director of the Cuban
National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) in
Havana. These series of events represent Cuba’s
participation in the International Day Against
Homophobia and Transphobia, which takes place
You’ve
waited Long Enough
on May 17. [Note that some events have been
brought forward this year to coincide with Cuba
hosting ILGALAC – see events outside of Havana).
Events not to miss include the kick-off conga (May
10, 10.30a.m.), where Cubans of all types and stripes
shimmy and shake up Calle 23 from the Malecón to
Pabellón Cuba, HQ of the annual anti-homophobia
celebration.
The closing gala (8.30pm on May 10 in Teatro Karl
Marx) is nothing short of fabulous—Priscilla Queen
of the Desert meets Tropicana, performed to a
packed theater of LGBTI Cubans and their friends
(not to mention members of the establishment—
Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel was in
attendance last year in 2013).
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Background International Day
Against Homophobia and
May 17, or the International Day Against
Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT)—as it is
widely recognized—is an essential feature in the
international LGBT rights calendar. In the 9th
edition, in 2013, commemorations took place in
almost 120 countries, in all world regions.
The day aims to coordinate international events
that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and
stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.
The date of May 17 was chosen to commemorate
the decision to remove homosexuality from the
International Classification of Diseases of the
World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990. The
day was conceived in 2004. A year-long campaign
culminated in the first International Day Against
Homophobia on May 17, 2005.
You’ve
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Program Highlights
(Jornada Cubana Contra la Homofobia)
May 5
10am, CENESEX
Press Conference. Presentation by Byron Monthly
Sala Villena, UNEAC
May 9 10am: Words by Miguel Barnet and CENESEX representatives
10:30am: Transvestism, identity and show. Screening of parts of Máscaras al borde del
proscenio.
11:30am: Presentation of books, poets and narrators.
2pm: Conversation between Norge Espinosa and contemporary authors who deal with this
topic.
3pm: Round table with members of Teatro El Público celebrating the 20th anniversary of the
premiere in Cuba of Federico García Lorca’s “El público.”
4pm: Meeting with the film crew of Fátima o el Parque de la Fraternidad.
5pm: Meeting with Mariela Castro and guests to the Cuban day Against Homophobia 2014:
Víctor Hugo Robles (Chile) and Vikram Seth (India).
6pm: Closing ceremony with drag show.
May 10
9am, La Rampa Theater: Panel: Family: A Space for Inclusion?
10:30am, Cascada de 23 y Malecón: Cuban Conga Against Homophobia
11:30am, Pabellón Central. Escenario natural: Opening speech, VII Jornada Cubana contra
la Homofobia by Mariela Castro Espín
12pm, Salón de Mayo: Presentation of the digital book Pingueros en La Habana by Julio César
González Pagés.
12pm, Pérgola: Celebration for peace and non-violence, organized by the Centro Memorial
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Grupo “Somos”. Centro Kairós, Matanzas.
1pm, Pérgola: Presentation by CENESEX and other organization of civil society. Debate with
the audience.
2pm, Pabellón Central. Escenario natural: Sociocultural show by the DIVINO Project
8:30pm, Teatro Karl Marx: Cuban Gala Against Homophobia.
11pm: Festival for Diversity.
Sala polivalente del Hotel Tulipán
May 12 9am-11am Panel: “Inclusion-Social Integration. Ways to eliminate discrimination of LGBTs”,
Panelists: Mariela Castro Espín (Cuba), Patricia Bueza Gainza (Uruguay), Gloria Careaga
(Mexico), Andrés Scagliola (Uruguay)
11am-1pm: Panel: “Sexual Health and Rights”
2pm-4pm: “Masculinities-Power and Homophobia”
May 13
3pm, UCI: Lecture by Mariela Castro
8pm, Cine 23 y 12: “Cine Club diferente”. Screening and discussion of film El sexo de los
Ángeles
May 14
Activities in San Pablo de Yao, Buey Arriba, Granma Province
May 15
Activities in the city of Manzanillo
May 16 - 17 Activities in the city of Bayamo
May 22 5pm, Barrio El Príncipe (Zapata #951 e/ Basarrate y Mazón, Plaza)
May 24 10am: Ciudad Deportiva: 2nd.Sports Festival Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Photo by Alex Mene
We’re Here, We’re Queer,
Get Used to It!
Some folks will remember this old school rally
cry, when AIDS, homophobia and hate crimes
were ravaging the queer community from
Christopher Street to the Castro. It was an
aggressive, non-apologetic message designed
to raise consciousness, heighten visibility,
and counter stigma. Given the machismo and
accompanying bias non-heterosexuals have faced
on the island historically, it makes a fitting slogan
for today’s LGBTI Cubans who are pursuing their
own emancipatory process. This isn’t new—I
remember dancing in the ‘conga’ during Havana’s
first International Day Against Homophobia
(IDAHO, as it’s known globally) held every May
17th. But make no mistake: we’ve come a long way
since that seminal energetic celebration in 2005.
Much of the credit for ‘engrasando la máquina’
(greasing the wheels) goes to the interdisciplinary
team at CENESEX (the National Center for Sexual
Education), under the leadership of Mariela Castro.
You’ll hear people in the street commenting that
sexual diversity and anti-homophobia have been
inserted into the national dialogue only because
Mariela is Raúl’s daughter (and Fidel’s niece).
But such narrow analysis discounts all the other
work being done here by activist groups, the
media, non-governmental organizations, and
private entrepreneurs. Indeed, stimulating such
a sea change of attitudes akin to what Cuba is
undergoing vis-à-vis sexual orientation, requires
the participation of the entire society—civil, state,
and individual.
[This year’s conga will be held on May 10 to coincide with the
end of the ILGALAC conference being held in Varadero from
May 5-9).
Combating bias is a long, complex process; to be
effective, the strategy has to be comprehensive,
intersectoral, and participatory. In Cuba, this work
involves a broad spectrum of players, including
the Ministries of Health and Education; the United
Nations Development Programme; the National
Center for Prevention of HIV/AIDS/STIs; the
Cuban Multidisciplinary Society for Sexual Studies
(SOCUMES); and grassroots groups including Men
Who Have Sex with Men (Proyecto HSH), Men
for Diversity (Hombres por la Diversidad; HxD),
Oremi, and TransCuba. These groups, together
with CENESEX, work to prevent HIV, promote
Two men strolling down La Rampa hand-in-hand;
a couple of queens singing Cabaret loudly and offkey in Habana Vieja; a transgendered woman and
her honey nuzzling in the back of an almendrón; and
a two-mom family at the zoo with their kids. These
vignettes would have been virtually unimaginable
a decade ago, but I’ve seen all this (and more!) in
Havana since the comprehensive education and
sensitization campaign around sexual diversity
started gaining traction.
You’ve
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Photo by Alex Mene
homosexual couples have never been on the table,
legalizing same-sex unions through the family
code would extend a variety of fundamental rights
including hospital visits and related health proxy
issues, as well as inheritance claims.
sexual health and well-being, transfer knowledge
and experiences in workshops, publications and
panels, and empower the LGBTI community. Blogs
like Paquito el de Cuba (http://paquitoeldecuba.
com/) and HomoSapiens@Cuba (www.aroqueg.
blogspot.com), both written by out gay men,
complement these efforts by tackling relevant
issues including human and legal rights, hate
crimes, and how Cuban LGBTI culture is evolving
as a whole.
Of course, this isn’t always a smooth process;
despite all the strides, challenges remain and
ridding Cuba of homo-, bi-, trans-, and genderbias faces an uphill battle, still. For instance,
updating the family code (Cuba’s legal mechanism
protecting the rights of families) to include
same-sex unions has stalled somewhere in the
bureaucracy. While ‘gay marriage’ and adoption by
More disturbing than the limbo in which the family
code has lingered for the past several years are the
stories emerging about hate crimes on the island. In
January, Tony Díaz, an out gay man and renowned
theater director and set designer, was murdered;
this fatal attack may have been motivated by
homophobia. Unfortunately, Cuba does not have
specific hate crime laws, nor are police officers
trained to recognize them, so it’s unclear to what
extent bias relates to violence here. On the positive
side of things, a Sexual Diversity Training Program
has been proposed for law enforcement officials,
which would be a good step towards sensitizing
this important sector of society.
For visitors, it’s easier than ever to take the pulse
of queer Cuba—especially if you’ll be here in the
days leading up to and following IDAHO (known as
Jornada Cubana Contra la Homofobia), observed
worldwide on May 17. (See previous article). Even
if you can’t make it to town during for this, there’s
always LGBTI fun stuff to be found at various
bars and clubs in the city (see our Havana Guide
section). During the long hot summer you can also
check out Playa Boca Ciega—between Santa María
del Mar and Guanabo. This heavenly beach 25
minutes east of Havana is postcard perfect, with
all the requisite palm trees, aquamarine water,
and soft white sand. The action happens around
Mi Cayito and though it’s not exclusively gay, it’s
definitely a cruising hot spot.
We’re Here, We’re Queer, Get Used to It!
Transvestites meet in the CENESEX Offices.
You’ve
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Photos by Humberto Mayol
The Machismo hydra & other
factors at play in gay Cuba
The following is an extract from an article by
Conner Gorry titled Queer Cuba in Here is Havana
(Dec, 2012). In this piece Conner muses over the
future direction of the gay scene in Havana. Would
it become a bastion for unity and community where
straight girls could be part of the gang (New York in
the 1980s), hyper segmented, with gay men, women,
and everyone else siloed in their individual worlds
(San Francisco in the 1990s), or something else
altogether.
(and immediately propose himself as the one to
convert her). Almost to a one, lesbians here, foreign
and Cuban, have confirmed my impression that a)
it never occurs to most men here that a woman
can only be into women and b) once they know,
it’s simply a question of ‘having the right macho’
to show them what they’re missing. What’s more,
lesbian friends often mention the discrimination,
including derogatory terms, leveled at them by gay
men. This is troubling.
The Machismo Hydra
The scepter of male dominance and perceived
superiority underscores human relations here.
I’m fairly certain this is part of the reason gay
men have more visibility, mobility, and are more
tolerated (there’s that sticky wicket again) here
than gay women. Just yesterday I overheard this
exchange between four friends hanging around
their Lada slinging back Bucaneros: “Who cares if
there are fags there? Deep down we’re all fags.”
The DINK Phenomenon
DINK stands for Double Income No Kids and savvy
marketers have long carved out a niche among gay
men who on the whole have more disposable cash
The underlying meaning?
Men-on-men action is not only within the realm
of possibility—no matter how subconscious —but
could even be desirable. Is it the power two men
together represent, the simple carnality of it? Is it a
way to neutralize machismo in an effort to liberate
mind and body somehow? Once again, I’m not sure,
but while a Cuban guy can say ‘deep down we’re all
fags,’ chances are high that same fellow would say
of a lesbian: ‘she just hasn’t had the right macho’
Photo by Yadira Montero
You’ve
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and fewer familial responsibilities than straight and
lesbian couples. So it’s no surprise that many of the
loveliest, most successful new bars and restaurants
here are owned and operated by gay men—out
and not, it’s worth noting. This is great—the boys
are cute, the décor classy (or camp), and the food
and drink of high standard. I’ve had memorable
times at several gay-owned establishments. At a
few however, the vibe is decidedly cold shoulder,
reminding me of San Francisco, i.e. you’re not one
of us, but we’re running a business so we’ll put up
with you. Again: troubling.
The Generation Gap
The older I get, the more I understand how age
affects human relations, which is one of the
reasons I so energetically nurture relationships
with people of all ages. Queer relations in Cuba are
no different. Talk to a gay men of 60 here and you’ll
get a very different perspective from that provided
by the 20-something set. The younger generation
generally has a much more open and organic take
on sexual diversity—regardless of gender. Young
women are increasingly experimenting with other
women and although a friend assures me this is
just a fad, I have to ask: And? Even if it is a fad—
one of those ‘yeah, there was that one night with
a friend in college’ type things—doesn’t it open
people’s minds, expand their horizons, and break
down bias?
I guess what I’m trying to say is I love gay culture
and sensibilities and while I don’t know where
we’re going, I hope to continue to be a part of
it. Remember: though we may be straight, that
doesn’t mean we’re narrow.
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.
You’ve
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Ramón Silverio’s El Mejunje
(Santa Clara)
by Sue Herrod
“Crowds of gay and trans people wait outside a
ruined hotel with trees growing out the windows.
Inside, a disco beat begins to pound. The throng files
in and starts dancing, while a couple of lesbians
kiss passionately in the middle of the courtyard.
This is not a trendy nightclub in Havana—we’re in
a small city in the central province of Villa Clara,
an area that many tourists pass through without a
second glance. The club is El Mejunje (which means
“The Mixture”) and they’ve been having discos and
drag shows here for 30 years.” Julia Steinecke
Ramón Silverio’s first passion was seeing the
rather poor, but magical, travelling circus that
visited the rural communities where he lived. His
fascination and nostalgia for the idea of the circus
show with its magician, its rumba dancer and its
fire-eater never left him. Silverio then worked for
many years as a teacher in these rural areas and
gradually became involved in community theatre
as both actor and director.
bands, a salsa/son dancing night, a kids’ morning
and older citizens’ afternoons. It is most famous for
its Saturday night LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer!), its transvestite parties and
being home to the glorious Divas Cubanas.
I spoke to Silverio in his charming, but classically
dilapidated town house in the center of Santa Clara.
Huge paintings and etchings adorned all walls. He
originally had pretty modest intentions for the
ruins of El Mejunje but, over the years, and with
the devoted help of many artists, institutions and
townspeople alike, he has converted the building
into what can only be described as an utterly
magic space. It still lacks a roof, and the walls of
bare bricks are decorated with witty graffiti while
overhanging trees provide shelter.
Back in 1984, a group of friends led by Ramón
Silverio got together at the lobby of Santa Clara’s
Puppet Theatre for a little cultural peña. The
following year, this get-together officially became
El Mejunje. Twenty-nine years later, it is no longer
there nor is it an intimate place for a handful of
friends to meet.
In 1991 he was offered a ruin in the center of
town which today provides a space for theatre
performances, film, contemporary trova, rock
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Initially, Mejunje was known primarily as a place
for gay men. Over time, it has become known more
broadly for its plurality and diverse activities,
which has won over the average Santaclareño.
El Mejunje is located on a little street called Marta
Abreu, very near to where flowers are sold. There’s
an open door with a sign above it that simply says
El Mejunje. Do not pass by…
Indeed for me it is a model of the way that things
could and should be in a community. There’s no
day for straights or gays—it’s open to all seven days
a week. It’s a model of inclusion, not exclusion. It
works, it’s self-regulating, it’s varied, it’s exciting
but safe, it changes hearts and minds, it’s at
the center of the community’s cultural life, it’s
physically and financially accessible to all and
it caters for all. The admission fee is only 2 or 5
Cuban pesos, depending on the day—even for nonCuban visitors.
Today, both Cubans and non-Cubans are drawn
to El Mejunje. The former are regulars here and
consider it almost like home; the latter come and
discover a new side that they never suspected
could exist in Cuba. Thanks to its popularity and
to the support provided by the Ministry of Culture
and the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba,
the center has been expanded to include an art
gallery, a theatre for both plays and films, classical
music, jazz and a café. Ramón Silverio is convinced
that Cuba needs to become what El Mejunje has
been and continues to be almost three decades
later: “A world where everyone lives in harmony
and respects individualities…no matter if they’re
Marxist, Christian or gay.”
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“Weekly Program” (Shows start at 5pm and 10pm)
* Mondays it’s bolero and jukebox night with music from the 50`s and 60`s.
* Tuesdays is Cuban traditional music with a touch of modern and Rockoteca, with recorded and live
music, and attracts a mainly young, student crowd.
* Wednesdays offer alternates between Mexican music, house music and ``When We Were Young`` with
music from the 70`s 80`s and early 90`s,
* Thursdays alternates with timba and salsa to fusion based on rock, but the high point of the day is the
hugely popular Trovuntivitis—a night of live trova (guitar playing singer-songwriters) and showcasing
the crème de la crème of Cuba`s very best young trova musicians. Most notable here is the wild and
wonderful Roly Barrio.
* Fridays showcases rap twice in the month plus La Noche de Buena Suerte (Good Luck Night) when
a mainly young crowd enjoy live, traditional Cuban music (Son) and later dance the night away. Still
got energy for the weekend?
* Saturday starts early at 10am with Afro-Cuban music and dance—Toque de Tambor—and is followed
at 6pm by a live music peña called Tarde de los filimbusteros, in the romantic bolero/jazz tradition
and attracting a mainly older public. Then at 10pm—it’s either the wonderful Diva show or the LGBTQ
(though mainly gay men) disco.
* Sundays sees often no less than 100 kids whizzing and whirring madly around with clowns, listening
to stories or playing games and dancing. Then at 5pm a son, danzón or Cuban country music evening—
again mainly an older crowd. Then at 10pm, it’s time for Friky Cabaret with rappers, trovadors, bolero
singers, actor, dancers, rock musicians, transvestites shows, you name it. This alternates with Noche
con María, a one-of-a-kind show organized and conducted by María, who works at El Mejunje.
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Photos by Yadira Montero
Pedro González Reinoso & the
old Russian lady (Roxana Rojo)
by Ricardo Alberto Pérez
Avant-garde writer and performer Pedro González
Reinoso is most well-known for having created
Roxana Rojo, an old Russian woman who became
stranded in Cuba during the Cold War and who
writes very intense, neo-baroque-style, stream-ofconsciousness fragments of experimental fiction
and social commentary. Her one-woman man show
is part drag, part comedy skit and part literary
presentation.
I first met Pedro Manuel González Reinoso (La
Roxy), at UNEAC about twenty years ago. He was
then a shy young man from the provinces, terribly
contemplative and possessing great repressed
intensity. Over time he has become a great friend
to several important Cuban writers and for the rest
of us he has become the mythical and everyday
being named Pedrito.
In the midst of the Special Period in the 1990s,
Pedrito left his job as an economist to take up
hairdressing. He set up an underground beauty
salon in his home in the city of Caibarien, known
as the White City (Villa Clara province), where
in providing his clients with a new look, his own
fantasies of expression and change were nurtured.
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through the nature of his performance. These
lives of Roxy Rojo are permeated with a sort of
nostalgia, a complete love/hate relationship that
Cubans have with the former USSR. We have to
remember that this Russian woman makes her
appearance just a few years after the fall of Eastern
Europe when Cubans as a nation were suffering
the ravages of that downfall.
Transvestism became a way to deal with reality
and to deal with his background, his memories. It
was also a way to reveal his playful nature and it
gave him a way of connecting with an audience.
And so the character that gave him fame inside and
outside of Cuba was born: Roxana Rojo, a Russian
woman who remained in Cuba, totally “Cubanized.”
Her experience is a powerful one.
Roxana Rojo first appears as a character in 1994
during the Special Period, put together with scraps,
a little from here, a little from there. Wigs pieced
together from vegetal fibers similar to henequen,
combed out endlessly and dyed. Fake nails made
out of plastic bags. It was a complicated process
preparing this new person for her stage debut.
She performed for many years at the Mejunje
Cultural Center in Santa Clara, on Marta Abreu
Street where audiences were both entertained
and invited to reflect on cultural and social issues
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Roxana Rojo someone manages to avoid the
stereotype: she is a mass of contradictions and
dreams that could touch on the most surprising
fantasies. At the Havana Book Fair of 2010, Vidas
de Roxy (Roxy’s Lives) was presented, stripping
bare the nature of this Russian woman to give us a
biography of a totally fictitious person simmering
with memories. She was here to stay among a
group of Cubans who by now have no intention of
saying goodbye to her.
The work of this Pop artist has often managed
to poke around in open wounds. In a macho
society like the Cuban, his has clearly been an
important battle to tear away old prejudices and
to move forward to the acceptance of diversity
among human beings. His values are a significant
contribution in Cuba and his creations have
affected our cultural processes.
In 2009, La Roxy went on a successful and
controversial tour of several Cuban provinces,
collecting new admirers in the squares where the
shows were put on. Her character is well-known in
New York and right now she is preparing to travel
to Spain where a new edition of the book Vidas de
Roxy will be published.
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Conducta Impropia:
[Improper Behavior]
by Alejandro Gonzalez
Photos by Alejandro González
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“Homosexuality is not a disease, but homophobia is.”
Mariela Castro Espín
This series of photographs is an inventory of people
who are subject to rejection or exclusion because
of their sexual preferences. It is a denunciation
against homophobia. Symbolically, it is also a
demand for the respect of political, ideological,
religious differences.
Conducta Impropia [Improper Behavior] is
divided into two parts: close-ups made during the
celebration of the World Day Against Homophobia
(May 17, 2008) and portraits taken during a gay
pride party on Mi Cayito beach (June 14, 2008). In
the portraits (close-ups), I show faces of people
and try to “erase” the features that identify them
in terms of gender.
The photos taken at the beach describe the festive
atmosphere in a celebration of the Cuban gay
community (a part of it) through alien eyes (mine),
which try to capture the spirit of the event. These
pictures were taken almost scientifically. Some
of these photos reveal a certain clichéd view of
the gay world. With this I aimed to expose the
prejudices (mine, too) inherited from the macho
and heterosexual tradition that prevails in our
society.
This photographic essay pays tribute to all of the
activists who fight for and defend the rights of
people who are discriminated due to their gender
or sexual preferences.
MiCayito beach
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Alejandro González
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1974, Alejandro González
learnt photography in workshops directed by
photographers like Diego Goldberg, Luis González
Palma and Edgar Moreno. He was later invited to
an artist-in-residence program at the Academy of
Media Arts Cologne in Germany. In 2009 he was
awarded the Cuban Casa de las Américas prize
in the photography section. His work has been
exhibited in Cuba, as well as Mexico, the United
States, Spain and Italy.
http://alejandrogonzalez.wordpress.com
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Extract from Mariette Pathy Allen Essay in Havana’s liveliest drag performance venues. Within
the club’s fanciful decor, female impersonators in
TRANSCUBA by Daylight
For the past thirty-five years, I have been
involved with the transgender community as a
photographer, writer, advocate, ally, and friend.
My focus remains the same as when I started: the
de-freakification of gender-variant people. Just
in the process of living their lives, people who are
gender nonconforming make profound questions
visible: What is the relationship between body and
mind? What does “man” or “woman” mean? Finally,
what is the essence of a human being?
spectacular outfits poured their hearts out as they
lip-synched to tragic, romantic music. Enthusiastic
groups of gender-nonconforming women, looking
stylish and original, cheered them on and mingled
with the rest of the audience. I was eager to
meet the women, and was immediately drawn
to Amanda by her obvious charm and her lesspolished appearance, which made me feel that she
might be easier to get to know. We had an instant
connection, and she held my hand as we walked
Although I have done most of my work in the
United States, I have been active in other countries
as well, and in January 2012, I took my first trip
to Cuba. I participated in a conference with
members of the World Professional Association
for Transgender Health, who were invited to Cuba
by Mariela Castro Espín through Cenesex, an
educational organization that provides medical
and psychological services to transgender and
homosexual people. It’s headquartered in a
beautiful old building in a quiet neighborhood in
Havana, where it serves as a gathering place for
this community.
As part of the conference, we were invited to
spend an evening at the Las Vegas Club, one of
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Malu, Amanda, and I traveled around Cuba together.
We visited their families and friends, including
the only person they knew who transitioned from
female to male. We went to the beach and to
performances and other special events. One night
in Camagüey we checked out a cruising area in a
beautiful public park replete with stone sculptures
and a monument. We spent a few evenings at
Havana’s Malecon, in the area where men go to
look for gay boys or trans women, and we spent
four days participating in the annual celebration of
the Week Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
to the bar. Then, through another photographer,
I met Nomi, who was brimming with energy and
goodwill. I was very impressed to discover that she
had taught herself to speak English.
I met Malu on another night at the Las Vegas Club,
but I didn’t get to know her until my next visit, in
February 2013, because Amanda had become her
roommate. Malu is a natural leader, organized,
determined, and generous. As “the best-known
transgender person in Cuba,” she introduced me
to most of the people I met on my next three visits.
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The people who comprise what we understand
as transgender have always existed, but the
understanding of who they are and how they
can participate in society is new. As the Cuban
population as a whole gains greater personal
freedom, it will hopefully continue to be reflected
in the treatment of sexual minorities. I can envision
a future time when mainstream society will be so
free of judgment and prejudice that gender-variant
people will be appreciated as teachers who show
the rest of us how to liberate ourselves from the
rigidity of gender roles and find alternative ways of
integrating mind and body. For now, though, I just
want to celebrate the inherent beauty, artistry, and
humor of the Cubans I was so fortunate to meet.
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Visual Arts
Mordida
Factoría Habana, Opens May 24
In Mordida, artists from different generations
and trends combine efforts to celebrate the
30th anniversary of the Havana Art Biennale:
Juan Carlos Alom, Lidzie Alvisa, Belkis Ayón, Luis
Enrique Camejo, Felipe Dulzaides, Antonio Eligio
(Tonel), Roberto Fabelo, José Manuel Fors, Aimée
García, Ernesto Leal, Jorge López Pardo, Ibrahim
Miranda, Carlos Montes de Oca, Pedro Pablo
Oliva, Sandra Ramos, Santiago Rodríguez Olazábal
Eduardo Ponjuán and José Ángel Toirac.
Espacio mínimo
Edificio de Arte Cubano. Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes, Through June
Over 50 pieces by Raúl Milián, one of the most
significant Cuban artists of the second half of
the 20th centiruy, who has depicted a complex
and anguished inner world through small scale
excellent ink paintings.
Brey
Edificio de Arte Cubano. Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes, Through June
Installations, sculptures, two-dimensional works
and photographs by Ricardo Rodríguez Brey (1955),
a member of the mythical group Volumen I and a
pioneer of conceptual art in Cuba, and who lives
abroad since 1990, in a retrospective that will offer
a comprehensive look into the work of this artist
throughout his life.
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Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena
Throughout
May
Galería Espacio Abierto
Jai-Q, a silkscreen exhibition by
Janette Brossard who emphasizes
cultural hybridization and the reinterpretation of Asian poetics.
Homenaje a Antonia Eiriz, on the
occasion of the 85th anniversary
of the birth of the painter, draftswoman and printmaker Antonia
Eiriz, one of the great iconoclasts
of Cuban painting in the 20th
century. The show includes more
than 30 pieces by the late artist
from the collections of the Museo
Municipal de San Miguel del Padrón, Museo Biblioteca Servando
Cabrera Moreno and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, as well as
from private collections.
Through
May 23
Casa Benito Juárez
Throughout
may
Espacio Ayón exhibits works
from the 1st Belkis Ayón National
Competition in Collagraphy and
the group printmaking exhibition
Nuevas circunstancias and Texturas develadas.
Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam
Through
may 13
Las formas del silencio, an exhibition of works made out of
different materials and some
paintings, by the Cuban sculptor
Agustín Cárdenas (1907-2001).
Through
may 15
Tiempo detenido, solo show by
Nieves Torralba with her most
recent drawings. She painted a
large mural on the back walls of
the gallery.
Galería Espacio Abierto
Throughout
May
Galería Luz y Oficios
Colegio Universitario San Gerónimo de la Habana
Throughout
may
Océano, five metal sculptures of
different sea species by French
artist Mauro Corda.
Through
May 5
In Muela Bizca, Sanfis Suárez
makes use of his profession as
graphic designer to reflect on history and social behavior.
Through
May 4
Solo lo que vemos, a show by Enrique Ángel Cabrera, takes a look
into the representation of time as
a phenomenon that attacks human personality—it shows a man
who cannot quite understand his
own present time and has to resort to the past, which he also did
not understand at all.
Galería Collage Habana
Throughout
may
En rosa proposes different works
by young female artists who reveal feminine subjectivity and
their imprint in their pieces.
Hostal Los Frailes
Climbing the Future, solo show
by artist Ascanio, who introduces the topic of climbing from
multiple facets, using figuration
with influences from pop art and
graphic design.
may
Galería Villa Manuela
Throughout Avalancha: paintings, photoMay
graphs and documentaries by
Alejandro González, Alejandro
Campins and Armando Capó Ramos, who depict certain aspects
of Cuban life with a sensation of
atemporal quality and a sociological and anthropological approach.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.
Edificio de Arte Cubano
Through
July 7
Imalabra is a 46-year retrospective of the renowned Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell. The
opening on April 1, 4pm, which
is the artist’s 75th birthday, the
actress and theater director Rosa
Luisa Márquez and the artist himself will present Veveviejo, an adpatation for the stage of texts by
Martorell.
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Contradicciones de Occidente by
Ángel Alonso Blanco focuses on
the contradictions of western culture and the self-centeredness of
contemporary man with regards
to his surroundings, which leads
them to self-destruction.
Museo de Naipes
Throughout Selección de maestría exhibits
May
works by 20 outstanding Cuban
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artists, such as Roberto Diago,
Roberto Fabelo, Eduardo Ponjuan,
Sandra Ramos, Ernesto Rancaño,
Lisandro Ramírez and Eduardo
Roca, among other.
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Exhibition at the Wifredo
Lam Center: april - may
Notas al Paso: The Return
of Tomás Sánchez
by Ricardo Alberto Pérez
“Even though critics have placed Tomás Sánchez in the starting point of the Cuban
hyperrealistic movement that had a boom in 1974, along with Rogelio López Marín and Flavio
Garciandía, the truth is that his work doesn’t portray a naturalistic concern nor a cult to exact
reproduction but rather a will to generate illusion.”
Spanish art critic Fernando Castro
Building the present on the basis of constant
nostalgia could drive a person or even a society
mad. If we consider the specific case of Cuban
contemporary art, some of this nostalgia has been
destroyed with the return of works by key Cuban
artists of the last few decades to the country’s
galleries. We are very lucky to have had three
such events take place during the second week in
April: twice at the Wifredo Lam Center and once
at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes: the work
of Agustín Cárdenas, Ricardo Rodríguez Brey and
Tomás Sánchez.
Tomás Sánchez’s absence has given rise to so many
myths that they cannot be dissolved either with his
presence or his artwork. This artist (born in 1948
in Aguada de Pasajeros, Cienfuegos Province) is
amongst us again here in Cuba with his work and
definitely with his spirit. His show called Notas al
paso opened at the Wifredo Lam Center on April
10 at 5 p.m.
After more than 20 years without a show in Cuba,
he is exhibiting his large-format photography,
allowing us to view the level-headed lucidity of
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Many consider Tomás Sánchez to be one of the
discoverers of this Island; nobody else has been
able to express its secrets so exactly, or to show
the delightfulness of rural landscapes with the
minimalist touches that he masterfully transforms
into powerful details. His images revel in verticality,
transmitting the sensation of ascent with a full
sensual range.
his soul. It was this lucidity that made its mark on
the landscape from the 1970s, revitalizing a genre
that seemed to have been extinguished in the
monotony of its own rhetoric.
In his oeuvre, Tomás makes it quite clear that there
is no valid landscape today that cannot return to
viewers the internal strength of its creator, their
moods, conflicts and above all their beliefs. It
magnifies this milieu, providing refuge for our eyes.
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These photographs being exhibited in Havana
focus on the sea in its conversation with the shore.
We see the effects of foam crested waves crashing
into the brilliant white sand, immortalizing eternal
conflict. Gigantic rocks look like small islands
where singular vegetation flourishes. Tomás’ lens
returns to such scenarios again and again, seeking
out new relationships that establish a counterpoint
with the unfathomable permanence of the sea.
This show presents us with the artist’s most
recent work—images taken on Cuba’s northern
coast and in Costa Rica. He will be returning to
these locations with blank canvases over the next
years to transform the current photography into
amazing paintings.
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Exhibition at the
Wifredo Lam Center
Las Formas del Silencio
by Agustín Cárdenas
by Ricardo Alberto Pérez
It’s not everyday that one can come up against
the energy of a great artist and when it happens,
it’s like a spell has been cast. When the doors of
the Wifredo Lam Center for Contemporary Art
in Havana opened on April 11, 2014 for Las Formas
del Silencio, an exhibition of pieces by the Cuban
sculptor Agustín Cárdenas, there was pixie dust in
the air.
The opening was attended by an extraordinary
group of art lovers across generations from
established masters, such as Manuel Mendive and
Carlos Quintana, to art students. It was the glances
and subtle gestures that indicated the high esteem
in which Cárdenas is held.
The sizes of the works made one feel that space
was being invaded, that one’s breath was being
concentrated and that there was a sort of thickness
present in the air that had to be crossed without
being overcome with the emotion elicited by each
of the representations. The artist’s skill in handling
symbols, in making concrete the distortion of
archetypes put him squarely into the realm of
poetry. Call it abstraction or metaphor, but what
is certain is that it re-dimensions events and
bestows upon them a metaphysical depth capable
of liberating sensations that are able to flow along
individual lines.
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the main figures in the European avant-garde.
Sculpture with a very personal imprint makes him
one of the most remarkable sculptors of that era.
The show covers work spanning the period
from 1957 to 1989. From El gallo [The Rooster]
(1957) to Caballito [Little Horse] (1989) a terrain
of deployment and contradictions reveals the
evolution of a man enchanted by different cultures.
The artist has survived his scrutiny of Caribbean
tides and, after ignoring them for a while, returns
to die at the foot of their cyclical movement. And
so we see how El árbol antillano [The Tree of the
West Indies] congeals the wisdom of every branch
while becoming one single trunk that keeps its
steadfast aim of returning to the earth.
“The Forms of Silence” can also be interpreted
as a celebration of substances, a banquet where
materials (wood, marble and bronze) accept being
sublimated to the codes of demiurgic language.
The artist’s diversity of choice in terms of material
speaks volumes about his character and expressive
capacity. Every material Cárdenas chooses leads
to greater communication with his viewers.
“The Forms of Silence” once again allows us to
approach one of the great Cuban artists of the
second half of the twentieth century. Agustín
Cárdenas was trained in the San Alejandro
Academy in the 1940s and he has been exhibiting
since 1955, the year he traveled to Paris where
he lived for around forty years. During this time
he traveled and showed on the five continents,
creating powerful relationships with some of
His white marble “Homage to Brancusi” (1966)
surprisingly symbolizes the universe made erotic
by an economy of expressiveness that literally
leaves viewers speechless. Smoothness and
ascending forms recall the aspirations of that
Rumanian sculptor in an audacious manner of
approaching the creative posture that for decades
inspired sculpture all over the world.
Work seeped in emotion such as Madera calcinada
[Charred Wood] (1957), Disco de luz escondida
[Hidden Light Disc] (1970), El beso [The Kiss] (1974)
and La mano [The Hand] (1965) places us before a
remarkable phenomenon that will be available for
the viewing during a month at the Wifredo Lam
Center for Contemporary Art, just a few blocks
from the Cathedral of Havana.
Augustín Cárdenas
Known as one of the last Surrealist artist, renowned
Cuban sculptor Agustín Cárdenas had an artistic
touch that was “as nimble as a dragonfly” (André
Breton). Cárdenas, a descendant of slaves from
Senegal and the Congo, was born in Matanzas in
1927 and died in Havana in 2001. His work reflects
both his adherence to Surrealism and his AfroCuban heritage.
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photography
Miedos y misterios
Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena,
Throughout May
Miedos y misterios by Spanish photographer Pilar
Sampedro Aparicio whose work is a testimony to
her commitment with society, depicting sensitive
topics, suc as cancer, anorexia or gender-based
violence.
De la Lleca al Cohue:
photography in penitentiaries
Fototeca de Cuba, Through May 14
De la Lleca al Cohue: photography in penitentiaries,
a project by Violet Bulé who considers photography
as an instrument for social action. The results
of workshops organized in penitentiary centers
with inmates show the inner world of the persons
behind the camera and their associations with
concepts like brotherhood, the constitution of a
group as family, and social dynamics beyond those
related to violence and survival.
In Compulsión, Irolan Maroselli and Yoannys Aldaya
use their bodies as models and play different roles
to criticize certain social contexts.
Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura
Casa Simón Bolívar
Opens May 5
XI Encuentro Internacional de
Fotografía Caleidoscopio. This
new edition of the Kaleidoscope
Photography Meeting will place
special emphasis on the representations of the body, which occupies a prominent place in visual
arts, seeking to make it a base for
many manifestations, from body
art, extreme bodyd art, and radical surgery to techno art, tattooing, body building and piercing.
Opens May 20
Itinerrances, by the renowned
French photographer and architect Ferrante Ferranti, is made
up of 35 color and black & white
shots in which Ferranti combines
images from architectural works,
Baroque details and panoramas,
the poetics of travel and the traveler, and the mysticism of reli-
Sala de la Diversidad
Throughout Salvaje by María Cano is a tour of
May
her ten-year work carried out as
a photographer and her internist,
artistic approach to the animal
life of different geographical re-
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cinema
VI Muestra Itinerante de Cine del Caribe
May 2-June 22
Initiated with great success in February 2007 in
Havana with the aim of preserving and acquainting
audiences with the film production of the region,
as well as break away from prejudices around
regional production, this 6th Traveling Caribbean
Cinema Festival will present 27 documentaries
and three animated films from 13 countries of the
Wider Caribbean Region. A sample of the works
are Making History by Caecilia Tripp and Karen
McKimon from Jamaica; Rumbos de la rumba:
Parada Central Park by Berta Jottar from Mexico;
Calypso Rose: The Lioness of de Jungle by Pascale
Obolo from Trinidad and Tobago; and Recordando
el mamoncillo y Raíces cubanas. Historias del Bronx
by Pamela Sporn from the US.
The festival will travel to every province in Cuba:
May 2-8
Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba,
Holguín
May 8-15
Granma, Las Tunas, Camagüey
May 15-22
Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Villa
Clara, Sancti Spíritus
May 22-29
Artemisa, Matanzas, Mayabeque
May 29June 5
Isla de la Juventud, Pinar del Río
June 13-22
Havana (Chaplin and 23 y 12 theaters)
The international tour will begin by St Kitts and Nevis, Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago.
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dance
Photo by Alex Mene
Coppelia
The National Ballet of Cuba will perform a version
of Coppelia by Alicia Alonso based on the original
choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and Marius
Petipa’s version, with music by Léo Delibes.
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Sala Avellaneda
May 9-11 & 16-18, Fri & Sat, 6:30pm; Sun, 5 pm.
Solamente Solos
Comandante
May, 2014, Eddy Suñol Theater, city
After several years without a permanent home,
this national competition for choreographers
and artists dedicated to work performed by one
single artist has finally returned to its original
headquarters.
A broad array of trends and
esthetic sensibilities in contemporary dance may
be experienced in this event.
Compañía Irene Rodríguez
Centro Hispano Americano de
Cultura, May 10, 5pm
Born in Havana, she began studying Spanish Dance
in the Spanish Cultural Society “Centro Andaluz”
(Andalusian Centre) of Havana. Within months, she
began of the record, and as “an exceptional case”
to take classes with the professional company
Ballet Español de Cuba, since her talent was
remarkable in spite of being a young girl. In 1993,
she is admitted at the National Academy of Spanish
Dances sponsored by this company. She graduated
in 1999, after 5 years of study.
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MUSIC
Contemporary
Fusion
X Alfonso, 2014
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.
Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional
Dos Gardenias
Wednesdays Performances by Qva Libre
Mondays
5 pm
10 pm
Café Concert El Sauce
Sundays
5 pm
Tuesdays,
5 pm
Hotel Capri. Salón Rojo
La Máquina de la Melancolía, with
Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto
García
Casa de la Música de Miramar
Alexander Abreu y Havana d’Primera
Diablo Tun Tun
Wednesdays Gerardo Alfonso
5 pm
Mayco D’Alma
Thursdays
Mayco D’Alma
11pm
Jardines del 1830
Grupo Moncada
Sundays
10 pm
Tercera y 8
Mondays
Baby Lores
11 pm
Fábrica de Arte
May 3
Telmary in concert.
11 pm
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Juan Formell
(1942 - 2014)
Cuba has lost a true legend in Juan Formell. May he Rest in Peace. Thank you for the music, thank for
Los Van Van, thank you for the joy, thank you for everything.
Salsa / Timba
Photo by Ivan Soca
Casa de la Música de Galiano
Casa de la Música de Miramar
Wednesdays
11 pm
José Luis Cortés y NG La
Banda
Thursday
11 pm
Charanga Latina.
Monday
5 pm
Sur Caribe
Tuesdays
11 pm
Pedrito Calvo y La Justicia
Wednesdays
5 pm
11 pm
Juan Guillermo
Thursdays
5 pm
Manolito Simonet y su
Trabuco
Fridays
5 pm
11 pm
El Niño y La Verdad
Saturdays
5 pm
Tumbao Habana
Sundays
5 pm
Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo
Diablo Tun Tun
Tuesdays
El Noro y Primera Clase
11 pm
Wednesdays To Mezclao
11 pm
Thursdays
José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda
11 pm
Saturdays
5 pm
Manana Club
11 pm
Tania Pantoja
Café Concert El Sauce
May 3
8 pm
Los Van Van * unclear whether
this will go ahead as a tribute to
Juan Formell.
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Adalberto Álvarez y su
Son
José Luis Cortés y NG La
Banda
Jardines del 1830
Fridays
Paulo FG y su Élite
8 pm
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MUSIC jazz
Café Jazz Miramar
Shows: 10:30pm - 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.
Calle 5ta esquina a 94, Mirama,r Playa
Jazz Café
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
may 15
6 pm
Proyecto de Jazz Cubano with
Alexis Bosch (piano).
Somavilla
Saturdays
8:30 pm
Zule Guerra (sinfer and composer)
and Blues d’Havana. (admission
free)
UNEAC
may 8
2 pm
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Peña La Esquina del Jazz hosted
by showman Bobby Carcassés.
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MUSIC Bolero, folklore, son & trova
Asociación Cubana de Derechos de Autor Musical
Manuel Argudín
May 31
Casa Memorial Salvador Allende
Peña La Juntamenta, with trovador Ángel Quintero.
may 30
6 pm
5 pm
Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima
Asociación Yoruba de Cuba
Obiní Batá (Folkloric group)
Fridays
Ad Libitum
may 7
3 pm
8 pm
Saturdays
may 25
Los Ibellis (Folkloric group)
5 pm
4 pm
El Gato Tuerto
Cabaret Las Vegas
Saturdays
Thursdays
Yoruba Andabo (Folkloric group)
El Jelengue de Areíto
Café cantante, Teatro Nacional
Wednesdays Trovando, a meeting with good
Elaín Morales.
trova.
5 pm
5 pm
Saturdays
Waldo Mendoza
Hotel Telégrafo
4 pm
Ivette Cepeda.
Fridays
9:30 pm
Café Teatro Bertolt Brecht
A bolero puro, show with Rafael
Espín and guests.
may 31
5 pm
Hurón Azul, UNEAC
Mundito González.
may 10
10 pm
Casa de África
Síntesis (Folk/rock band)
may 3
Instituto Internacional de Periodismo José Martí
3 pm
Peña La Pupila Asombrada presents the performances by singer-songwriters along with music
videos and shorts made by students from the Audiovisual Media
faculty of the University of the
Arts.
may 30
6 pm
Obiní Batá (Folkloric group)
may 10
3 pm
Casa del Alba
may 2
Eduardo Sosa and guests
7 pm
may 29
7 pm
Pabellón Cuba
Peña Tres Tazas with trovador
Silvio Alejandro
Fridays
Peña El Canto de Todos, with
singer-songwriter Vicente Feliú
5 pm
Saturdays
5 pm
Casa de la Cultura Comunitaria Mirta Aguirre
may 25
5 pm
Get-together with trovador Ireno
García.
Peña with trovador Juan Carlos
Pérez
Piano Bar Tun Tun (Casa de la Música de Miramar)
Thursdays
Casa de la Cultura de Plaza
April 12
Osdalgia.
11 pm
4 pm
Thursdays
El Jardín de la Gorda with trovadors from every generation.
Peña with trovador Ray Fernández
5 pm
PPeña with Marta Campos.
7 pm
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may
17-25, 2014
Cubadisco:
The Cuban Grammys
(Feria Internacional Cubadisco)
‘There are 100,000 registered musicians in Cuba and everyone else plays the guitar.’
Toby Brocklehurst
Cuba draws from an incredibly rich musical
heritage. As anyone who has spent any time on the
island knows, you are never far from the sound of
live music. Toby Brocklehurst is only half joking
when he explains that ‘There are 100,000 registered
musicians in Cuba and everyone else plays the
guitar.’ Cubadisco is not so much Cuba’s version
of the Garmmy’s as its own musical celebration
and appreciation of the strides, which Cuban
musicians and the Cuban recoding industry have
made over the years. There are 25 prize categories
with the main awards being keenly sought. The
festival includes concerts, recitals, symposia and
exhibits, and undoubtedly represents Cuba’s most
important musical awards lasting for a week in
May each year.
About Cubadisco
Created in 1997 to provide a meeting place for
the Cuban recording industry, it has grown to
become a reference point for anyone interested
in knowing about everything that is happening on
the burgeoning and varied Cuban music scene and
for going to the concerts, recitals, colloquiums
and exhibitions that have sprung up as a result of
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the event. Today the Festival is considered to be
the most important forum for Cuban music and its
prizes are greatly coveted by record companies,
performers and composers.
Every year Cubadisco is dedicated to a country
and a musical genre and also pays tribute to
artists and personalities with a distinguished
creative work within Cuban music. Specialized
lectures, expositions, colloquiums, concerts and
CD launchings take place during the Fair, as well
as a wide musical program at different theaters in
Havana, with the participation of many Cuban and
foreign groups and singers.
Around 1964, the existing record labels in
Cuba were merged together under the name
of Recordings and Musical Editions Enterprise
(EGREM), which maintained a monopoly for almost
25 years in Cuban music. At the end of the 1980s,
other recording labels were formed, including
ARTEX S.A, RTV Comercial and the PM Records
recording studio of Pablo Milanés and Ojalá of
Silvio Rodríguez. A further three Cuban record
labels were also established: Art Color, Caribe
Productions and Magic Music.
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2014 Cubadisco Program
KARL MARX THEATER
MAY 14
9 pm
MAY 18
Presentation of the Chambao flamenco group (Spain), with Cuban
singer-songwriter Carlos Varela
as guest.
MAY 24
Children’s Gala
5 pm
Me dicen Cuba Gala
8:30 pm
Children’s Activity
MAY 25
5 pm
TEATRO NACIONAL DE CUBA, SALA COVARRUBIAS
MAY 17
8:30 pm
MAY 18
Gala Tambor a la brasa, with
percussionists and other artists,
tribute to percussion in Cuban
popular music. Announcement of
the major awards and awarding
Gran Premio Cubadisco 2014 and
Honorable, Special and international Awards.
Inaugural Gala with a performance by the National Sumphonc
Orchestra in the first part, in a
piece dedicated to symphonic
percussion; and in the second
part, Formell Sinfónico, with the
National Symphonic Orchestra
and musicians from Los Van Van
band. Awarding Honorable and
Special awards to outstanding
music personalities.
11 am
PABELLÓN CUBA
MAY 16-18,
23-25
10 am 8 pm
8:30 pm
Gala dedicated to Cultural Diversity Day and in tribute to the
Guest Country Trinidad and Tobago
MAY 23
Gonzalo Rubalcaba and his Group
MAY 21
8:30 pm
MAY 25
11 am
Closing Gala with Cuban symphonic and choir pieces dedicated
to percussion
SALÓN BENNY MORÉ DE LA TROPICAL
Trade Fair with a large artistic
program, especially for children
and young people; presentation of
records, books and audio-visuals;
talks and jam sessions with popular artists. (10 am to 8 pm).
MAY 16-18,
23-25
8 pm
Dances with the participation
of the principal Cuban groups,
award-winners at the different
editions of Cubadisco.
Other Activities: Dance and percussion workshops, master classes, exhibitions and jam
sessions at the Palacio de la Rumba; performances by Cuban artists and guests at the
Delirio Habanero at the Teatro Nacional, peñas at the Avenida Theater, la Peña de la Gorda, La Utopía, the CFN home base, Callejón de Hamel y and the Mella Theater garden,
encounters in arts schools, visits to community projects, tours dealing with la rumba
cubana.
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classical MUSIC
La Fiesta de los Clarinetes
Oratorio San Felipe Neri, May 24, 4pm
Sala Ignacio Cervantes, May 25, 6pm
Twenty-four clarinetists from different countries
will play works from the repertoire of clarinet and
piano duos. Other works include pieces for trios,
quartets, quintets, sextets and a septet created
especially for this occasion.
Mayo Renacentista
Iglesia de Paula
May 16, 7pm
Lutist Aland López will offer a panorama of music
for lute in the Renaissance.
May 23, 7pm:
The Ars Long Early Music Ensemble, Orquesta
Barroca of the National School of Music and the
sociocultural project Cantus Firmus will play
Renaissance-style music from the archives of New
Spain from the late 16th-early 17th centuries.
May 30, 7pm:
The chamber choir Exaudi will sing works from the
16th century, when polyphony reached its greatest
splendor.
Verdehr Trio in Concert
Basílica Menor de San Francisco de
Asís, May 24, 6pm
Concert by the Verdehr Trio featuring Walter
Verdehr (violín), Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr (clarinet)
and Silvia Roederer (piano), with works by
Sebastian Currier, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng,
Guido López-Gavilán, Phillipe Manoury and
George Gershwin. This chamber trio was founded
in 1972 at Michigan State University where it has
remained in residence
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classical MUSIC
Photo by Ivan Soca
Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís
may 6
6 pm
may 10
6 pm
may 15
Works by Schubert, Donizetti, Rachmaninoff, Michel Legrand, Debussy, Poulenc and
Strauss will be interpreted by soprano Bárbara Llanes, who will be accompanied by Karla
Martínez on piano, Arístides Porto on clarinet, el Alejandro Calzadilla on clarinet and soprano sax, Camila Martell on violin and Susana Venereo on horn.
The Coro Nacional de Cuba, conducted by Digna Guerra, will sing works from the Latin
American and Cuban repertoires, and will sing pieces by Ko Matsushita and Herbert Howell
for the first time.
6 pm
Pianist Huberal Herrrera has announced an all-Cuban program with works by Hubert de
Blanck and Juan Piñera.
may 17
Concert by Camerata Romeu, conducted by Zenaida Romeu.
6 pm
Casa del ALBA Cultural
may 4
5 pm
may 11
5 pm
En Confluencia, conducted by
guitarists Eduardo and Galy
Martín.
may 18
5 pm
De Nuestra América, conducted
by pianist Alicia Perea.
Tarde de Concierto, conducted by
the soprano Lucy Provedo.
may 25
Concert by guitarist Rosa Matos.
5 pm
Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura
may 19
6 pm
may 24
Graduation recital by double-bass player Beatriz Ojito Boza, along with Orquesta Solistas
de La Habana, with works by Georg Monn, Giovanni Bottesini and Campos Solórzano.
Concert by Vocal Elé
6 pm
may 31
6 pm
Gala performance of the Teatro Lírico Nacional with a program made up of Spanish-American works.
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Biblioteca Nacional José Martí
Saturdays
Performances by soloists and chamber ensembles.
5 pm
Oratorio San Felipe Neri
Concert Memory and Celebration: Hermanas del amor de Dios en Cuba (Sisters of Love of
God Congregation).
may 3
4 pm
may 8
The Symphony Orchestra of the University of the Arts, conducted by Igor Corchera, has
announced a program dedicated to lovers of the classics in the world.
7 pm
may 10
4 pm
Guitarrista Rosa Matos and guests Ivette Betancourt (vocal) and Floraimed Fernández
(flute), will offer a program of works by Agustín Barrios (aka Mangoré), Heitor Villa-Lobos,
Astor Piazzolla, Manuel de Falla and Gabriel Fourê, among others.
may 17
Recital by pianist Liana Fernández, cellist Maylín Sevila and violist Lisbeth Sevila.
4 pm
may 31
Performance by soprano María Eugenia Barrios and young singers of bel canto in Cuba.
4 pm
Sala Covarrubias, Teatro Nacional
Sundays
Concerts by the National Symphony Orchestra.
11 pm
Sala Gonzalo Roig. Palacio del Teatro Lírico Nacional
may 25
Cuerda Dominical with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina.
5 pm
Sala Ignacio Cervantes
may 2
6 pm
may 4
6 pm
may 16
6 pm
The Mexican-Lebanese pianist,
who now lives in France, Simón
Ghraichy, has announce a program made up of classical and
contemporary works..
may 18
A clarinet quintet made up of students from the Amadeo Roldán
Conservatory will play works by
Béla Kovács, Mendelssohn, Poulenc and Paquito D’ Rivera.
may 23
6 pm
Cuentos con piano (Stories with
piano), show organized by the
NarrArte Project and the Oral
Narration Forum of the Gran Teatro de La Habana, with the participation of narrators accompanied by Pura Ortiz on piano.
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6 pm
may 30
6 pm
page 39
The Amadeo Roldán String Quartet will play works by Mozart,
Beethoven and Cuban composers
José White, Leo Brouwer and Guido López-Gavilán.
Symphonic jazz concert with the
Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil José
Martí, playing works by George
Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein,
and Cuban composers José Víctor
Gavilondo and Jorge López Marín.
The Lecuona trio with Alberto
Rosas (flute), Alejandro Martínez
(cello) and Yanner Rascón (piano),
along with guest harpist Mayte Rodríguez, will play worls by
Claude Debussy.
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Theatre
Nuestra señora de las nubes
Compañía teatral Hubert de Blanck
Fri & Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5pm
Sala Hubert de Blanck
A beautiful and moving metaphor written by
Argentinian Arístides Vargas, who now lives in
Ecuador, about the meaning of exile at the personal
and collective level.
Las lamentaciones de
Obba Yurú
Teatro Caribeño de Cuba / Directed
by Nelson González, May 5-7, 8:30 pm
This play by Eugenio Hernández Espinosa
immerses itself in the world of yoruba religion.
The story of Obba is one of sacrifice for the
loved one, yet transcends the individual reality
and becomes a hymn and acknowledgement of
universal connotation.
Antigonón, un
contingente épico
Teatro El Público / by Carlos Díaz,
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!
Rascacielos
Teatro El Público / by Jazz Vilá, Fri &
Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm, Sala Adolfo Llau-
Rascacielos (Skyscraper), aimed at young
audiences, has been playing to packed houses.
According to Vilá, coauthor of the play along with
Marcos Díaz, “each of the characters is a skyscraper
because a person’s limit is their thoughts. There are
11 million skyscrapers in Cuba who grow infinitely.”
Under this premise, “four couples linked by the fate
of an artist reveal the essence of their emotions,”
hidden or explicit violence, the complexities of
relationships between people of different ages or
sexual preferences, of living together, the lack of
communication and intimacy.
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Mayo Teatral
16-25, 2014
Casa de las Américas
and Havana theaters;
extensions in other
provinces
may
Teatro de los Andes
The forerunner was the Festival of Latin American
Theater sponsored by Casa de las Américas in the
early 1960s and by 1964 attaining international
characteristics. By the end of the 60s, it had
stopped but in 1998 the Theater Department of the
Casa de las Americas organized the Mayo Teatral
event, intending to hold it annually until 2000 after
which date it was scheduled to take place every
two years. Some of the most important theater
companies of Latin America have participated,
such as La Candelaria (Colombia), Grupo Denise
Stoklos (Brazil) and Sportivo Teatral (Argentina),
just to name a few.
Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes
Mayo Teatral dedicates this year’s edition to
theatrical crossroads: cultural, geographic and
language, and synthesizing various art forms.
Groups from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico,
the Dominican Republic and Cuba are expected
to be taking part at several Havana theaters and
venues in Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, Camagüey and
Santiago de Cuba.
The Temporada de Teatro Latinoamericano
y Caribeño (Latin American and Caribbean
Theater Season) has also organized two creative
workshops: El silencio de la actriz-actor (led by
Charo Francés, founder of the Teatro Malayerba)
aimed at professional actors and higher level acting
students; and La Dramaturgia contra el Teatro y
viceversa (conducted by Uruguayan playwright,
director and actor Gabriel Calderón, director of
the Complot Company) aimed at playwrights,
directors, professional actors and higher level
acting students. There will also be lectures and
encounters with critics and reviewers.
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Mayo Teatral
Recommended highlights 2014
Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes theater company from Mexico, in El automóvil gris, a well-crafted
combination of silent film and theater using Eastern theatrical techniques.
Brazilian actor Narciso Telles is bringing two one-man shows: Potestad, by Eduardo Pavlovsky (Argentina),
and Memorial de silencios y margaritas, based on texts written by Eduardo Galeano (Uruguay) and
testimonials by victims of the Brazilian military dictatorship; and the Associação Cultural Boa Companhia
anunounces Primus which is based on “Report to an Academy,” a story by Franz Kafka, as well as “Letters
from Paradise” that delves into man’s eternal utopias.
Ecuador’s Teatro Malayerba will heat things up with Instrucciones para abrazar el aire, written by
Arístides Vargas, an Argentine exiled in Ecuador, on a recurring theme in Latin American theatre and
cinema: the agony created when the military dictatorship “disappears” a grandchild.
Teatro de los Andes (Bolivia) brings Hamlet de los Andes, a free adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy that
seems to mark a new phase for this group; Diego Aramburo who directs Hamlet… doubles as actor in
Romeo y Julieta de Aramburu with his group Kikinteatro.
Cuba will be represented by the Estudio Teatral de Santa Clara, Teatro El Público, Teatro de la Luna and
Teatro de las Estaciones, with Hojas de papel volando, Antigonón, Matrimonio blanco and Alicia en busca
del conejo blanco, respectively.
There is much anticipation to see what Marianela Boan, iconic figure in Cuban dance, will be doing
when she leads the National Contemporary Dance Company of the Dominican Republic, with Sed surely
playing to a full house.
Compañia Malayerba, Instrucciones
para abrazar el aire.
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other
Encuentro sobre Manejo
y Gestión de Centros
Históricos
May 20 to 23, 2014, Habana Vieja
Under the motto of “Creative cities, cities of
the twenty-first century”, specialists dedicating
themselves to the rehabilitation of historical
city centers and other heritage zones will be
participating at conferences, discussion panels
and workshops dealing with everything relating to
creative cities. Between May 26th and 30th, after
the end of the event, specialists who are involved
in the Master Plan of the Office of the Historian of
the City of Havana will deliver the post-graduate
course entitled “La Habana Vieja: a public model
of sustainable, overall rehabilitation” to talk about
the labors of restoration that the institution has
been carrying out over the last twenty years.
Festival Internacional de
Poesía de La Habana
May 25 to 31, 2014, Havana
A gathering of poets from all the continents on
the globe will be engaged in an intense program
including seminars, lectures taking place in all of
Cuba’s provincial capitals, writing laboratories and
visual arts exhibitions together with celebrations
for the World Assembly of Poets in the Defense
of Humanity. The event will be dedicated to
the bicentenaries of the Cuban poets Gertrudis
Gómez de Avellaneda and José Jacinto Milanés,
as well as to the centenary of Cubans Gastón
Baquero, Ángel Gaztelu and Samuel Feijoo.
Havana Venues: Sala Villena of UNEAC, Salón de Mayo of
the Pabellón Cuba, Salón Solidaridad in the Habana Libre
Hotel, theater of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes,
Basílica de San Francisco de Asís and Casa de la Poesía.
Feria Nacional de
Artesanía Arte para Mamá
April 24 to May 10, Pabexpo, Havana
On the occasion of Mothers’ Day on the second
Sunday of May, the Fondo Cubano de Bienes
Culturales organizes this popular fair; this year,
for the first time, artisans from most of Cuba’s
provinces are represented and institutions such
as Artex, Egrem, Génesis, Casa del Perfume,
Quitrín, Casa del Chocolate, Casa del Abanico,
Distribuidora Nacional del Libro and for the first
time, Flora y Fauna are going to be present.
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Around Cuba
ILGALAC
May 6-10, 2014, Havana & Varadero
Centro de Convenciones Plaza América, Calle 3ra.,
Varadero Matanzas
The Sixth Regional Conference of the International
Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Trans-and
Inter-sexuals for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ILGALAC) under the slogan of “Latin American
and Caribbean Unity for LGBTI Rights” will be
held in Varadero and Havana, bringing together
over 400 delegates striving to promote discussion
and exchange of experiences about the current
challenges for the LGBTI community and the best
strategies to eradicate any type of discrimination
and exclusion due to sexual orientation and gender
identity.
IV Jornada de la
Diversidad Cultural para
el Diálogo y el Desarrollo
May 21-25, Casa de la Diversidad Cultural Camagüeyana, Camagüey
Established in 2011, the event is always held on
this date because May 21st has been designated
by UNESCO for diversity and May 25th for
African cultures. The aim is to show the many
different expressions that make up the cultures of
Camagüey and Cuba. This year’s edition deals with
the various cultural practices in Camagüey, the
Chinese presence in Cuban culture and popular
magical-religious beliefs. The 167th anniversary
of the Chinese presence in Cuba will also be
commemorated.
Fotosub 2014
May 14-18, Cayo Largo
International
underwater
photography
competition – an Open Show – held in one of
the regions of greatest biological diversity on the
Cuban insular platform. The basic premise is to
select and present photographs of underwater
flora and fauna taken during the days of the
competition. Certified photographers and models
are eligible to participate as long as they comply
with regulations for competition in the following
categories: Environment, Environment with
Model, Fish, Macro and Macro on a Theme. Three
awards are given in each category as well as prizes
for Best Model and the Overall Champion of the
event.
http://www.nauticamarlin.com
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may
2-8, 2014
Holguín
Festival Romerías de Mayo:
Memoria Nuestra (Our Memories)
by Victoria Alcalá
On May 3, 1790, the Franciscan friar Antonio de
Alegría placed a cross on the hill that marks the
geographic north of the city of Holguín. The people
of Holguín would make pilgrimages each year to
the Wooden Cross and this led to May 3 being
declared a holiday for the city since 1945. It was
not until 1994, however, that through an initiative
of the Hermanos Saíz Association a group of young
Cuban artists decided to revive these “romerías”
(al fresco religious festivities) that announce the
arrival of springtime. These festivities are presided
over by the Taino Axe and the Wooden Cross,
symbols of the blending of elements (indigenous
and Catholic) that gave birth to Cuban culture. This
refers to the Spanish custom of placing a cross at
the highest point of a town or village in order to
prevent epidemics or natural disasters.
Originally, celebrations would take place at the
foot of the Cross although today the extensive and
eclectic program of activities featuring musicians,
actors, researchers, visual artists, writers and
dancers from all over Cuba (and internationally)
takes place in many locations throughout the city.
The festival usually devotes three days to tradition,
one to the transition period and one to the prese
nt day.
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Feijóo and Cuban arts education will present
a show related to visual artists from Holguín
who have been present at the event for the past
twenty years. Other important figures highlighted
during the Romerías de Mayo will be poet Gastón
Baquero and narrator Onelio Jorge Cardoso,
commemorating one hundred years since his
birth, and the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda on
the 110th anniversary of his birth.
(PREVIEW) May 2-8, 2014: Memoria Nuestra
This year, two of the events that are part of the
Romerías celebrate their twentieth anniversary:
Memoria Nuestra (Our Memories) calls together
researchers under the age of 35 to undertake
salvaging artistic customs, traditions and
manifestations and to present projects dealing
with socio-cultural community experiences; and
Babel dedicated to the visual arts which this year
along with paying tribute to the hundred years
of the poet, painter and anthropologist Samuel
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Things to look out for include the Street Dance
and Theatre Meeting as well as the event Quiero
una Canción (I Want a Song) along with a concert
by the popular group Buena Fe and presentations
by Cuban and foreign guests. There will also be a
concert by local trovadors prior to the opening of
the event at midnight of May 2 in the Bosque de los
Héroes; on May 3, the traditional parade through
the city, climbing up to the Loma de la Cruz
carrying the Taíno Axe and a grand dance. For the
closing event on May 8, a walk from the historical
center of town to the modern part of the city to
plant the Tree of Friendship, the closing ceremony
and a concert by various groups to continue on
into the wee hours of the night.
http://www.romeriasdemayo.cult.cu/
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2014 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship
Cuba’s capital, Havana, hosts the first event in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2014 on May 9-10.
A 27-metre platform positioned on the historic Morro Castle will be the starting point for the world’s
best cliff divers to launch into a brand new season—and the sixth year of World Series competition!
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8: Training (4.30-6.30pm)
may 9: Classification (4.30-6.30pm)
may 10: Finals (4.30-7pm)
may
Photos by Humberto Mayol
This event is not ticketed and entry to the spectator areas is free of charge. We’d only advise that
you arrive early to bag the best spot to watch!
About the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship
In its sixth year, the World Series will bridge
natural venues and urban surroundings as much
as it will push boundaries. The season kicks
off with aesthetic leaps from the picturesque
Morro Castle Fortress at the entrance of Havana
Bay, on the Caribbean island of Cuba. From the
environment where modernity and colonial
constructions go hand-in-hand, this prestigious
series of competitions comes next to the USA’s
Lone Star State. At the Possum Kingdom Lake in
Texas, two towering cliffs mark the entrance to a
small cove and are surrounded by flat terrain. Back
in Europe, the cliff diving elite returns to Ireland’s
Aran Islands and the mysterious blowhole known
as the Serpent’s Lair.
to Brazil, where the coronation of the 2014 World
Series champions will be held in Niterói at the end
of October. While Christ the Redeemer watches
from above, off a unique 27-metre platform
structure, inspired by the architecture of Oscar
Niemeyer, the male and female champions will
dive to glory.
Mid-July, and the midway point of the 2014 World
Series takes the divers back to Norway’s Kragerø,
the site of 495 islands and—recalling 2010—many
more boats before the divers will touch Portuguese
soil once again after previous competitions in
the Azores in 2012 and 2013. The second-to-last
stop is in Bilbao, Spain for the business end of the
World Series before the divers leap over the ocean
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HAVANA MOTOR CLUB
http://www.havanamotorclub.
Change is racing down the streets of Havana,
where Cuba’s top underground drag racers struggle
to prepare their classic American hot rods for the
first official car race since the Revolution.
Cuba’s streets are literally lined with signs of
change. ‘For sale’ placards sit in windows of cars
and homes, now considered private property.
New family-run cafes stand beside old stateoperated cafeterias. Cuban Americans and tourists
exchange ideas and goods with locals. Government
billboards proclaim: ‘The reforms in Cuba are for
more socialism.’ People are overwhelmed, excited,
uncertain. Against the backdrop of such upheaval,
a smaller but significant change has nearly gone
unnoticed: the legalization of car racing.
American cars for the first official race since the
Revolution. One racer enlists the help of a Cuban
American patron in Miami to smuggle in parts
for his illegal Porsche. His main competitor is a
renowned mechanic who uses ingenuity rather
than resources to create a racing monster. Another
racer ponders whether he will participate in the
race or sell his mammoth motor—one that he
recovered on the ocean floor from a sunken ship
used to smuggle Cubans off the island—in order to
flee Cuba on a raft headed to Florida.
The Cuban Revolution has always had a contentious
relationship with racing. In the 1958 Cuban Grand
Prix, rebels kidnapped Argentine racing legend
Fangio in order to publicize their cause. During that
same race, an accident killed seven spectators. As
a result of these incidents and the 1959 Revolution,
car racing came to be viewed as a dangerous and
elitist sport in Cuba. In 1962, the sport was banned
entirely.
Three days before the contest, just as excitement
has reached a fever pitch, the Pope announces
his visit to Cuba, and the government cancels the
race. The racers are furious, and in defiance, they
hold their own illegal contest. However, with a
lousy track and no judges present, they argue and
almost come to blows, refusing to acknowledge a
winner. The only thing that will appease them now
is an official race.
Nevertheless, clandestine drag racing has thrived,
and last year the Cuban people, energized by all
the recent reforms, successfully pressured the
government to legalize car racing again.
After many other suspensions, it is announced
that the historic race will finally take place in
January 2013, almost a year after the original date.
The racers view the announcement with guarded
optimism. Will the race actually happen this time?
And if so, at what cost?
HAVANA MOTOR CLUB follows five of Cuba’s top
racers as they struggle to prepare their classic
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Rey
Rey was born in a workshop and comes from a line of
ingenious Cuban mechanics—the type who simply
make the parts they cannot find in a nation blockaded
by the United States. Rey’s 1955 Chevrolet, nicknamed
“Lightning McQueen,” is the most famous car in Cuba, the
reigning champion in all the street races. Rey’s calm and
courteous demeanor hides a determination to defend his
title and be crowned official champion of Cuba one day.
He carries the burden of not wanting to disappoint his
loving yet demanding father, Tito.
Carlos
Carlos is Rey’s biggest rival. He builds and races cars for
his patron Saul, a Miami-based Cuban American who
personally delivers any replacement parts he needs for his
two cars: a 1956 Chevrolet known as “The Exterminator”
and a modern coupé that looks like a Porsche, is registered
as a Mitsubishi and houses an enormous Chevy V8 engine.
Carlos will use both cars—each souped up with top-ofthe-line racing parts—to challenge Rey’s current reign as
champion...assuming he can keep them from falling apart.
Jote
After crippling his hand in an accident, Jote struggles to
make ends meet as an unlicensed mechanic. He turns to
drag racing as an escape from his day-to-day life. His ’51
Ford, the “Black Widow,” has the biggest motor in Cuba,
since it was taken off the ocean floor from a sunken boat
used to smuggle Cubans to Miami; he plans to make that
trip himself one day.
Piti
Piti was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, and
although the treatment was successful, he knows it
could strike again at any moment. Fiercely patriotic yet
unafraid to speak out against the government, Piti is a
rebellious child of the Revolution. He lives for his wife
and son, as well as his 1956 Ford, “Bucephalus,” named
after Alexander the Great’s horse.
Eduardo
Eduardo is the hothead of the group, always provoking
fights among the other racers. He’s obsessed with winning
and consumed by not having the same access to outside
resources that others have. What he can’t buy, he makes,
and his ‘56 Chevrolet, “The Missile of El Cerro,” contains
many secrets.
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travel
The ideal 3-week Cuba itinerary
by Christopher P. Baker
Photos by Alex Mene
havana
(2 nights)
So much to see, so little time. You’re best to
concentrate your focus on Habana Vieja, where
the main plazas are chock-full of museums and
historic sites. Don’t miss Plaza de Armas, Plaza
de la Catedral, and Plaza Vieja, where Taberna La
Muralla serves delicious home-brewed beer (and
its new larger twin which offers an expansive beer
garden overlooking Havana harbour by the Arts &
Craft market). In many regards, the entire island is
a lived-in museum: the two-part Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes displays a stunning collection of
art; be sure to visit both the international and
Cuban sections.
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Sure, it’s melancholic and occasionally gory, but
for a profile on the Revolution, the Museo de la
Revolución, nearby, is de rigueur. Next, stroll the
Malecón and the tree-shaded streets of Vedado,
taking in the Cemeterio de Colón and Plaza de la
Revolución—it’s a long walk, deserving a refreshing
ice cream at Coppelia and a mojito pick-me-up on
the garden bar of the 1930s-era Hotel Nacional.
Linger for an evening of entertainment at the
hotel’s Cabaret Parisién followed by some bolero
at El Gato Tuerto, nearby. Now pick up a rental car.
Before leaving town, visit Parque Histórico-Militar
Morro Cabaña.
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viñales
(3 nights)
Driving west into Pinar del Río Province, skip the Autopista in favor of the Circuito Norte coast road.
You’ll need a good map to avoid missing the turnoff for Las Terrazas, worth a visit to see this experimental
rural community with artists’ studios and nature trails. Your goal is Viñales, a sleepy and delightful village
surrounded by mogotes—fantastic limestone formations. Touristy it may be, but a boat ride through the
Cuevas del Indio is worthwhile. Overnight at Hotel Los Jazmines, perched atop a mogote, with fantastic
views (room in the original structure are best) and the best food in town. To explore the tobacco fields,
take an excursion to Finca El Pinar in San Luis, near San Juan y Martínez (the town of Pinar del Río can
be skipped); here you can see the famous finca of the late Alejandro Robaina, now managed by his son
and grandchildren.
cienfuegos
(1 night)
There’s no avoiding the long, boring drive via the Autopista to reach Cienfuegos. Get an early start.
At Jagüey Grande turn south for Península de Zapata, stopping for lunch at Restaurante El Colibrí, at
Boca de Guamá. Fill up on gas here and tour the crocodile farm before continuing to Playa Girón, site
of the Bay of Pigs landing. The Museo Playa Girón will excite military and history buffs. From here, the
route via Yaguaramas leads via impoverished yet photogenic old-world farming communities. Arriving
in Cienfuegos around sunset, check into the Hotel Unión, one block from the main square. The hotel has
an excellent albeit overly-chilled restaurant, but for ambience join the other tourists in town for lobster
at Palacio del Valle—the city’s astounding architectural gem—despite its worn feel and overrated dishes.
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trinidad
(2 nights)
Beat the heat for a stroll around Cienfuegos’ Parque
Martí before heading east along the Circuito Sur.
The forested Sierra del Escambray mountains
drop down to the dancing teal blue Caribbean
Sea—an impressive backdrop for the roller-coaster
ride to Trinidad, Cuba’s foremost colonial city.
Just exploring the streets here is reward enough.
The superbly run deluxe Iberostar Gran Trinidad
is the place to stay for those with deep pockets;
otherwise, select a casa particular (private room
rental), such as Casa Colonial Muñoz. After dinner
at Paladar Estela, you’ll want to take in traditional
music at the Casa de la Trova. Then get in the
groove at Disco Ayala, inside a cave.
Camagüey
(1 night)
The drive to Sancti Spíritus is a scenic stunner. Pass
by Sancti Spíritus town and follow the Carretera
Central eastbound. Stop for a traditional country
lunch at Finca Oasis (12 miles east of Ciego de Ávila)
and arrive in Camagüey in mid-afternoon. The
“City of Plazas” is well-named. Plaza San Juan de
Dios is the place to be at sunset. Next day you can
explore the other key plazas. Camagüey is a large
city. Take your time strolling, being sure not to
miss Plaza del Carmen, with its life-like figures of
actual locals going about their business. The best
hotel in town (and a bargain) is the Hotel Colón,
a restored colonial gem. If Ballet de Camagüey is
performing at Teatro Principal, don’t miss it!
Santiago
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(3 nights)
It’s a full day’s drive to Santiago de Cuba, passing
through Las Tunas and Bayamo, where Cuba’s
independence struggle was spawned. After lunch
at the bodega-themed La Sevillana, take a couple
of hours to explore around Parque Céspedes then
continue via El Cobre, to visit the Basilica. Arriving
in Santiago de Cuba, check into the Hotel San
Basilio, in the heart of the colonial quarter (for more
sophistication, the Meliá Santiago reaches toward
international par). The main downtown sites of
interest—Plaza Dolores, Parque Céspedes, Museo
Bacardí —can be seen in one day, with enough
time also for Cuartel Moncada and Cementerio
de Santa Ifigenia. Drive out to Parque Histórico El
Morro for the sunset cañonazo and a criollo meal
at Restaurante El Morro. Nightlife? The Casa de la
Trova is world-renowned venue for son à la Buena
Vista Social Club, and the Tropicana cabaret is a
blast.
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Baracoa
(2 nights)
Guardalavaca
(2 nights)
Head east to Guantánamo and just east of town,
turn north for the Zoológico de Piedra—an amazing
“stone zoo” with representations of animals from
around the world. Further along, steel yourself for
La Farola, the thrilling mountain road that leads to
Baracoa, the oldest city in Cuba. Here make Hotel
El Castillo your base. The views from this former
castle are spectacular, and the restaurant is the
best in town. Take time for an excursion to the
dramatic mountain called El Yunque, and check out
Museo Arquelógico Cueva del Paraíso. Otherwise,
Baracoa is all about absorbing the ancient city’s
esoteric mood. For that, walk the streets.
Set out early for Holguín Province via the badly
denuded coast road. Allow four hours to arrive
at Cueto, just before which turn south for Sitio
Histórico de Birán, Fidel Castro’s birthplace;
the original homestead has been recreated
in idealized form. Retrace your steps north,
continuing via Banes—a superbly scenic drive—and
the Chorro de Maíta archeological site. Overnight
at Guardalavaca, where all-inclusives are your sole
option for accommodation: if you have the budget,
the Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa, on Playa
Yuraguanal, offers the most refinement; Brisas
Guardalavaca Resort is the better bargain, albeit
soulless.
Cayo Coco
(2 nights)
Head out early for Holguín with time to stroll historic Plaza Calixto García and Plaza San José. Then,
head west along the Carretera Central, turning north at Guáimaro to reach the Circuito Norte coast
road. You’ll arrive at Cayo Coco in time for dusk and the spectacular flight of flamingoes returning to
their nighttime roosts. You’ve earned time for two full days relaxing on sugar-white beaches, with time
for watersports, including diving and even sport fishing. Where to stay depends on your budget: allinclusive resorts are the only option. The Spanish-run Meliá Cayo Coco is best.
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Santa Clara
(1 night)
Suitably rested, return to the Circuito Norte
at Morón and head west to Remedios, another
colonial gem worth an hour’s stroll. If you’re
traveling around year’s end, time your visit for the
Christmas Day parranda, when the entire town
explodes in firework fever (book accommodation
far in advance). A spectacular side-trip is to Cayo
Santa María, which adds two hours’ round trip
but offers sublime sands and seas. Continue to
Santa Clara. The Monumento al Che Guevara and,
beneath it, the fabulous Museo del Che is a must
and if you have a chance at night visit El Mejunje (a
fascinating cultural center).
havana
(2 nights)
The Autopista brushes past Santa Clara, returning you to Havana in four hours where you can continue
with your exploration of the stunning capital city. Your last night in Havana should merit a final splurge
and where better than at La Guarida, the most intimate and atmospheric Cuban paladar. Afterwards, if
you have not seen a top class Cuban band play, then you really have no excuse not to go now. Pulsating
music and a great atmosphere guaranteed.
Christopher P. Baker
is a professional travel writer, photographer, and tour leader. His six books about Cuba
include MI MOTO FIDEL: MOTORCYCLING THROUGH CASTRO’S CUBA (National
Geographic Adventure Press), winner of two national book awards.
http://christopherpbaker.com/mi-moto-fidel
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Photos by Yadira Montero
Fundación Havana Club
Avenida del Puerto #262, esq. a Sol,
Habana Vieja
The Havana Club Rum Museum
by Margaret Atkins
It’s a hot and sultry afternoon when I make it to
the Havana Club Rum Museum (Fundación Havana
Club). Having walked through the narrow streets
of Old Havana down to the Avenida del Puerto,
right across the docks of the bay I am positively
glowing. The Guaravana—a mixture of guarapo
(sugarcane juice), orange juice and Havana Club
Rum takes some of the edge off as I arrive. After
crossing a wide hallway, I enter an inner courtyard,
typical of Cuban colonial architecture, and sit on a
barrel-shaped seat to enjoy my drink. Sipping very
slowly hoping that I return to a normal color, I wait
for the tour to begin.
We climb the stairs to the first floor and enter a
room where the different Havana Club rums are
exhibited, as well as a sample of the tools used
in the 19th century for cultivating sugarcane
and producing molasses. There is a collage of
images of African slaves, who were the principal
workforce until the mid-19th century, at work in
the fields. While we look at exhibits, our guide
explains how Columbus first brought sugarcane
stalks from the Canary Islands during his second
trip to the Americas, initially to Hispaniola (today’s
Dominican Republic and Haiti) and then to other
regions in the Americas. Sugarcane easily adapted
to Cuba’s climate and soil and acquired a unique
aroma that distinguishes it from other sugarcane
grown in other places making it the prime and
irreplaceable material in rum making.
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barrels, the darker it becomes. And its taste also
changes, but it is not until when the blend is made
that rum becomes rum. It is then that master rum
makers combine different types and ages to obtain
the desired product.
The second part of our tour shows the actual
production process of Havana Club Rum thanks
to an amazing tiny sugar mill designed according
to the typical mills of the 20th century, with
fermentation tanks and distillation area where
aguardiente, the distilled spirit of sugarcane, is
obtained, and the half lighted warehouse where
rum and aguardiente are aged under the zealous
care of master rum makers. After an 18-month
period of aging, they are blended with treated
water and pure spirits producing a young rum
which is filtered and bottled as Silver Dry. Or it
is aged some more in white cedarwood barrels
that are scraped and burnt, acquiring special
characteristics that are impregnated in the future
rum during aging. The longer the rum is kept in the
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We walk down the stairs on the other side of the
museum down to a narrow bar with an exhibition
of different rum labels, stones used for their
printing, and other artefacts related to the world
of rum. Our guide offers us a shot of Havana Club
7 Años. It is a preamble to sampling (professional
research) some more produce in the Havana Club
Bar. I am tempted by the “ultra-premium extraaged” exclusive Máximo Extra Añejo, (bottled in
Murano glass with gold inlays) but settle for a
mojito in the 1930s style place which has filled up
since I came in. A traditional band—Guaravana—
plays Cuban son. Time passes, not such a bad life…
Museo del Ron
Ave. del Puerto #262, esq. a Sol
Te. (+53) 7-862-4108 / 862-3832 / 861-8051
Open 10am-5pm Mon to Sat.
Tours every two hours in Spanish, English and
French. CUC 5.
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www.laguarida.com
La Guarida: Fit for a Queen
by Margaret Atkins
Today I dined like royalty. This is neither an
exaggeration nor a metaphor because today I
dined at the same table where Queen Sofia of
Spain once did. I was treated with the same stellar
courtesy and pampered as if I too was a member
of the royal family.
Climbing up the Carrara marble staircase guarded
by two headless statues, I breathlessly reached the
reception area where a lovely woman offered me
a drink. Then I entered what some call “Havana
limbo,” a place which discerning customers have
described as Havana’s best restaurant: La Guarida.
La Guarida opened in the 1990s when it was one
of the first privately-owned restaurants that came
into being during the crisis that occurred at the fall
of the socialist bloc in Europe. The need to find a
way of making a living in the midst of an impossible
economic situation motivated an engineer and
an actress to embark on an adventure that many
branded as madness. Enrique Núñez and Odeysis
Baullosa have stayed together since the beginning.
The name is fitting: in English, La Guarida means
“hideout” and that is exactly what it provides, a
safe refuge.
Enrique and Odeysis’ apartment went back to
being a regular family home. But this gave birth
to an idea that would use the magic of La Guarida
(that’s what Diego called the place in the movie).
But La Guarida is much more than the location of
a famous film. Over the years, the owners’ efforts
have turned it into a first class restaurant whose
menu features the best of Cuban cooking and the
latest trends in nouvelle cuisine. Two new dining
rooms have been opened, their walls hanging with
work by Cuban artists in an attempt to delight both
the palate and the spirit. The small well-stocked
wine cellar is excellent. Although the menu is not
extensive, the dishes have been carefully selected
At the beginning, more than one visitor would
come to the door looking for the place where the
well-known Cuban Oscar-nominated movie “Fresa
y Chocolate” was filmed. These people would leave
disappointed because once the film crews left,
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Tom Jones, March 2014
Byonce, 2013
in order to please a wide range of tastes. The
entrées and desserts come highly recommended.
Not only is the food exquisite, but the drinks
thrill, such as their Café Guarida with condensed
milk, Havana Club Añejo and a zest of lemon with
whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. For
the smokers among us, there is a small smokers’
room where they can enjoy an excellent Cuban
cigar accompanied by their liqueur of choice.
The service at La Guarida is another plus: it is just
the right blend of friendliness and discretion; of
elegance and informality that truly makes one
feel very comfortable. Perhaps that is why many
celebrities like to visit. Besides the Queen of Spain,
the restaurant has welcomed Jodie Foster, Pedro
Almodóvar, Sting and Beyoncé…So we stay some
more, tempted by the mojitos they bring us from
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the bar. After visiting the elegant restroom with its
marble sink and immaculate white towels, I blow
out the candle on the table and we depart.
We walk out into the San Leopoldo neighborhood
in Centro Habana. This is a very modest
neighborhood, the location of what once was the
luxurious Camagüey Mansion, first the residence
of a prestigious doctor, then a rooming house and
finally a tenement shared by a bunch of Cuban
families. So if you want an amazing meal and
an essentially Cuban experience, look for this
restaurant at Concordia 418. La Guarida: the ideal
place to invite a date, to celebrate a friendship, to
surprise someone. This is a restaurant that offers
you tradition and sophistication; it is a refuge and
a palace where you will indeed feel like royalty.
La Guarida
The film set for Fresa y Chocolate, La Guarida’s
ambiance is set by the incredible approach up a
sweeping staircase. It’s the Cuban version of The
Ivy, so Hollywood actors dine here when they’re
in town—as do rafts of Cuban musicians. Bookings
are essential and you are greeted warmly by
Enrique Núñez, who despite being Cuba’s most
famous restaurateur, still hustles to make sure
that everything is just right. Top picks include
the eggplant caviar, gazpacho, caimanero (fresh
grouper) and watermelon with grilled shrimps.
Lydia Bell, February 2014
Concordia #418 e/ Gervasio y Escobar,
Centro Habana
(+53) 7-866-9047
Open: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm - 11:45 pm
[email protected]
http://www.laguarida.com/
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Photos by Alex Mene
Café Bohemia
Ground floor of the Palacio de la Casa del
Conde de Lombillo,
Calle San Ignacio #364,
(Next to Factoría Plaza Vieja)
Café Bohemia: In Loving
memory of El Gallego
On the renovated and luminous Plaza Vieja in Old
Havana, Café Bohemia was recently opened in
loving memory of Cuban journalist Ricardo Sáenz,
member of the prestigious group that founded
Prensa Latina, and which included Jorge Ricardo
Massetti, Gabriel García Márquez and other icons
of journalism in Latin America.
Spanish people in Cuba are customarily called
gallegos (Galician), and this was precisely how Sáenz
was known among his colleagues—El Gallego—
although his family came from a different region
in Spain. He is remembered among journalists for
his professionalism and the passion he put into
his job as editor-in-chief and deputy director of
the weekly newspaper Juventud Rebelde, which
was created in the early years of the Revolution,
and afterwards, of Bohemia magazine. The latter,
emblematic publication of journalism in Cuba, is
considered by many as the first of its kind in Latin
America and has kept track of the evolution of
Cuban society for 100 years.
A careful selection of cover pages of different issues
of Bohemia dating from the early 20th century
bears witness to Diana’s marked cultural intention
when she—Sáenz’s daughter—opened this bright
café on the first floor of the majestic Palacio de la
Casa del Conde de Lombillo, at Calle San Ignacio
#364, right next to the popular brewery Factoría
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Plaza Vieja. The Palacio del Conde de Lombillo is
an architectural jewel from the late 18th century,
restored by the Office of the Historian of Havana.
Thanks to its location in the cool inner courtyard
of the colonial building, Café Bohemia is perfect
for taking a break from long walks and seeking
shelter from the stifling Cuban heat as you explore
the Havana’s Historical Center.
Entering the cool inner courtyard where Café
Bohemia has set up shop you feel your temperature
gauge go down a few notches. More than an escape
hatch from Cuba’s sometime stifling heat this is
meant to have a Bohemian vibe. A meeting place
for Cuban musicians, singer-songwriters, authors
and journalists, despite its touristy locale.
When you have lemons make lemonade. Produce
here is sourced locally—Cuba is the original
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slowfood, local and organic when given half a
chance! There are a range of salads and sandwiches
on the menu include the typical country-made
white cheese and ham from Pinar del Río Province,
resulting in a great mix of colors and flavors
with spices, herbs and vegetables dressed with
imported extra virgin olive oil.
I particularly like the fresh juices with flavors
and tropical colors that give life to a rhapsody of
recipes both new and old. If you are ready for a
cocktail try the gin with pepper and rosemary, or
hot spices and apple.
This café is a welcome addition to Old Havana’s
café circuit—no doubt it will be popular. More than
that though this has been developed in a classy
and sensitive way, which integrates and adds to
its surroundings. I think El Gallego would have
been proud.
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Stairway to Heaven
Friday is LGBTI night from 11pm
Photos by Alex Mene
(Escaleras al Cielo)
by Margaret Atkins
Para subir al cielo se necesita una escalera grande
y otra chiquita (To get up to Heaven, you need
a big stairway and another small one). So says a
traditional ditty sung by Cuban children. And José
Feliciano included it in his version of “La Bamba.”
Well, let me invite you to go up these stairways.
One big one going from number 660 on Zulueta
Street to the first floor, the location of El Guajirito
Restaurant and the El Tablao de Pancho Pizzeria.
Don’t stop there. It is worth it, but some other time
we’ll dine there. Now we are going to take a smaller
stairway up to the next floor. At the top there is
a musical universe bordering on the frenetic,
Escaleras al Cielo—described as the craziest disco
in Havana.
From the moment you enter, the décor blasts
out its rock-disco origins, a bit on the retro side,
which has played host to various musical groups
in Cuba. At the door, a winged monster and inside,
Madonna, Freddy Mercury, John Lennon and
other rock stars who accompany you on the walls,
beckoning you to have a great evening. The dark
atmosphere, broken only by the smart lighting,
provides cover for the sensuous dancing, the
sweet kisses and the furtive conquests.
Homosexuals, heterosexuals and bisexuals share
the space with a naturalness that is not too common
in Cuba where Spanish machismo and Catholicism
have left deep imprints only recently beginning to
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It’s a good time to proceed to the bar to choose
any one of the cocktails, wines, rums or liqueurs
that are on the menu, served by lovely smiling
girls. Close to the bar is a small reserved area with
tables for clients who want to watch the goings-on
from a slightly elevated perspective.
disappear. All sorts of couples, groups of friends,
men and women in search of company go there.
Every Friday night, Miriela, the singer-songwriter
and leader of the Aceituna sin Hueso Band, waits
for you with their songs that are as popular in
Cuba as they are abroad and with different guests
that make it a unique and changeable show. It is a
show geared to kick start the night to follow when,
after the concert, the scantily dressed Havana
Toys dancers get erotically busy on tiny stages
with their vertical poles.
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But don’t just watch from afar tonight. Bring along
your drink, mingle and… let yourself go. Against
a column, two girls are kissing. Over there by the
restrooms, two gorgeous men are slow-dancing,
surprisingly so. In spite of the apparent craziness,
the ambience feels safe, even somewhat respectful.
Live and let live—that seems to be the unspoken
motto of the habitués. And the party goes on until
four in the morning. Then the music stops and the
lights go on. Time to go down the stairways. One
small one and one big one. Kids have to grow up to
find out about them. But don’t forget: next Friday,
if you want to come back, they’ll be waiting for you,
waiting to take you up to Heaven again.
Zulueta No. 660 entre Apodaca y Gloria, Habana
Vieja
Tel: (+53) 7-861-7761
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Café Bar Madrigal
The best Gay Nightlife in Havana
Café Bar Madrigal
Feeling more like San Francisco than Havana thanks to its pop décor, fancy cocktails, and the staff’s
(occasional) supercilious attitude, this second-floor hangout is a gathering spot for all types of folks,
including gay men and women in the 25-45 range. What this place has going for it are the comfortable
seating areas—I’m especially partial to the terrace balcony and the living room in the back—cool music,
arty atmosphere, and yummy desserts. On the downside, the entire interior is brick so can be deafening
when there’s a crowd.
Calle 17 #809, e/ 2 y 4, Vedado; Tel: (+53) 7-831-2433; open Tues-Sun 6pm-2am.
Humboldt 52
Café Fortuna
Opened in May 2013, the hot staff, comfortable
setting, and welcoming vibe at this, Havana’s first
full-time, openly-gay bar, make for a fun night
out, regardless of orientation. There’s plenty of
seating, big screen TVs showing music videos
(Cuban artists are well-represented), and don’t be
surprised if you find the decent-sized dance floor
swirling with men dancing some serious salsa. Of
course, like most gay bars globally, there’s also a
disco ball and ‘back room’—though this one is for
smoking, not other, more libidinous, activities. A
talented opera duo perform Wednesdays; other
days you’ll find karaoke and drag performances.
This wonderful, off-the-beaten path find is as cozy
as a West Village flat, with the interior décor to
match. There are ancient typewriters, radios, and
other curios hanging from the walls, a bathtub for
two (they lay a board across it for easy access to
your cocktails), and an old American car for kicking
back with a cappuccino. The seamless combination
of comfortable and funky works well here, where
you’ll find a very mixed, welcoming crowd. This
is one of the few places in Havana where you can
still smoke; there’s a full bar in addition to a wide
variety of coffee specials well-made.
Humboldt #52, e/ Infanta y Hospital, Centro
Habana. Tel: (+53) 5-330-2989; open daily 8pm4am.
Avenida 3ra, esq. a 28, Miramar; open daily 8am10pm.
Cine Club Diferente
A monthly happening at Cine 23 y 12, this is one of the biggest regular gatherings of LGBTI Cubans and
friends. Hosted by noted film critic Frank Padrón, the cinema packs in folks eager to see movies tackling
themes of sexual diversity—some quite polemic. Past screenings have included Outrage, Harvey Milk,
and Verde Verde, the 2011 Cuban film which shows how far things have come since Fresa y Chocolate
(and how far we still have to go). Stick around for the lively audience debate following.
Calle 23 e/ 10 y 12, Vedado; 2nd Tuesday of the month at 8pm.
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Escaleras al Cielo
This disco is transformed into a hopping hot spot
every Friday night when LGBTI Cuban youth and
friends hit the big dance floor to get their groove
on to a live DJ. There’s a disco ball, naturally, and
a surprisingly sophisticated (for Cuba) laser light
system. This is one of the few places I know of with
pole dancing, replete with provocatively dressed
performers—both men and women. Stairway to
Heaven indeed.
Zulueta #660 e/ Apodaca y Gloria, Habana Vieja;
Tel: (+53) 7-861-9198; open Fridays 10pm-3am.
Fashion Bar Havana
Cuba’s first (and only, to my knowledge) drag supper
club/bar, the setting here is a superb example
of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a
fantastic floor show. The owner, known as Luisito,
spent many years in Holland before returning
to the island and knows how to show clients a
frolicking good time. The staff are nothing short
of gorgeous, especially when performing scantily
clad, which happens after the 11pm drag show in a
rare homoerotic dance spectacle.
Reservations recommended. San Juan de Dios, esq. a
Aguacate, Habana Vieja; Tel: (+53) 7-867-1676; open
Saturdays (hours to be extended soon) 9pm-4am.
Cabaret Las Vegas
This state-run joint is a bit scrappy, but has long
been a gay hangout and the stomping grounds of
Divino, one of Cuba’s most accomplished drag acts.
In the great tradition of queer dives everywhere,
this place is dark and smoky, which keeps many
people away. However, the show (11pm) is worth
catching and it’s just a hop, skip from Humboldt
52, so you can shuttle between the two easily.
Infanta #104, e/ 25 y 27, Vedado. Tel: (+53) 7-8707939; open daily 10pm-4am.
Bar Bohemio
If there’s a more laidback, chill and tropical chic
atmosphere in Havana, I’ve yet to find it. Owned
by a pair of retired Danza Contemporanea de Cuba
dancers, this bar/restaurant housed in a Vedado
mansion epitomizes sophisticated casual, with its
plant-filled wraparound terrace, warm lighting,
and individual couches and seating areas. It is as
comfortable for a first date as a regular tryst meetup, testifying to its welcoming, inclusive feel.
Calle 21 #1065, e/ 12 y 14, Vedado; Tel: (+53) 7-8336918; closed Mondays.
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La California
Havana’s best places to eat
El Atelier
CA
5
Bikos
CA
5
Experimental fusion
Spanish
Beautiful décor, interesting
menu.
Authentic Spanish food
Good service.
Calle 5 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado.
Calle 19 #1010 e/ a 12, Vedado
Carboncita
CA
4+
La Casa
CA
4+
CA
5
La California
CA 5
Cuban-Creole/International
Café
(+53) 7-831-8847
(+53) 7-836-2025
Café Bohemia
Bohemian feel. Great
sandwiches, salads & juices
Beautiful C19 colonial
building
Calle San Ignacio #364,
Habana Vieja
Calle Crespo #55 e/ San Lázaro
y Refugio, Centro Habana
Casa Miglis
(+53) 7-863 7510
CA
5
Chanchullero CA
Italian
Contemporary fusion
Swedish-Cuban fusion
Spanish/Mediterranean
Walter’s place - Great pizza
Great service
Oasis in Centro Habana
Hole in the wall tapas
Ave. 3ra #3804 e/ 38 y 40,
Miramar.
Calle 30 #865 e/ 26 y 41,
Nuevo Vedado.
Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y
Lagunas, Centro Habana.
(+53) 7-881-7000
(+53) 7-864-1486
(+53) 7-203 0261
Chansonnier CA
4+
Cocina Lilliam CA
4+
El Cocinero
CA
Teniente Rey #457a bajos,
Plaza del Cristo, Habana Vieja.
(+53) 7-872-8227
5+
Corte Príncipe CA
Contemporary fusion
International
International
Italian
Stylish & contemporary
with good food. Not cheap.
Set in a beautiful garden
Great ambience & service
Spectacular pasta
Calle 48 #1311, e/ 13 y 15,
Miramar.
Calle 26, e/ 11 y 13, Vedado.
9na esq. 74, Miramar.
Calle J #257 e/ Línea y 15,
Vedado
Il Divino
CA
(+53) 7-832-2355
(+53) 7-209-6514
(+53) 7-832-1576
4+
D. Eutimia
CA 5+
Esperanza
International
Cuban/Creole
A great day out
Absolutely charming
Calle Raquel, #50 e/
Esperanza y Lindero, Mantilla,
Arroyo Naranjo.
Callejón del Chorro #60C,
Plaza de la Catedral,
Habana Vieja.
Intimate, idiosyncratic &
charming
La Guarida
CA
5+
Iván Chef
CA
El Litoral
CA
CA
International
Consistently good
4+
(+53) 7-202-8337
(+53) 7-202-4361
5+
La Fontana
Calle 46 #305 esq a 3ra,
Miramar.
Calle 16 #105 e/ 1ra y 3ra,
Miramar.
(+53) 7-861-1332
5+
Mediterraneo CA
Contemporary fusion
Spanish (Tapas)
International
Mediterranean
Justifiably famous
Brilliantly creative food
Sea view, great food.
Concordia #418 e/ Gervasio y
Escobar, Centro Habana.
Aguacate #9, esq.a Chacón,
Habana Vieja.
Malecón #161 E/ K y L,
Vedado .
Interesting menu. Lovely
outdoor terrace.
(+53) 7-866-9047
La Moraleja
(+53) 7-863-9697
Opera
CA 5
International/Brasserie
Spacious and beautiful
outdoor terrace. Excellent
food & attentive service.
Calle 25 #454, e/ J e I, Vedado.
(+53) 7-832-0963
San Cristóbal CA
5
Traditional Italian
Homely & intimate
environment. Quality food
in a beautiful setting. By
reservation.
Santy
CA
(+53) 7-832 4894
CA 4+
CA
International
Kitsch, after beach pizza
Wonderful view
5ta A #50206 e/ 502 y 504,
Guanabo, Habana del Este.
3A y Final #11, La Puntilla,
Miramar.
(+53) 796-4300
5+
Río Mar
Italian
Calle 5ta #204 e/ E y F,
Vedado
(+53) 7-831-2255
5+
Piccolo
Starbien
5
Calle 13 #406 e/ E y F,
Vedado.
(+53) 7-830-2201
CA
5+
(+53) 5-255-9091
CA 4+
Cuban fusion
(+53) 7-643-7734
4+
5
(+53) 7-209-4838
CA
5
El Templete
CA 5-
Cuban/Creole
Sushi/Oriental
Spanish/Mediterranean
Spanish/Mediterranean
Cute kitsch
World class, unique.
Quality food
Old school – quality
Calle San Rafael #469 e/
Lealtad y Campanario, Centro
habana.
Calle 240A #3023 esq. 3raC,
Jaimanitas.
Calle 29 #205 e/ B y C,
Vedado.
Ave. del Puerto #12 esq. a
Narciso López, Habana Vieja.
(+53) 7-860-9109
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(+53) 7-830-0711
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.com
El Cocinero
CA 5+
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
International
CostModerate
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 Guarida
CA 5+
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
Contemporary fusion
CostExpensive
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/Mediterranean
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
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
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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
Atelier
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
Experimental fusion
CostModerate
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) 0-836-2025
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
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
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Mediterráneo Havana
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
Italian / Mediterranean
CostModerate
Type of place Private (Paladar)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for Interesting and varied menu. Lovely
second floor terrace in quiet neighborhood.
Don’t Miss Gazpacho starter. Ravioli de
pescado with seafood sauce.
Calle 13 #406, e/ F y G, Vedado.
(+53) 7-832 4894
http://www/medhavana.com
[email protected]
Opera
CA 5
Style of food
CA TOP PICK
Traditional Italian
CostModerate
Type of place Private (Paladar)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for Enjoy an excellent traditional Italian
kitchen, within an ambience of classic music
& operate with beautiful contemporary
décor that fuses the old and the new.
Don’t miss The pastas with pumpkin and
spinach. Fabulous Quail, rabbit and duck.
Calle 5ta #204 e/ E y F, Vedado
(+53) 7-831-2255
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/opera.cuba
Casa Miglis
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
Swedish
CostExpensive
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
La Moreleja
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Style of food
International/Brasserie
CostModerate
Type of place Private (Paladar)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for Spacious and beautiful outdoor
terrace. Excellent food & attentive service.
Don’t miss This place where dreams come
true
Calle 25 #454 e/ J e I, Vedado
(+53) 7-832-0963
[email protected]
http://www.lamoraleja-cuba.com
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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.
Factoría
Plaza Vieja
CA 5
Microbrewery. Serves
ice chilled bong of light
locally brewed beer. New
locale as well overlooking
Havana bay.
Obispo #557 esq. a
Monserrate, Habana Vieja
(+53) 7-867-1299
San Ignacio esq. a Muralla,
Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja
Sloppy
Joe’s Bar
CA 4+
Recently (beautifully)
renovated. Full of history.
Popular. Lacks a little
‘grime’.
Ánimas esq. a Zulueta, Habana
Vieja
El Gato Tuerto CA
4+
Late night place to hear
fabulous bolero singers.
Can get smoky.
Calle O e/ 17 y 19, Vedado
(+53) 7-833-2224
(+53) 7-866-7157
(+53) 7-866-4453
Contemporary Bars
El Cocinero
CA 5+
Fabulous rooftop setting,
great service, cool vibe.
Espacios
CA 5-
Laid back contemporary
bar with a real buzz in the
back beer-garden.
Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado
Calle 10 #510, e/ 5ta y 31,
Miramar
(+53) 7-832-2355
(+53) 7-836-3031
Esencia
Habana
Spacious modern bar.
Good service and nice
cocktails. Non-smoking
inside.
Calle B e/ Línea y Calzada,
Vedado
5
Fabulous rooftop setting,
great service, cool vibe.
Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado
(+53) 7-830-1354
Kpricho
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) 7-836-3031
Contemporary bars/clubs
Bertolt Brecht CA
CA 4+
CA 4
Melem
CA 4+
Sangri-La
CA 5
Über modern and stylish
indoor bar/club. Miami
style crowd and attitude.
Popular modern bar. Can
get smoky and a little tight
on space by the bar.
For the cool kids.
Basement bar/club which
gets packed at weekends.
Calle 94 #110 e/ 1ra y 3ra,
Miramar
Ave. 1ra e/ 58 y 60, Miramar
Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar
(+53) 7-264-8343
(+53) 7-206-4167
Other
Meliá Sports
Bar
CA 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.
Meliá Habana Hotel
Ave. 3ra e/ 76 y 80, Miramar
Las Piedras
CA 4+
Large mansion functioning
as bar of choice for the
after-party (3am+), when
it gets packed to the
rafters.
Ave. 1ra y 32, Miramar
El Tocororo
CA 4+
Expat favorite hangout.
Small indoor bar with
live music and eclectic
clientele.
Calle 18 e/ 3ra y 5ta, Miramar
(+53) 7-202-9486
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.
Ave. 1ra e/ 16 & 18, Miramar
(+53) 7-204-3837
(+53) 7-204-8500
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
You’ve
Escaleras
al Cielo
CA 5
Friday night attracts a
LGBTI crowd. Great bands,
hip crowd, pole dancing—
what more could you
want?
Zulueta #660 e/ Apodaca y
Gloria, Habana Vieja
CA
Fashion
Bar Havana
A superb example of
queer class meets camp,
accompanied by a
fantastic floor show.
San Juan de Dios, esq. a
Aguacate, Habana Vieja
(+53) 7-861-9198
waited Long Enough
5
May 2014
(+53) 7-867-1676
Produced by
Café Bar
Madrigal
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
.com
Bertolt Brecht
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Contemporary Bar
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
Escaleras al Cielo
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
Gay friendly
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?
Zulueta #660 e/ Apodaca y Gloria, Habana Vieja
(+53) 5-2861-9198
Fábrica de Arte
CA 5+
CA TOP PICK
Contemporary Bar/CLUB
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
You’ve
waited Long Enough
May 2014
Produced by
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Privé Lounge
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
JAZZ CLUB
Ambience
Popularity
Entertainment
Service & drinks
Best for Intimate lounge club with quality
decor and great acoustics.
Don’t Miss Sunday night jazz – brilliant
musicans play here.
Calle 88A #306 e/ 3ra y 3raA, Miramar
(+53) 7-209-2719
Don Cangrejo
CA 4+
CA TOP PICK
CONTEMPORARY
Ambience
Popularity
Entertainment
Service & drinks
Best for 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.
Don’t Miss Outdoor by the sea.
Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar
(+53) 7-204-3837
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
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
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May 2014
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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
Ave. 5ta esq. a 94, Miramar
10:30pm – 2am
Café Cantante CA
Mi Habana
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
Fábrica de Arte CA
5
X Alfonso’s new cultural
center. Great concerts
inside (small and funky)
and outside (large and
popular!). Great mix of
people.
A truly beautiful church,
which regularly hosts
fabulous classical music
concerts.
Oficios y Amargura
Plaza San de Francisco
de Asís, Habana Vieja.
Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado
(next to the Puente de Hierro)
Jazz Café
Privé Lounge
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
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
CA
Música de
Centro Habana
Casa de la
Música de
Miramar
4
Sala Covarrubias, CA
Teatro Nacional
Recently renovated, this
is 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
Galiano e/ Neptuno y
Concordia, Centro Habana
Don Cangrejo CA
5
Think MTV Unplugged when
musicians play. Hip, funky
and unique with an artsy
Cuban crowd.
Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado
Salón Rosado
de la Tropical
CA 4
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.
Smaller and more upmarket than its newer
twin in Centro Habana.
This is an institution in
the Havana salsa scene
although probably seen
better days.
A little rough around the
edges but spacious. For
better or worse, this is
ground zero for the best in
Cuban salsa.
Ave. 41 esq. a 46, Playa
Calle 20 esq. a 35, Miramar
(+53) 7-203-5322
(+53) 7-204-0447
(+53) 7-860-8296/4165
Contemporary
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.
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
Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar.
Teatro de CA
Bellas Artes
4+
Small intimate venue inside
Cuba’s most prestigious arts
museum. Modern.
Trocadero e/ Zulueta y
Monserrate, Habana Vieja.
(+53) 7-204-3837
(+53) 7-881-1808
Trova & traditional
Barbaram CA
Pepito’s Bar
5
(+53) 7-833-2402
Salsa/Timba
Café Teatro CA
Bertolt Brecht
Basílica Menor CA
de San Francisco
de Asís
4+
El Gato Tuerto CA
Late night place to hear
fabulous bolero singers. Can
get smoky.
Some of the best Cuban
Nueva Trova musicians
perform in this small and
intimate environment.
Calle O entre 17 y 19, Vedado
Calle 26 esq. a Ave. del Zoológico.
Nuevo Vedado
(+53) 7-833-2224
(+53) 7-881-1808
You’ve
4+
Legendarios CA
de Guajirito
5
See Buena Vista Social Club
musicians still performing
nightly from 9pm. Touristy
but fabulous.
Zulueta #660 e/ Apodaca y
Gloria, Centro Habana
Salón 1930 CA 4+
‘Compay Segundo’
Buena Vista Social Club
style set in the grand Hotel
Nacional.
Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Calle O,
esq. 21, Vedado
(+53) 7-835-3896
(+53) 7-861-7761
waited Long Enough
May 2014
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5
Havana’s Best Hotels
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Simply the best…
CA
Iberostar
Parque Central
Santa Isabel
5+
CA 5+
Luxurious historic mansion
facing Plaza de Armas
Luxury hotel overlooking
Parque Central
Barratillo #9 e/ Obispo y
Narciso López, Habana Vieja
Neptuno e/ Prado y Zulueta,
Habana Vieja.
Saratoga
Stunning view from rooftop pool. Beautiful décor.
Paseo del Prado #603 esq. a
Dragones, Habana Vieja
(+53) 7-860-8201
(+53) 7-860-8201
(+53) 7-860-6627
Boutique Hotels in Old Havana
Florida
CA 5
Beautifully restored
colonial house.
(+53) 7-862-4127
Business Hotels
Meliá Cohíba
Palacio del
Marqués...
CA 5
CA 5
Oasis of polished marble
and professional calm.
CA 5+
Oficios #152 esq. a Amargura,
Habana Vieja
Oficios #53 esq. a Obrapía,
Habana Vieja
Meliá Habana CA
Occidental
Miramar
5
Attractive design &
extensive facilities.
Ave Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado
Hostal
Valencia
Immensely charming,
great value.
Cuban baroque meets
modern minimalist
Obispo #252, esq. a Cuba,
Habana Vieja
CA 5+
Ave. 3ra y 70, Miramar
(+53) 5-204-8500
(+53) 7- 833-3636
CA 4+
Good value, large spacious
modern rooms.
Ave. 5ta. e/ 70 y 72, Miramar
4
Mercure
Sevilla
CA 4
Stunning views from the
roof garden restaurant.
Calle Obispo #153 esq. a
Mercaderes, Habana Vieja
Trocadero #55 entre Prado y
Zulueta, Habana Vieja
(+53) 7- 860-9529
Hotel
Nacional
Bosque
CA 3
Deauville
CA 3
On the banks of the Río
Almendares.
Lack of pretension, great
location.
Calle 28-A e/ 49-A y 49-B,
Reparto Kohly, Playa
Galiano e/ Sán Lázaro y
Malecón, Centro Habana
(+53) 7-204-9232
(+53) 7-866-8812
You’ve
waited Long Enough
CA 5
Eclectic art-deco
architecture. Gorgeous
gardens.
(+53) 7-862-8061
Conde de
Villanueva
CA 5
Delightfully small and
intimate. For cigar lovers.
Mercaderes #202, esq. a
Lamparilla
H10 Habana
Panorama
CA 4+
Cascades of glass. Good
wi-fi. Modern.
Consulado #162, e/ Colon y
Trocadero, Centro Habana.
Riviera
CA 3
Spectacular views over
wave-lashed Malecón
Paseo y Malecón, Vedado
(+53) 7-836-4051
Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado
(+53) 7-860-8560
Economical/Budget Hotels
Malecón esq. a Lealtad, Centro
Habana
(+53) 7-204-0100
For a sense of history
A must for Hemingway
aficionados
CA 5
Wonderful ocean front
location. Newly renovated.
(+53) 7-862-9293
(+53) 7-867-1037
(+53) 7-204-3583
Ambos Mundos CA
Terral
(+53) 7-835 3896
Saint John’s
CA 3
Lively disco, tiny quirky
pool. Popular.
Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado
May 2014
(+53) 7-833-3740
Produced by
Vedado
CA 3
Good budget option with a
bit of a buzz
Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado
(+53) 7-836-4072
.com
Havana’s best private places to stay
Artedel
For Help reserving any Private Accommodation (Casas Particulares) in Cuba please contact
[email protected]
Mid range - Casa Particular (B&B)
1932
Doris
CA 4
Visually stunning,
historically fascinating.
Welcoming.
CA 5
Beautiful, sun drenched
apartment
Campanario #63 e/ San Lázaro
y Laguna, Centro Habana
19th Street #1211 apart 3, e/ 18
y 20, Vedado.
(+53) 7-863-6203
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.
Consulado #162 e/ Colón y
Trocadero, Centro Habana
(+53) 7-861-8027
(+53) 7-861-0253
Up-scale B&Bs (Boutique hostals)
Rosa D’Ortega
CA 5
Beautiful and welcoming
large home
Vitrales
CA 5
Hospitable, attractive and
reliable boutique B&B with
Patrocinio #252 esq. a Juan
Bruno Zayas, 10 de Octubre
Habana #106 e/ Cuarteles y
Chacón, Habana Vieja
(+53) 7-866-2607
(+53) 5 403 1568
Artedel
CA 5+
Ydalgo Martínez
Matos’s spacious and
contemporary 3-bedroom
penthouse is magnificent.
Calle L #260 e/ 15 y 17,
Vedado
Hostal
Guanabo
CA 5
Beautiful 4 bedroom
sea-front villa in sleepy
Guanabo. Excellent food.
Calle 480 #1A04 e/ 1ra y 3ra,
Guanabo
(+53) 5-830-8727
(+53) 7-799-0004
Apartment rentals
Bohemia Hostal CA
Gorgeous 1-bedroom
apartment beautifully
decorated apartment
overlooking Plaza Vieja.
http://livingincuba.weebly.com/
Luxury Houses
CA 5
Calle 3ra y Final, Miramar
You’ve
CA 5+
Concordia #151 apto. 8 esq. a
San Nicolás, Centro Habana
(+53) 5- 403-1 568
(+53) 7-836-6567
Beautiful 1950s custardcream mansion with 4
large rooms, pool table,
swimming pool and
waterfront views.
Casa
Concordia
Beautifully designed and
spacious 3 bedroom
apartment. Spanish
colonial interiors with
cheerful, arty accents.
San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla
y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja
Habana Vieja
Casa
Almendares
5
CA
Gertrudis
Martorell Roque
5
Beautiful 4-bedroom
apartment on first floor
of mansion of elegant
mansion.
Ave. 7ma e/ 66 y 70, Miramar
(+53) 7-202-6563
Suite Havana
CA 5
Elegant 2-bedroom apartment
in restored colonial building.
Quality loft style décor.
Lamparilla #62 altos e/
Mercaderes y San Ignacio,
Habana Vieja
(+53) 5-829-6524
(+53) 5-254-5240
http://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
http://www.havanacasablanca.
com
waited Long Enough
Michael and
María Elena
CA 5
This leafy oasis in western
Havana has an attractive
mosaic tiled pool and
three modern bedrooms.
Calle 66 #4507 e/ 45 y Final,
Playa
May 2014
(+53) 7-209-0084
Produced by
Residencia
Mariby
CA 5
A sprawling vanilla-hued
mansion with 6 rooms
decorated with colonialera lamps, tiles and Louis
XV furniture
Vedado.
(+53) 5-370-5559
.com
Artedel Penthouse
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 L #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
http://livingincuba.weebly.com/
Casa Concordia
CA 5
CA TOP PICK
3 Bedroom apartment
Facilities
Rooms
Ambience
Value
Best for Beautifully designed and spacious
apartment with 5 balconies offering views of
the city and sea.
Don’t Miss Feeling a part of Centro Habana,
the beating heart of the city.
Concordia #151 apto. 8 esq. a San Nicolás, Centro
Habana
(+53) 5-254-5240
http://www.casaconcordia.net
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) 7-641-4329
http://www.larosadeortega.com
You’ve
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May 2014
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