Best Havana guide - Cuba Explorer Tours
Transcription
Best Havana guide - Cuba Explorer Tours
CUBANÍ AI S S UE t hee s s e nc eo fal lt hi ng sCub an lahabana.com LA HABANA.COM is an independent platform, which seeks to showcase the best in Cuba arts & culture, life-style, sport, travel and much more... We seek to explore Cuba through the eyes of the best writers, photographers and filmmakers, both Cuban and international, who live work, travel and play in Cuba. Beautiful pictures, great videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips. HAVANA GUIDE “El Litoral” The ultimate guide to Havana with detailed reviews of where to eat, drink, dance, shop, visit and play. Unique insights to the place that a gregarious, passionate and proud people call home. La Guarida Like us on Facebook for beautiful images, links to interesting articles and regular updates. Over 100 videos including interviews with Cuba’s best artists, dancers, musicians, writers and directors. OUR CONTRIBUTORS Follow us on Twitter for regular updates of new content, reviews, comments and more. We are deeply indebted to all of the writers and photographers who have shared their work with us. We welcome new contributors and would love hear from you if you have a Cuba-related project. Photo by Y. del Monte editorial So, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are coming to Cuba on March 21-22 to watch baseball. At least they are scheduled to attend an exhibition match between The Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team on Tuesday March 22. On Friday, the Rolling Stones are playing the final leg of their Latin American tour in Havana at the Ciudad Deportiva. Not so long ago, the preceding paragraph would be seen as a futuristic spoof of a very different Havana. For this month, this is simply what’s on in the trendiest spot in the Caribbean. A famous visitor, spot of baseball and some good music! Obama’s will be the first sitting US president to visit Havana since Calvin Coolidge in 1928 and only the second in the history between the two countries. Expect massive wall-to-wall international coverage and a security presence that is likely to shut down Havana for the duration of his visit. It is a mark of the sign of the times that last year at this time we were talking about Paris Hilton’s entrance at the Habanos Cigar Festival, this year’s version now about to come to an end with the Gala Dinner. My money for Secret Santa this year is on the Terminator. This issue has as its main feature Cubanía, which may be loosely translated as the essence of being Cuban. From dominoes to Guarapo, to the simple nature of playing on the streets of Cuba and Havana’s latest style-cuts, being Cuban eludes too clear a definition, but we like it! One day absolutely not to miss this month is Tuesday March 8, which is of course International Women’s Day. This is taken very seriously in Cuba—flowers are an essential accessory. Elsewhere March is a great month, winter seems to have ended, and it is safe to go back to the beach, to lounge in the Caribbean sunshine. The Americans have definitely launched a tourist invasion but they aren’t so bad really—just avoid the timing when the tour buses meet the cruise ships in Old Havana! New bars and restaurants continue to enliven the social scene in Havana and there is ample choice of music and dance events at this time of year. Enjoy. Abrazos! The LaHabana.com Team About our new look In January we introduced our new logo, look and feel. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s not a huge departure from the original Cuba Absolutely logo. Rather, we’re staying close to our roots, whilst we position ourselves for an expansion into the digital realm with LaHabana.com. We will continue to expand our monthly themes while maintaining the popular “What’s On” section as an integral part of the Magazine. In the coming months, we will bring online weekly updates on what to see and do in…La Habana. Please send us your feedback and comments. Photo by Ana Lorena march 2016 la Cubanía Cubanía: the essence of being Cuban p7 Dominoes: a Cuban passion p9 Guarapo: The Cuban drink par excellence p12 The truth about Guayaberas (and some lies) p14 Playing on the streets of Cuba p17 Havana’s newest coiffures p20 The Cuban Guateque Guajiro p22 International Women’s Day Celebrating International Women’s Day in Cuba p25 Cuban Women: Body and Soul p28 In other News Obama’s visit to Cuba: What will it bring? p31 Rolling Stones Coming to Havana? p38 Havana Listings Visual Arts p32 — Photography p35 — Dance p36 — Music p40 — Theatre p49 — For Kids p50 Havana Guide Features - Restaurants - Bars & Clubs - Live Music Hotels - Private Accommodation p59 All about Cubanía: the essence of being Cuban by Ricardo Alberto Pérez lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 7 Some people are often puzzled when asked “What is cubanía?” The question often results in many to shrug or to give of a hackneyed response like “cubanía is tobacco, music, rum, palm trees, roast pork and sugar cane.” More than 60 years ago, the scholar Fernando Ortiz said that “cubanidad” is the generic condition of Cuban people, and “cubanía” is full, heartfelt, conscious and desired cubanidad; a responsible cubanidad with the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.” In 1939 Don Fernando Ortiz gave a lecture entitled “The human factors of cubanidad” at the University of Havana, and one year later it appeared in print in the “Revista Bimestre Cubana”. Ever since then, experts and dilettantes have given various opinions about the subject of cubanidad and cubanía. Some have been ludicrous, untrue, local, reductionist, stereotypical, frozen in time or simply factors that are common to any other group of people. Ortiz, a scholar who has been rightly called our third discoverer—right after Christopher Columbus and Alexander von Humboldt—based his opinion on the assurance that Cuba is not a concept that is the same for everybody, not even for the geographers, because this is an island and also an archipelago. Although in its simplest sense, cubanidad is the “quality of being Cuban,” holding political citizenship or natural citizenship because of having been born in this country are not conditions enough for possessing cubanía. Cubanía is an individual condition, one that is constantly mutating. The most quoted expression given by Ortiz in his lecture was that “Cuba is an ajiaco (a stew or soup)” with an infinite diversity of ingredients. But we tend to forget that he was speaking of a cazuela abierta or pot without a lid, a process like a stew that is constantly cooking, in which feelings, ideas and actions associated with it are being melded together. It doesn't matter whether or not you have legal citizenship: you can be born anywhere on this planet but acquire the awareness of being Cuban, passionately desiring this. That is enough to become, with grateful joy, a human being endowed with cubanía. On the other hand, you may be born here and not feel it has been “an unnamed fiesta” and so, you wouldn't even possess cubanidad. lahabana Such a sustained and fervent distinction offered by the generic condition of being Cuban up to the brim, even beyond anything felt, conscious and wished for, defines cubanía. It is a matter of a responsible sense of awareness and “homeland roots” that emerge from below and from within with the profound pride of mestizaje (a process of cultural synthesis from different racial origins). In a relatively small area like the island of Cuba and in a relatively brief period of time, the most diverse cross-currents and itineraries came together, from all manner of origins and provenances, a permanent transitoriness of farewells and adieus, welcomes and receptions: We are proud to be one of the most intermixed peoples on the planet. There are those who have demonstrated their cubanidad and cubanía by the recurrent use of Cubanisms that can function as some external aspect but can also be consciously used, constituting traits of true authenticity. With his tremendous linguistic sensibility, José Lezama Lima used to amuse himself with countless voices heard on the street and he would refute those who labelled him as a “dark poet” by challenging them to decipher the meaning of ampanga or tíbiritábara. Before and after Ortiz, many have attempted to define “the Cuban essence,” possibly an obsession of colonial or semi-colonial “newcomers” during several centuries who need to reaffirm their endangered identity. But perhaps it was Lezama himself, with the synthesis and ambiguity of poetry, who offered us in one of his verses the essence of that elusive, volatile, changing, personal and non-transferrable condition: “Ah! so you escape at the instant / when you have attained your best definition.” Cuba's Digital Destination page 8 Dominoes: a Cuban passion by Ricardo Alberto Pérez The game of dominoes is one of the pastimes that best identifies the nature of Cubans. It covers every inch of the island, providing the preferred entertainment for its inhabitants. But the most interesting aspect of this activity is what goes on around the table where four players made up of two pairs vie against each other with singular fervor. In official championships and in other regions of the world, seven rectangular tiles numbered from 0 to 6 are distributed to each player thereby putting 28 tiles in play; they are shared by the two battling pairs. But in Cuba, it is common practice to use ten tiles per player since this game runs from 0 to 9, with only forty of the fifty-five tiles in play. There will always be fifteen that are excluded from the proceedings and this adds greater mystery to the contest when players are deciding how to make their moves. When the tiles are stirred before getting distributed, the Cubans have a special name for this: darle agua al dominó. lahabana The game inspires the same passions in the large cities like Havana and in the most remote rural areas. Every location reflects the peoples’ habits and cultural levels. Traditionally, years back, campesinos used to include dominoes in their local fiestas called guateques. That was very common in the days when electricity hadn’t yet reached those areas. In the main neighborhoods in Havana, it is not unusual to see dominoes being played on front porches, in parks and on the sidewalks. Dominoes have spontaneously left their imprint on popular Cuban expressions. Many sayings have evolved into language that is used to describe dayto-day situations. Two examples of this are the phrases viró con fichas [turned with the tiles] or se trancó el juego [the game has been cut off]. The first one refers to the fact that someone has suddenly done or said something completely unexpected and the second one describes how some situation has ended without any possibility of going on. Cuba's Digital Destination page 9 Playing dominoes provides an excellent excuse for having a few shots of rum with friends, of exchanging opinions on the political scene worldwide and the latest gossip in the neighborhood in an informal, pleasant manner. It is also great for getting together with people you don’t get to see very often and so demonstrate their friendship with them. It’s true that for some people dominoes is practically an addiction. They need to sit down at the domino table day after day, very often staying until the wee hours, finding it difficult to leave the game. Domino games are often surrounded by nonparticipant hangers-on who turn into impromptu game analysts. Since they are able to see everyone’s tiles around the table, they can criticize both the good and the bad moves throughout the game. Even though some players are bona fide strategists, it is a fact that the game is essentially unpredictable. Nobody ever has the last word because luck is generally the determining factor for the proceedings. When families and groups of friends decide to spend a few days at the beach during the holidays, renting a house or going to a hotel on the coast, dominoes are always on the what-to-bring list. While you are waiting for a meal or at the end of the day, it is a perfect way to spend some relaxing moments. Domino players fall into different categories. Their behavior depends on their temperaments. Some domino tables are rowdy and others are silent. Some players throw down their tiles with a loud “clack” and others place them on the table with great delicacy. In Cuba you will hear it said that the game was obviously invented by a mute person since any comments uttered may provide clues or useful information for your partner and that would generally be to the disadvantage of the adversaries. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 10 Another curious detail is the way Cubans have been assigning names to the tiles over the years. The tiles’ nicknames depend a lot on the players’ quick wits and imaginations. For example, putting down a “1” is called puntilla or the blank tile is la que hinca; zeros are referred to as Blanquizal de Jaruco; threes are tres tristes tigres, fours are gato, six is Ceiba de Agua and eights are Ochoa. Dominoes in Cuba are so popular that they have practically earned organized sport status with the best of our players representing the country at international competitions. Spontaneous tournaments are born in the neighborhoods, the initiative in most cases of the most enthusiastic local players, and they spotlight an amazing array of talent. What can be more idiosyncratically Cuban than dominoes? lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 11 Guarapo: The Cuban drink par excellence by Victoria Alcalá Although philologists can’t agree (no surprise there!) about the origin of the word guarapo, and the drink called by that name has been adjudicated diverse origins going from Africa to ancient Rome and passing through the Canary Islands, most Cubans are convinced this is a typical product of the Island. Nevertheless, to the amazement of younger Cubans, Esteban Pichardo in the mid-19th century recorded the word guarapo in his Diccionario provincial casi razonado de voces y frases cubanas [ as originating in the indigenous language and he defined it as a broth or liquid made from sugarcane juice, extracted under pressure. Both the word and the process are still around today after almost two centuries. We continue to drink guarapo in Cuba and the method of extracting it from freshly-cut sugarcane has not changed. Of course the 20th century added chipped ice at a time when there were an abundance of little stalls that would sell a glass of sugarcane juice for just a few pennies. The low price and the high calorie content made it popular among the low-earners in the population. Its power to refresh, especially with the addition of some drops of lemon juice, and its pleasant taste have kept it at the top of the list of drinks preferred by Cubans, no matter what their social origins are. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 12 Even though it did not totally disappear during the second half of the 20th century and there were even some famous guarapo stands all over Cuba, such as the one close to the baseball stadium in Santa Clara, places selling the drink became rather scarce until the boom in small private businesses brought it back out onto the streets, especially around the agro-markets and some organic garden. It’s there that we have resuscitated the sound of the trapiche or sugarcane press, the incredible smell of crushed sugarcane and the cries of protest of customers whenever they get too much ice and too little guarapo in their glasses. Perhaps the only defect this sugarcane nectar possesses is that it cannot be conserved for a very long time, and that means minutes. The sugarcane juice has to be drunk practically instantly because it tends to ferment rather quickly. It does get consumed in some places in Mexico and Colombia in its fermented state because of the alcoholic content acquired, but in Cuba nobody dreams of drinking it under such conditions. It has to come straight out of the trapiche. Forbidden to diabetics, restricted for those that need to lose a few pounds, guarapo nonetheless provides the necessary calories to fuel walking and similar physical exercise. Not to mention that it is a really tasty drink and just the perfect refresher in our sweltering tropical heat. And if you want to make it more exciting, just add rum! lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 13 The truth about Guayaberas (and some lies) by Ciro Bianchi Ross The Legend They say that in 1709, a husband and wife from Andalusia, Spain, José Pérez Rodríguez and Encarnación Núñez García, arrived in the town of Sancti Spíritus. One fine day they received a bolt of linen from Spain and José asked Encarnación to sew up some loose shirts from the cloth: he wanted them to have long sleeves and large pockets and he wanted them to be worn not tucked into the trousers. His wife went to work and a few months later those shirts were all the rage in that neck of the woods. This event has its detractors who assure us that in that year regulations established by the Real Compañía de Comercio [the Royal Trading Company] to govern trade between the metropolis and the colony prohibited such deliveries and, besides, there wasn’t any communication in place between Spain and Sancti Spíritus. In my opinion, that prohibition is not so significant in the long run since the Andalusians could have obtained the package of cloth as smuggled goods, something that was very fashionable those days. What is really quite unbelievable is that such a purely domestic occurrence would be recorded in history and with such an abundance of details including the date, the names of the protagonists, the clothing design…it was as if it was tailor-made for future historians to lahabana be able to declare, without any shadow of a doubt, that that was how the guayabera was born. It is such a perfect story that it leaves us no alternative other than to doubt its veracity. But it does mark the beginning of the guayabera legend or, at least, it sets the scene for that legend to take root. Our guajiros (peasants) didn’t wear them in the nineteenth century. The literature of that era describes them wearing blue or striped shirts, which were generally worn hanging outside of the trousers. The permanent elements of their attire were yarey hats made of palm leaf straw, machetes, calfskin leather shoes and kerchiefs knotted around their necks to soak up their perspiration. Poor peasants usually wore chamarretas, a garment with shirt-tails and narrow sleeves. It was the chamaretta and not the guayabera that was worn in the wars against Spain. In the Guerra Grande [the Big War], the Liberation Army didn’t have any uniforms. Mambis [the freedom fighters] wore whatever they had available, either city or countrystyle garb. By the start of the War of Independence in 1895, Martí mentions the chamaretta in his Diary. Charito Bolaños was the woman who sewed for the freedom fighters during the entire War of Independence and Charito declared that she never sent one single guayabera into the fray, only chamarettas. María Elena Molinet, daughter of one of the generals fighting for Independence, Cuba's Digital Destination page 14 researched this matter from the ground up since she was the head of costume design for films such as Baraguá and La primera carga al machete and she collected over 120 photographs of Mambis in battle. Not one of them was wearing a guayabera. All about that shirt It is difficult to pin down the start and evolution of any item of traditional popular clothing. As for guayaberas, no other Cuban region disputes their paternity—they agree it happened in the town of Yayabo. The shirt was called a yayabera and was essentially an early guayabera that went out to invade neighboring areas….In 1866, Don Nicolás Azcárate was elected in Güines to be their delegate to the Junta de Información de Madrid and the electors organized a party in honor of the triumphant reformist politician. According to Azcárate, peasants from all around came to the festivity dressed in “classical guayaberas with mother-of-pearl buttons and wearing Panama hats.” The oldest pictorial representation of the garment comes to us dated 1906. But the word guayabera as a Cubanism does not gain legitimacy until 1921 when Constantito Suárez included it in his Vocabulario cubano. It then jumped from Cuba over to the Yucatan Peninsula. Upper class gentlemen from Yucatan used to buy the shirts in Havana until after 1960 when they started to produce them in that Mexican state and Merida became the world guayabera capital until the Asians, with their imitations manufactured in Japan and Taiwan, wiped out the local industry. Cuban guayaberas are nothing like the Philippine version, which has no pockets and is worn with the neck buttoned up. Throughout Central America, the guayabera gets called Habanera. lahabana Guayaberas are descended from shirts, the most ancient of all garments known to mankind. The prestigious designer María Elena Molinet asks the following questions: When did that shirt transform into a guayabera? Who turned the pleats into pintucks, reinforced the openings and edges and made the three-pointed yoke in the front and the back? She tells us: “The birth of the guayabera is not the work of one single person and we still have not determined at what moment it turned into such an elegant, fresh, white, well-starched and well-ironed item of clothing, a garment that could be worn without a tie.” A combination of the chamaretta and the peasant guayabera, our current guayabera takes shape in the 1920s, owing much to the work of shirtmakers and seamstresses in Sancti Spíritus and Zaza del Medio. In those days it was made out of khakicolored drill until the 1930s when linen began to be used. In this new version, the garment became popular in provincial cities but it had a difficult time conquering Havana. Its use in the capital was so limited that it could be practically said that it wasn’t in use at all. You can’t see anyone wearing them in movies or in press photos of the era and the popular caricaturist Abela didn’t dress his famous cartoon El Bobo in a guayabera. With the fall of Machado (1933), customs underwent a number of modifications. By the 1940s, guayaberas became widespread and fashionable in Havana. They were being worn more and more frequently and were being complemented with bow ties. When Dr. Ramón Grau San Martín (1944) became President, the guayabera entered the Presidential Palace. In contrast, his successor and disciple Carlos Prío thought they were not the proper thing to wear at protocol events and he banished them from government activities. But guayaberas Cuba's Digital Destination page 15 took over the display-windows of the best stores and they conquered advertising. By then, the capital was a giant warehouse of guayaberas that threatened to replace any other style of menswear, something that had no precedent in history or tradition. It was so serious that it even changed our lifestyle according to journalist Isabel Fernández de Amado Blanco in 1948. In 1955, the Administrative Division of the Supreme Court passed a provision banning guayaberas from the law courts. That was when a good pure Bramante linen guayabera would cost as much as a cheap suit. This is also when the guayabera showed up in cheap versions, not made of linen, but cotton. The design became simpler. It was no longer just white, the sleeves weren’t always long and the usual mother-of-pearl buttons were replaced by ordinary ones. The Revolution triumphed and guayaberas were relegated to the background, disappearing from the scene because some people considered they represented a by-gone era of corrupt politicians. The country was suffering from commercial aggression, acts of sabotage, invasions and terrorist acts, and there were shortages of everything possible. Constant mobilizations were going on for everything from factory work to military training. The National Militia uniform seemed to fit the bill, not just for the peoples’ army’s activities but for any daily task, including attending ceremonies as solemn as weddings or funerals. By the end of the 1970s, the guayabera made a timid reappearance. It had long sleeves and tiny pleats but it wasn’t linen—it was made of polyester and it came in colors other than just white. It quickly became inexpensive and young people saw it as the symbol of the bureaucrat in action. Today it is undergoing another renaissance. Which one are we talking about? The guayabera has four pockets and is decorated with rows of pintucks—two rows in front and three on the back. At one time, the back yoke had a single point making it look like a triangle which, with the three rows of tine pleats, resembled the Cuban flag. It was always white, long-sleeved and sported 27 buttons. It tapered slightly to the waist. As time went by, the back yoke had three points from which the three rows of pleats took off and the 27 buttons remained. Today, the guayabera is fashioned in different designs, materials and colors. There are embroidered versions and those done with the drawn-thread technique; there are those with more or less pintucks and those with more or fewer buttons. But it is still that same elegantly fresh garment. Cubanísima—100% Cuban. (Extract taken from www.cubadebate.cu) lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 16 Playing on the streets of Cuba by Ricardo Alberto Pérez lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 17 Something I still very fondly remember from my by-now distant childhood days is playing games on the street. It’s a fact that this is a Cuban characteristic and differentiates us from other places; our streets are very colorful because they are constantly being invaded by children and teens playing all kinds of games. Perhaps this is very closely linked to idiosyncrasies and traditions here in Cuba. In some cases, what we see as we visit different neighborhoods in Havana and in provincial towns are versions of sports that are very popular all over the country. One that I am specifically referring to is baseball, which has given birth to two of the most played games on the Island’s streets: Cuatro Esquinas and Juego del Taco. Let’s look more closely into the mystery of those Cuatro Esquinas or “four corners” that have delighted so many generations of Cubans. Generally, the game involves four players: one defending first base, another playing second base, yet another at third base and a fourth player located between second and third. The basic rule is to not bat between first and second base. Also, you walk from home plate to first base. After getting to first base, you can either run or walk—however the players agree—and when players go backwards from one base to another, they have to walk. The offense always hits the ball with a closed fist. lahabana Cuatro Esquinas comes in different variations. I used to like the version where you use a brick. A piece of rubber of any size is put on top of it and everything supports the ball which will be hit by the player’s fist. The essence of the game is that every time the ball hits any of the edges of the sidewalk, the offense team gets a run. The playing field is drawn out with chalk and homeruns happen whenever the ball hits the wall at some determined height and three runs are added on. Even though this game is usually played by boys, sometimes girls join in. At moments this game has been so wildly popular that tournaments were organized among Havana municipalities. The Juego del Taco is just as popular, but it’s a competition among pairs. You draw a square on a wall to indicate the strike zone. Instead of a ball, you usually use a small wooden block or a small piece of rubber that gets hurled forcefully against the wall in an attempt to strike out the batter. The batter uses an improvised bat or any sort of stick and when he overcomes the defense in the safe zone, he gets a run. The winning team is the one that reaches the number of runs that were previously decided on. In recent years, following the incredible boom of TV soccer broadcasting in Cuba, the popularity of both Cuatro Esquinas and Juego del Taco has somewhat waned, giving way to a condensed Cuba's Digital Destination page 18 version of soccer called Fútbol de Tres, also played in the street. But I think that this fad will run its course like many others before it and our beloved old street games will be back in the front ranks again. Surely the most interesting factor about all these games is the creativity used to adapt any given game so that it can take over places that were originally designed to accommodate pedestrians and vehicular traffic. And they manage to survive at the expense of daily urban mobility. Whenever the improvised locations get reduced in size, the rules automatically get adjusted to cope with the setback. It is also quite common to find improvised hoops on our streets for unique basketball games. And then other games such as Kimbe y Cuarta get resuscitated from time to time. This game is played with balls having different colors and designs and large groups of kids can participate. A similar game is Bailar el Trompo very often using home-made balls. It’s very interesting to see how the kids use codes and special language as part of the competitions. But playing in the streets is definitely here to stay. The streets of Cuba are still a grand playground. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 19 Havana’s newest coiffures by Lucía Lamadrid Gone are the days when hairstyle-wise, the most complicated thing for men was deciding whether to part their hair to one side or simply comb it straight back. This is not to say that men were unconcerned about the way they groomed their hair. In the early 20th century, men throughout the Western world copied Rudolph Valentino’s perfectly greased-back hair, and in the 1950s, James Dean and Elvis Presley made the Pompadour fashionable. In the 1960’s, the Beatles popularized the moptop, which was widely imitated worldwide and would impact fashion globally. Cuba is no exception to these fads. Nowadays, there seems to be an explosion of new, “transgressive” hairstyles for the boys. Just take a stroll around Havana. Whether it’s the city’s historic center, the Malecón or Miramar, you will find no shortage of uncanny hairdos in the guys: the Magua; the Tiburón; the Bistec; the Moñito (plain or cooked up with the Magua or the Tiburón); the Dominicano; the Machimbrao, the Mohicano… And the list goes on and on. Cuban lads are no longer satisfied with visiting the barber once a month. They are now going to beauty salons, previously considered women’s exclusive domain. The Mohicano, or Mohawk, for instance, is being pushed to extremes. Although the sides are still shaved down, height and color are being added to the old standard. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 20 But of this epidemic of (unfortunate?) haircuts, perhaps the most common one of all is the Yonki, which, alas, is all the rage in Havana. Popularized by Cuban reggaeton star El Yonki, the hairstyle can vary from person to person and basically leaves more hair on the sides than a Mohawk and a bit less height on top. The sides may sport drawings, letters or symbols, depending on the customer’s wishes—and the hairdresser’s ability. These hairstyles and haircuts in guys (some discrete, others visible a mile away) are sometimes regarded with reluctance, especially by parents, who simply can’t understand “the horrific haircut the kid just got.” But one thing is for sure, though: the streets of Havana are teeming with unique hairstyles and, for better or worse, they seem to be here to stay. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 21 The Cuban Guateque Guajiro by Ricardo Alberto Pérez The Guateque Guajiro is what Cubans call a party out in the countryside, originally a traditional festivity for Cuban peasants. It occurs for a variety of reasons such as birthdays, weddings, baptisms, housewarmings, and the end of a harvest or the start of sugar cane cutting. Many times it occurs for no particular reason at all, just for the pleasure of getting together and sharing good times with friends and neighbors. Because of its contributions towards forming the Cuban cultural identity, it has earned itself a prominent place within the institutions promoting Cuban artistic creations. At the center of this country fiesta is what is known as Punto Cubano or Punto Guajiro. This is pure Cuban country music with deep Hispanic roots. The main instrument in this genre is the guitar in several varieties: the Spanish guitar, the tres, the laús and the tiple. Other instruments used belong to the percussion family: the clave, the güiro and the guayo. Everything converges on the main ingredient of Punto Cubano, that is, the controversia or confrontation. Besides this, there are solo artists and groups playing montuno songs and improvisers who extoll the beauty of women and nature. This music has also inspired different dance styles such as La caringa, El tumbantonio, and El papalote. Some of these are quite noticeably erotic, with the dance demonstrating the courting ritual. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 22 Celina Gónzalez and Reutilio At guateques there are usually two competing sides, showing off their talents in both song and dance, and distinguishable by the different colors of their neckerchiefs. Men generally wear guayaberas and broad-brimmed hats woven from palm straw, the famous sombreros de yarey, while the women are decked out in lovely dresses with lots of flounces, their hair flowing freely or put up with natural flowers as decoration. In any case, the main color in evidence for both men and women is white. As we have just mentioned, the highlight tends to be the confrontation among improvisers who look for a controversial subject to be treated with humor and a sharp wit, all the while trying to find their adversary’s most evident weak spots. They recite their verse in décimas that vary in their rhythms depending on the region of the country. These artists are called repentistas and the most common tonadas and puntos they use are punto libre, fijo and cruzado; there are also tonadas with refrains, Punto Espirituano and the seguidilla. Many repentistas travel all over the country and a very stimulating interchange takes place among the various local customs and traditions. In the remote areas of the country the way in which people travel to guateques can be rather picturesque. Some are on horseback, often with lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 23 other people sharing the ride, some arrive in carriages, and others in tractor-pulled wagons or ox-drawn carts. The guateque has become a vignette that brings together a number of typically Cuban traditions. While the singing goes on, someone is always roasting a pig on an open fire and there is usually a group playing dominoes. A dish made with yucca that has been marinated in a garlic-laden sauce, often called the root vegetable of preference for guateques, provides the finishing touch to the roast pork. I dare say that whoever goes to this festive event will better understand some of the more spiritual values of our culture and the most consistent traditions born in the rural areas. This is the best way to discover the characteristics of the folk who live in the countryside. And it’s not just singing and dancing that goes on; spoken narration and games of skill are also distinct possibilities. lahabana The Guateque del Nengón a form of Son, has is roots in Baracoa, Guantánamo Province, specifically in a neighborhood called El Cuero where Candelario Matos, who was a loyal singer of the genre, lived. The El Nengón is believed to have been created over 100 years ago and the musical instruments were fashioned by the peasants themselves, like the tumbandera, a kind of chordophone, and the bunga, a drum made out of a hollow stick that is covered with jutía or deer skins. For example, the tres is made from rough boards or from the wood of the crates cod are transported in, with cedar necks and güira keys and steel strings. Such original materials give the music a truly unique sound. In spite of the enormous changes our rural areas have been undergoing, the Guateque Campesino is alive and well. Younger generations have been responsible for keeping it going, continuing with the Punto Cubano and updating it so that it maintains all the vitality it has had for so many years in the Cuban countryside. Cuba's Digital Destination page 24 Celebrating International Women’s Day in Cuba by Victoria Alcalá I’m decidedly one of those people who doesn’t like celebrating International Women’s Day. By now I don’t know anyone who remembers Clara Zetkin on that day, not to mention the so many other women who fought for our rights. Maybe some feminists still remember. Perhaps the reason for this is that Cuban women are guaranteed most of those rights; we are the majority in the professions (in some sectors such as mine it is an absolute majority and that makes its rather boring!); some of the forms of violence are generally relegated to the privacy of the home or we simply are not aware of them. Or maybe it is because the celebrations get organized at work by men and certain subjects are never mentioned. I am constantly being amazed that on March 8 people come up to congratulate me on being a woman. It’s a simple fact of genetics, a matter of chromosomes (XX) and I had nothing to do with it. Not by my intelligence or by any effort. I prefer to celebrate my wedding anniversary because, for better or worse, I was the one who chose my husband and the day on which we were married. But on that day our male workmates try hard, bringing us flowers and cards, snacks (which in many instances were prepared by their wives and all they had to do was bring them to work) and beverages, generally something sweet because lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 25 “women don’t drink rum,” a belief that has caused me to have certain doubts about my gender identity. During such celebrations, there is a tendency to see surprising transformations taking place: the colleague who during the rest of the year didn’t bat an eye to see you standing in the bus burdened with mounds of papers you are taking home to continue working, and who stared out the window suddenly very interested in the sidewalk, suddenly on THAT day he springs up to give you his seat. And the guy who regularly cuts in ahead of you in the cafeteria queue, claiming he has an important meeting, now brings your plate, knife and fork and glass to the table—maybe because, in honor of women, all meetings have been called off. Anyway, once a year doesn’t hurt anybody. Meanwhile, we women allow ourselves to be loved. We accept the cards with a kiss, we look for a bottle or some container for that flower, we skimp on lunch in anticipation of the afternoon feast (the working day usually ends really early that day) and we raise our glass to ourselves while looking at the clock because we want to make use of the extra afternoon time to get dinner ready since husbands, sons and fathers are going to come home exhausted from all the festivities they have organized at their workplaces and so they won’t be able to help us out in the kitchen. And the flowers? Yeah, thanks. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 26 As I sift through the rice, it’s a good time to think. And now, yes indeed, it’s with a glass of rum, and I mentally run through the professional results of most of my female colleagues, many of them honor students at university, the trips to the doctor with the kids, helping our sons and daughters with Grade Two math and spelling at the kitchen table or on the ironing board, the muffled pain and tears of those women keeping households going while waiting for the husbands, sons, fathers and brothers who fought at the Bay of Pigs or against the counterrevolutionaries in the Escambray, or in Ethiopia or Angola…. I think of the women who begin their “second jobs” cooking, cleaning, washing and ironing clothes, thinking of what they are going to wear tomorrow for their meeting with the Minister, of the pile of papers they have to wade through, of the long-awaited finale for that doctorate thesis, of the inventory in the shop that will wind up late at night, of the tests they still have to mark, of getting up earlier to see that really ill patient before going to their offices… It could be the effect of the rum, but I’m starting to feel like congratulating myself for being a woman and not perishing in the struggle. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 27 Cuban Women: Body and Soul by Ricardo Alberto Pérez lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 28 Cuban women are not just legendary; they are a beautiful reality that surrounds us, day by day. I would define them as a delicious mixture of selfassuredness and sensuality, but they also have a profoundly responsible and self-sacrificing side. At times, they give the impression that there is nothing impossible for them to accomplish, such is their perseverance and their sense of optimism that keeps them going. A Cuban woman can dress elegantly, modestly or provocatively. No matter what she shows on the outside though, she gives the impression that underneath it all she stores an infinity of secrets and concerns. Her body seems to vibrate as it comes into contact with her surroundings. She has often been compared to a guitar that delights us with its melodies. She always looks amazing whether she is wearing a smock or a guayabera because her gestures and how she carries herself combine exceptionally well with the simplicity of these garments. Have you noticed how Cuban women always add a bit of spice to fashions originating in other countries? This gives their style a unique look, something we could call “tropicalization.” Those women who have more pronounced curves tend to wear the most striking figure-hugging fashions, inevitably attracting appreciative exclamations from their admirers. Whether they are at home or abroad, Cuban women stand out for their somewhat provocative way of walking. It seems to be totally spontaneous lahabana and uninhibited, as natural as breathing. Anyone walking behind a Cuban woman on the street could easily compare the experience to watching the rhythm of a rumba or the sinuous flow of honey. And when they give us the gift of a splendid smile, there is nothing that can compare. Another characteristic of our Cuban women is their spiritual side, including their great gifts of communication. Talking with a Cuban woman may be enlightening. Add to this that over 60 percent of the Cuban workforce lies in women. When we talk about Cuban women in general, we run the risk of forgetting that one of their most attractive qualities is how different they are from each other. It is not just a matter of the color of their skin but also because of how they act. From blonde to dark-skinned beauties, through all the varieties of what Cubans call “mulattas,” the palette is never-ending. Add to that the range in temperament, from serious to fun-loving. In Cuba, women have provided a rich source of inspiration for artists in all the media. Composers have penned songs immortalizing women and their special qualities starting with Trova authors who entitled their pieces with names of women, like “Guarina” and “Ferminia” by Sindo Garay, and “Mercedes,” “Aurora,” “Santa Cecilia” and the most popular one of all, “Longina” by Manuel Corona. When the Nueva Trova appeared decades later, the same thing happened and songs such as Pablo Milanes’ “Yolanda” and “Sandra” became part of our national songbook. Cuba's Digital Destination page 29 Recent dance music keeps on singing the praises of women. I only need to mention Juan Formell’s “Marilú” to find one such example. And the cinema has also used the image of Cuban women as subject matter. The films Cecilia Valdés, Lucía and Amada immediately come to mind. In painting there has been one famous representation of Cuban femininity, perhaps the most popular image every produced on the Island: La Gitana Tropical (The Tropical Gypsy) by Víctor Manuel. It forever symbolizes the face and attitude of Cuban women and it can now be found reproduced on posters, umbrellas and cups everywhere. The theater, dance and literature have all had a hand in spotlighting the unique spirit of Cuban women. It has been said that Cuban women these days attain “a certain age” with special élan and pride. These women are protected in many ways and so they have the luxury of being more relaxed, chatting about what can be found in the market, their grandchildren’s graduations and how crazy the house becomes during vacations when everyone gets together. They also have many opportunities and rights to continue their formal education, expand their cultural horizons and partake in regular exercise programs for the benefit of both body and mind. Cuba is indeed very proud of its women. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 30 Obama’s visit to Cuba: What will it bring? by Victoria Alcalá Who would have thought it? Obama is finally coming! As elegant and inscrutable as always, Josefina Vidal, General Director for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, announced the news a few days ago, giving rise to a barrage of viewpoints. There are those who have taken their stars-and-stripes banners out of mothballs fervently hoping that the day after the visit on March 21st prices will drop at the market and there will be three times the number of buses on the streets. And there are others who look upon it as a betrayal of their principles and so many years of resistance, completely forgetting that Obama isn’t going to land in a gunboat like Calvin Coolidge did in 1928. But in my opinion, I think that most Cubans see it in a positive light without harboring too many expectations regarding their ofttimes very complicated daily lives. I have to admit that when I saw Ms Vidal giving us the news, a phrase came to mind that was uttered by Laocoön in Virgil’s Aeneid. My beloved Latin teacher, Calixta Peraza, loved to repeat it whenever we would bring her some presents on Teachers’ Day: Timeō Danaõs et dõna ferentõs” (I fear the Danaans, even when bearing gifts), which has been paraphrased in English as the proverb “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” Anyone reviewing the bleak history of US relations with Cuba over the course of three centuries and remembering Laocoön’s words of warning about the Trojan horse when he saw it will understand my suspicion. Nevertheless, I prefer to drift towards optimism and I’d rather like to imagine that President Obama ,who was born in Hawaii and lived for years in Indonesia, would be able to feel some sense of identification with Third World island nations, such as Cuba, and that being an African-American, he would have an inclination to sympathize with peoples that are “different.” In other words, I like to think he would remember his compatriot Brigadier General of the Liberation Army Henry Reeve, falling in combat within the ranks of Cubans fighting for liberation from Spanish colonialism in the nineteenth century. Or that he would remember Ernest Hemingway who loved Cuba tremendously, even though, I suspect, he didn’t understand it so well. Or that he would at least honor his much-debated Nobel Peace Prize and lay the foundations for civilized coexistence between the richest country in the world and the small rebellious island neighbor which paradoxically has never been anti-US. With so many illustrious visitors lately, from Katy Perry to President François Hollande, from Mick Jagger to Princess Caroline of Monaco, from Paris Hilton to Pope Francis, from ZZ Top to Patriarch Cyril, we Cubans are getting used to the glamour and to the adjective “historical” with which the press tends to describe every visit. Hopefully, the US President, who is so concerned about our wellbeing, will go on to dismantle the blockade—or embargo as they like to call it—at least to the extent of his prerogative along with its intricate maze of prohibitions, and that during his visit here he will be able to have genuine contact with Cubans “on the street.” Hopefully, those will be the voices he will listen to the most. To tell the truth, personally I prefer to think about the announced but notyet-confirmed Rolling Stones performance. I have already taken my long flowery Indian skirt out of mothballs in anticipation of that event… Visual Arts photos by Alex Mene Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Contaminación Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Through June 19 Los rostros de la modernidad. The entry of Cuban visual arts in the modernity of the avantgarde and its various trends can be seen in 45 photos made from 1925 to 1957 by 15 importants photographers, including Jorge Arche, Arístides Fernández, Víctor Manuel, Wifredo Lam, Amelia Peláez and Mariano Rodríguez. Through June 1 Solo exhibition by Carlos Alberto García, who describes his work as abstract, highly influenced by Expressionism. Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam Opens February 16 Opens February 16 La madre de todas las artes is an exhibition by over 50 artists, such as Lidzie Alviza, Luis Enrique Camejo, Los Carpinteros, Ernesto García Peña, Arturo Montoto, Mabel Poblet, Wilfredo Prieto and Sandra Ramos, whose central theme is the interest shown by a significant number of Cuban artists in architecture. Base/Superestructura, which won the artist Lázaro Saavedra the 2014 Visual Arts National Award. lahabana Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Through May La Vasija 2015 is an exhibition of vessels, tiles, panels and murals presented in competition. They praise the origins of ceramics, whose roots lie in vessels, but these contemporary artists give them a completely new twist. Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate Through March 13 Cuba's Digital Destination Isla Negra-Isla Verde, a group exhibition paying tribute to Pablo Neruda. page 32 photos by Ana Lorena Factoria Habana Factoría Habana Throughout March Signos. Arte e industria y viceversa, which has been conceived as an installation that brings together objects, texts, artefacts, photos, ceramics, graphic works, video and printed materials, aims at emphasizing creative experiences in which a balanced fusion between art, design and industry, and elements of the urban and architectural environment takes place through the works of Carlos José Alfonzo, Juan Carlos Alom, Félix Beltrán, Alberto J. Carol, Gonzalo Córdoba, María Victoria Caignet, EMPROVA, Cirenaica Moreira, Miguel Díaz, Felipe Dulzaides, Leandro Feal, Mario Gallardo, Mario García Joya (Mayito), Carmelo González, Roberto Gottardi, Arturo Infante y Renier Quert, Nicolás Guillén Landrián, Roberto Matta, Ernesto Oroza, Amelia Peláez, Manuel Piña, René Portocarrero, Idelfonso Ramos, Leyden Rodríguez, Mariano Rodríguez, Humberto Solás y Héctor Veitía, Lesbia Vent Dumois, as well as the projects Ediciones en Colores, TELARTE, Arte en la Fábrica, Arte en la Carretera and Arte en el Muro. Casa de la Obrapía Opens march 17 Galería Espacio Abierto Ethos-Sociedad consumista que me consumes, exhibition by Eurico Borges. Through March 11 Galería Artis 718 Throughout March Save mucho is a collection of works by Carlos Quintana who uses books as a unifying element. Galería Galiano Galería Casa 8 Through March 10 Tesauro R y C is a collection of works by Servando Cabrera Moreno, Sandu Darie, Roberto Diago, Antonia Eiriz, Raúl Martínez, Manuel Mendive, Pedro y Rolando de Oraá, Zaida del Río y Mariano Rodríguez, among other Cuban artists. El blanco más oscuro, group show of painting and staged photography, diverse in terms of themes, technoiiques and media, although structured from the combination of black and white in works by Raúl C. Camacho (Memo), Reinaldo Cid, Erick Coll, Eduardo Llanes, Jorge López Pardo, Frank Martínez y R10, among others. lahabana Through April 9 Los renegados. A manifestation not often seen in Cuban art shows: sculpture, is the focus of this solo exhibition by Pedro Luis Cuellar, who also exhibits drawings that have inspired some of his pieces. Restaurante Fabio Through April 14 Cuba's Digital Destination Entre signos pictóricos is an exhibition by Carlos René Aguilera and Alejandro Barreras. page 33 Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales Through March 15 Libro de horas, group show that uses diverse media and techniques, and reflects, from a contemporary point of view, on the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages. Through March 19 Lecciones de manualidad, solo show by Yonel Hidalgo Pérez, a project for the EsterioStudio Scholarship, promoted by the artist Esterio Segura. Galería Galiano Through March 25 Nice to Meet You, show by Kelvin López and Harry Naar, who use landscapes to make comments on social issues, reorganize environmental perception and redefine cultural models. Through March 23 Throughout March Jugar en serio: Pintura expandida, group show, Estudio Curator Scholarship 21, of works by Pavel Acosta, Adriana Arronte, David Beltrán, Yonlay Cabrera, Elizabet Cerviño, Adonis Ferro, Dunieski García, Ernesto García Sánchez, Glenda León, Yornel Martínez, Rodolfo Peraza and Nestor Siré. Digital Moments, experimental photography and video by cubans in the diaspora, Raíces y Rutas Project. Palacio de Lombillo Opens March 11 Secuencia, exhibit by the young artist Robin Pau, which based on the cinema, strengthens the narrative capacity of painting by means of images that seem to stop motion. Lloyd’s Register Through March 19 Through March 20 Mambises, a la carga, exhibits paintings and drawings by Leonel López-Nussa, a very interesting 20th-century artist, who has been somewhat forgotten in our days. Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana Through March 15 Bocetos de Zanelli para el Capitolio Nacional. The exhibition includes the 10 original sketches sculpted in plaster by the Italian master Angelo Zanelli in 1929, made especially for the sculptures and main portico of the Capitolio Building. It includes the great statue of The Republic; the two titans flanking the steps, Work and Virtue; and the seven friezes of the central portico, allegorical to the march of the Cuban people for freedom and democracy. lahabana Kronos, solo exhibition by Niels Reyes. According to critic Píter Ortega, “the artist works traditional genres…revitalizing them to show their legitimacy in our historic present.” Memorial José Martí Palacio del Segundo Cabo Through March 31 Lineup reflects almost a century of Cuban drawing from the first avant-garde to the present day, from the most traditional to the most experimental, through the work of 40 artists, including Víctor Manuel, Fidelio Ponce, Wifredo Lam, Mariano Rodríguez, René Portocarrero, Jorge Rigol, Servando Cabrera Moreno, Raúl Martínez, Raúl Milián, Roberto Fabelo, José Bedia, Eduardo Ponjuán, Ricardo Rodríguez Brey, Antonio Eligio (Tonel), Gustavo Pérez Monzón, Santiago Rodríguez Olazabal, Kcho, Alexander Arrechea, René Francisco, Glauber Ballesteros, Yornel Martínez and Rafael Villares, among others. Cuba's Digital Destination Homo Pinocho, group show by 37 artistas graphic artists, who have focused their work on the unforgettable fictional character, Pinocchio. page 34 photography Fototeca de Cuba Through March 11 El puente, exhibition by Carlos Fernández Vega and Rene Rodríguez. Through March 19 El viaje, by Rigoberto Oquendo (Chacho), who has focused his work on the representation of Cuban family homes. Casa Benito Juárez Opens March 16 Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Sin mucho rodeo, by photographers Lourdes Bermúdez Trimiño and Sonia Mirabal Gómez Through March 18 Museo Casa Natal de José Martí Throughout March De Martí a Fidel, de Dos Ríos al Moncada, Hasta la Victoria Siempre. Julio Larramendi exhibits photographs of monuments and sites from all over Cuba related to José Martí. Exhibit by Dominican photographer Wilfredo García. On March 18, Liset Valderrama, visual arts specialist from the City Historian’s Office; Nahela Hechavarría, from the Casa de las Américas Art Department; and Kirenia Rodríguez Puerto, Professor of Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Havana, will lecture on 20thcentury Caribbean photography, focusing on the work of Wilfredo García. Sala de la Diversidad Opens March 4 Río Toa, Amazonía cubana, exhibits pictures of landscapes, animals and plants taken by members of the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation during an expedition down the Toa River. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 35 dance Alas Ballet Lizt Alfonso March 4 & 5, 8:30pm; March 6, 5pm Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso Alas, a hymn to the spirituality of humankind. Rosalía de Castro Company/School March 6, 11 am Teatro Nacional A selection of Spanish dances by the students and the dancers. Le Corsaire Ballet Laura Alonso March 11 & 12, 8:30pm; March 13, 5pm Teatro Nacional Famous for its extremely difficult pas de deux, the performance of the complete ballet Le Corsaire, in two acts and four scenes, is uncommon in Cuba. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 36 dance Ballet Nacional de Cuba in Concert March 18 & 19, 8:30pm; March 20, 5pm Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso Dionaea, choreographed by Gustavo Herrera and music by Heitor Villa- Lobos; Celeste, choreographed by Annabelle López Ochoa and music by Tchaikovsky; Grand pas de Paquita, choreographed by Marius Petipa and music by Minkus. D Rocío Company March 18 & 19, 8:30pm; March 20, 5pm Teatro Nacional Performance by the flamenco-fusion D Rocío Dance Company. La danza y sus estilos March 19, 5pm Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Concert program by the Rosario Cárdenas and Laura Alonso dance companies. Ciudad de Guantanamo lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 37 Are the Rolling Stones Coming to Havana? by Victoria Alcalá Every time all of us who went to the same high school get together, the question rears its ugly head. Nobody needs to say any more because it’s clear that we are all referring to the announced but as yet unconfirmed visit of the Rolling Stones to Havana during this month of March, 2016. The rumor spread like wildfire during Mick Jagger’s stay in the capital last October. surely going to go with us, not so much because they love the Stones but to have a fleeting glimpse of what their parents and grandparents were like at their age. The confirmed pessimists remind us of the naysayers: “I read in the Granma newspaper that discussions were ongoing but nothing is yet definitive” and they even quote authorities on the subject: “Mayito Masvidal said they weren’t coming.” The optimists are steadfastly basing their opinions on trustworthy sources: “The Herald has already confirmed that they’ll be here at the same time as Obama” and they have even become analysts of information that has filtered down to them from God-knows-what source: “Haven’t you seen how quickly they’re sprucing up the Latin American Stadium?” The women go straight to more practical matters: “Do you think I can still wear that blouse?” “Would you lend me your flowered vest?” “What do you think if we paint the peace symbol on our faces?” This anticipation has lifted years and pains from our bodies and minds and we’ve even started practicing some dance steps so as not to look too ridiculous to our kids and grandchildren who are lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 38 We used to take pictures of our kids sitting beside John Lennon in the Vedado park and thank goodness they don’t understand the deep, hidden meaning involved in all that enthusiasm. They missed the whole Beatles-Rolling StonesCreedence-Led Zepplin-Eagles-Chicago Era. Those bands and many others like them were seen as the height of “enemy ideological penetration” and we were only able to listen to them in versions recorded by mediocre Spanish groups or in the version of some Mexican singer whose name I’d rather not remember. In those days, long hair and necklaces made of seeds made fashionable by Fidel Castro’s “barbudos” (bearded rebels) were frowned upon and on some occasions repressed with, shall we say, not a whole lot of courtesy. English was fine if you learned it at school, but you couldn’t sing it; “Make love and not war” was a “counterrevolutionary motto” because it went contrary to the guerrillas; drawing the peace symbol in a school notebook was worse than drawing the swastika; free love was synonymous to licentiousness and we were constantly being admonished about how most of our Rock idols were drug addicts. Ironically, some of our Cuban musicians who were being promoted to provide a replacement for the British and American singers were suspected of smoking a marijuana cigarette from time to time (hush-hush of course) but then lahabana they were perhaps being backed by the popular slogan that said: “Consuming our country’s products is patriotic.” Luckily, there was always someone who was able to circulate some record or we were able to get WQAM on the radio relatively easily, at least in Havana, and we had some local bands that would reproduce the Anglo-Saxon hits with greater or lesser accuracy. This kept us company during our teen years, and we didn’t become ideologically perverted, nor did we prostitute ourselves or sink into the murky depths of drug addiction. But we were left with the frustration of never having seen our favorite bands on TV, much less at a live concert. Funny thing: for a long time I was convinced Creedence was made up of black singers! And so when all that anti-Rock paranoia fell apart, we celebrated the arrival of Air Supply in Havana as a triumph, we sat down beside Lennon in his park to chat and we are convinced that yes, Sir Michael Philip “Mick” Jagger is going to bring us the Stones and we are going to sing along with him to the explosive “Satisfaction” and “Let's Spend the Night Together” and we are going to exhibit that symbol which represents the cry of so many hurting human beings in the world today: Peace and Love. Cuba's Digital Destination page 39 MUSIC Contemporary Fusion X Alfonso Photo Alex Mene The contemporary fusion and electronic music scene has expanded recently as new bars and clubs have opened party promoters have organized events in parks and public spaces. Good live music venues include Bertolt Brecht (Wed: Interactivo, Sunday: Déjá-vu) and El Sauce (check out the Sunday afternoon Máquina de la Melancolía) as well as the newly opened Fábrica de Arte Cubano which has concerts most nights Thursday through Sunday as well as impromptu smaller performances inside. lahabana 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. Cuba's Digital Destination page 40 MUSIC Contemporary Fusion Major Lazer in Concert March 6, 7pm Tribuna Antimperialista The electronic dancehall music project, Major Lazer, will be the first show by a major American act to take place in Cuba since the U.S. and Cuba restored diplomatic ties. “For as long as I can remember, Cuba has played an influential role on my love of music—Cuba has such a powerful cultural impact all over the world and for me, especially growing up in Florida, it became one of the biggest cultural centers for music to evolve from,” said Diplo in a press release. Going back to perform in 2016 and to be a part of the culture once again is a huge blessing and I couldn’t be more honored to bring the Major Lazer project there.” During their visit, the band—made up by Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, will meet with Cuban music students and young, local DJs that will share the stage with the group. The group could also perform at Fábrica de Arte Cubano, a venue that has become an almost obligatory stop for international musicians who have travelled to Cuba in the last few months. Gala Cuerda Viva Saturday, Mar 12, 8:30pm; Sunday, Mar 13, 5pm Teatro Karl Marx Don’t miss the annual Cuerda Viva Festival, the best in Cuban alternative music. The evnt will be dedicated to super star musician Edesio Alejandro and the rock-folk band Síntesis. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 41 MUSIC Contemporary Fusion Los Ángeles Photo Alex Mene Balneario Universitario El Coral Fridays & Saturdays 1pm-1am Submarino Amarillo Electronic music with rapping, DJing, Vjing, Dj-producers, breakdancing and graffiti writing, among other urban art expressions. Café Concert El Sauce / 5 pm Sundays March 10 La Máquina de la Melancolía, with Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto García Rosbhel & EclipC de Luna Tercera y 8 Mondays 11 pm Mondays 9pm Miel con Limón Havana Hard Rock / 6 pm Every other Friday Soul Train, a show of soul music Sat & Sun Rock cover bands Diablo Tun Tun Saturdays 11 pm Gens Salón Rosado de La Tropical Baby Lores Fridays 9 pm Electronic music with Sarao, Barbaram Pepito’s Bar / 5 pm Tuesdays Los Francos Wednesdays Grupo Kialo Sundays Discoteca Onda Retro Casa de la Amistad Sundays 5 pm En Guayabera Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht / 11 pm Tuesdays Roberto Fonseca Wednesdays Interactivo Saturdays David Blanco Wednesdays 10:30 pm Hip-Hop Night Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional / 5 pm Gato Tuerto Saturdays 10 pm Rock ’n’ Roll with Vieja Escuela. Tuesdays Raúl Paz Wednesdays Qva Libre Tenor Bernardo Lichilín and DJ Eddy Sánchez lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 42 Photo by Alex Mene Photo Alex Mene Salsa / Timba Casa de la Música de Miramar Casa de la Música Habana Mondays 5 pm Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor 11 pm Sur Caribe Tuesdays 11 pm Pedrito Calvo y La Nueva Justicia Fridays 11 pm José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda Saturdays 5 pm Christian y Rey Sundays 5 pm Bamboleo Sundays 5 pm Pupy y Los que Son Son Jardines del 1830 Fridays 10 pm Azúcar Negra Sundays 10 pm Grupo Moncada Wednesdays 11 pm Juan Guillermo Alain Daniel Casa de 18 / 8 pm Café Cantante. Teatro Nacional Mondays 11 pm José Luis Cortés y NG La Banda Tercera y 8 Salón Rojo del Hotel Capri Sundays 11 pm Wednesdays 11 pm Manana Club Fridays Iván y Fiebre Latina Saturdays Ahí Namá Le Select Carpa Trompoloco Fridays 6 ppm Popular dance music hosted by Blanca Rosa Blanco lahabana Fridays 5 pm Cuba's Digital Destination Grupo Moncada page 43 MUSIC JAZZ Jazz Café Calle 88A No. 306 e/ 3ra y 3ra A, Miramar. +53 (07) 209-2719 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. Café Jazz Miramar Shows: 11 pm - 2am This new jazz club has quickly established itself as one of the very best places to hear some of Cuba’s best musicians jamming. Forget about smoke filled lounges, this is clean, bright—take the fags outside. While it is difficult to get the exact schedule and in any case expect a high level of improvisation when it is good it is very good. A full house is something of a mixed house since on occasion you will feel like holding up your own silence please sign! Nonetheless it gets the thumbs up from us. UNEAC March 10 5 pm Jardines del Teatro Mella Peña La Esquina del Jazz hosted by showman Bobby Carcassés. Café Miramar Wednesday 8 pm Zule Guerra (singer) & Blues D’ La Habana Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Mondays 4 pm Lunes de la Juventud Tuesdays 10 pm Casabe World Music Saturdays 10 pm César López (saxophonist) and Havana Ensemble lahabana March 8 6 pm Eduardo Sandoval y su quinteto Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano March 5 7 pm Cuba's Digital Destination Natural Trio page 44 MUSIC Bolero, folklore, son & trova Asociación Yoruba de Cuba Diablo Tun Tun / 5 pm Fridays 8:30 pm Obbiní Batá(folkloric group Saturdays 4 pm Los Ibellis (folkloric group) Saturdays Elaín Morales Waldo Mendoza Café Teatro Bertolt Brecht March 26 4 pm Orly Núñez Mondays Son del Nene Tuesdays Conjunto Chappottín Wednesdays Trova Thursdays Conjunto Arsenio Rodríguez Fridays Rumberos de Cuba Sundays Rumba Hotel Telégrafo Fridays 9:30 pm March 5 4 November 4 pm Eduardo Obbiní Batá Sosa and Síntesis March 12 3 pm Cheketé, with the folkloric group Obiní Batá Casona de Línea Sundays 8 pm Sundays Rafael Espín and guests Casa de África 8 pm Trova with Ray Fernández El Jelengue de Areíto / 5 pm Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional / 5 pm Thursdays Thursdays Ivette Cepeda. Hurón Azul, UNEAC Saturdays 9 pm Bolero Night Pabellón Cuba / 4 pm Trova Casa del Alba March 10 4 pm / Annie Garcés March 18 6 pm / Gerardo Alfonso March 24 6 pm / Vicente Feliú and guests Fridays Tres Tazas with trovador Silvio Alejandro Saturdays Participo with Carlos Pérez trovador Juan Casa de la Música Miramar Thursdays 5 pm Soneros de la Juventud Delirio Habanero / 10 pm Thursdays Abel Maceo y Buena Vida Fridays Son en Klab Saturdays Sonyku Sundays 5 pm Argelia Fragoso March 5 3pm / Duo Ad Libitum March 27 5pm / El Jardín de la Gorda with trovadors from every generation. Gato Tuerto Fridays 5 pm La Hora Infiel, with music, visual arts, literature and more. Casa de la Cultura de Plaza March 27 3 pm El Rumbón de Los Papines lahabana Yoruba Andabo Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima Museo de Artes Decorativas March 2 5 pm Casa de la Música Habana Diablo Tun Tun Thursdays 5pm / Trova with Ray Fernández Sundays 5pm / Orly Núñez Cuba's Digital Destination page 45 lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 46 classical MUSIC Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís / 6 pm March 5 The Ventus Habana Quintet, along with guests National Art School Women’s Band, the National Concert Band, Vocal Universo, the Ébanos de La Habana and Vivace quartets, and the Tekla Trio, will play pieces by Paquito de Rivera, Astor Piazzolla, Rafael Hernández, María Grever, Miriela Mijares and Ernesto Lecuona, among others. March 12 Homenaje a Alejandro García Caturla, by saxophonist and clarinetist Javier Zalba, pianist María del Henar Navarro, the Promúsica Duo and others. March 19 The Amadeo Roldán Quartet, made up by Leonardo Pérez (violin and director), William Roblejo (violin), Yenet Aguillón (viola) and Lester Monier (cello), will play works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Leo Brouwer, Leonardo Pérez and William Roblejo. March 26 The Camerata Romeu and Solistas de La Habana have selected works by Barber, Tchaikovsky and Dvořák for this performance. Biblioteca Nacional José Martí Saturdays 4 pm Concerts by chamber soloists and ensembles. Casa del ALBA Cultural March 6 Concert with Ensamble de Vientos Nueva Camerata March 13 En Confluencia, conducted by guitarists Eduardo and Galy Martín. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 47 Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura / 5 pm March 5 Concert by the HabanaMartin chamber orchestra and guests. March 12 Performance by the contemporary music instrumental group Nuestro Tiempo, conducted by Enrique Pérez Mesa, resident conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra. March 15 Graduation concert of clarinetist Mario Rodríguez, along with the Ébanos de La Habana Ensemble. Casa Victor Hugo March 25 5 am Duo Cáliz, made up by Luis Manuel Molina (guitar) and Vicente Monterry (clarinet). Oratorio San Felipe Neri / 4 pm March 5 The ISA Symphony Orchestra will play works by Cuban composer for the first time. February 6 Recital by pianist Fidel Leal, with a program that includes Diez bocetos para piano by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. February 8-11 Performance by the Walsall College Chorus from the US along with Cuban choral ensembles. Sala Avellaneda. Teatro Nacional March 6 8:30 pm Concert by the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra, of Saint Petersburg. This is one of the 20 most prestigious ensembles of its kind in the world. Sala Covarrubias. Teatro Nacional / 11 am March 6 Performance by Solistas de La Habana. March 13 Concert and award ceremony of the National Music Prize to composer and conductor Guido López-Gavilán. March 20 Concert by award winners from the UNEAC Competition Lianne Vega Serrano (pianist) and Yanet Campbell Secades (violinist), who, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, will play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K 466; and Tchaikovsky’s Op. 35 Violin Concerto in D, respectively. March 27 The National Symphony Orchestra and the German piano duo Lontano, made up by Babette Hierholzer ands Jürgen Appell, will play El carnaval de los animales, symphonic suite for two pianos and orchestra by Saint-Säens. Sala Gonzalo Roig. Palacio del Teatro Lírico Nacional March 27 5 pm Cuerda Dominical, with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina. Sala Ignacio Cervantes March 13 Presentation of the UNEAC 2015 Interpretation Competition prizewinners. March 20 Recital by the German piano duo Lontano, made up by Babette Hierholzer ands Jürgen Appell. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 48 Theatre Teatro Trianón Photo Alex Mene Decamerón Teatro El Público / Production: Carlos Díaz Fridays & Saturdays 8:30pm; Sundays 5pm Teatro Trianón Several stories from Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron are put on stage with more than a hint at Cuba today. Those who expect nudity galore from Carlos Díaz are in for a surprise. Fool for Love Eclipse Argos Teatro / Production: Yailen Copola and Yeandro Tamayo, Fri & Sat 8:30pm; Sun 5pm, Argos Teatro Production Jazz Vilá Fridays & Saturdays 8:30pm; Sundays 5pm Sala Adolfo Llauradó Play written by the successful American playwright/ actor Sam Shepard, in which two desperate lovers involve the viewer in the asphyxiating setting of a cruel and destructive love story. Botella (En la noche eterna de las botellas) Estudio Teatral Alba / Production Jorge Alba Thursdays, 5pm, Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura The play is about a man who turned out a dwarf because of paternal abuse. He strikes back and kills his father and his only way of escaping is to get himself into a bottle, like a message, hoping to flee. Based on Strindberg’s Miss Julia, the play is about a love triangle seen and judged through the spectators, who are imaginary participants of Eclipse, a coexistence program. Therefore, the outcome changes with each performance. El deseo Compañía Hubert de Blanck / Production: Orietta Medina, Fridays & Saturdays 8:30pm; Sundays 5pm Sala Hubert de Blanck A play by Mexican playwright Víctor Hugo Rascón Banda about the conflicts of the relationship between a middle-aged woman and a young man, in which cultural differences overpower sex and passion. La oveja negra tiene un primo March 4 & 5 de marzo, 8:30pm; March 6, 5pm, Teatro Lázaro Peña Comedy show by La Oveja Negra and El Primo de Guisa. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 49 For kids Havaneando Through March 13, Saturdays, 4pm & 7pm; Sundays, 11am, 4pm & 7pm , Carpa Trompoloco Exciting circus acts by the Compañía Havana, who are back home after a long international tour. La Cuca Érase un hombre llamado La Fontaine Teatro de títeres El Arca Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 3pm Directed by Sara Millares with music by Ernesto Lecuona, this mask puppet show and live actors who sing will perform a unique version of the popular children’s tale La Cucarachita Martina. March 12, 11 am, Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Oral narration show focusing on fables and tales, such as The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Friends, The Glutton, The Wolf and the Lamb and Belling the cat. La princesa Sarah Festival Ecos del Espiral March 5, 11am, Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura March 21-26, Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura This is the story of Princess Sarah, who lives very happily in her palace, unaware that an evil dragon and his witch mother are planning to dirty the streets of the kingdom. Warned by the Princess’s faithful friend, Sir Samuel, a cleaning campaign throughout the kingdom, but the witch casts a spell on her… Produced by Estudio Teatral Alba. Monday-Friday, 2pm-3pm & Saturdays, 1pm-2pm Screening of videos from various countries created children, teens and adults. March 19 & 26, 10am-12pm & 2pm-4:30pm Stop Motion Workshop March 25, 2:30 pm Una niña mala, by the 10 de Octubre Municipality Chapter of La Colmenita. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 50 EVENTS IN HAVANA XIV Festival Internacional Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam March 1-6, 2016 Mella Theater, Jardines del Teatro Mella, Casa de la Música Habana, Occidental Memories Miramar Hotel, Salón Rosado de La Tropical & Sala Avenida Fiesta del Tambor: Havana Rhythm and Dance Festival This festivity of percussion pays tribute to one of the cult figures of Cuban percussion: Guillermo Barreto, star of the Tropicana orchestra in the 1950s and founding member of the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna. While young talents measure their skills during the competition, experts disclose the secrets of the complex Cuban percussion at master classes, and the evenings are set aside for the performances of popular national and international bands and soloists. Percussionists from the UK and the US will be participating alongside Cuban musicians. The percussion competition will be open to musicians of all ages and nationalities in five different modalities and instruments: drums, paila, congas, bongos and batá. Each musician may compete in two different instruments. Another competition that will be held for the second time in this event will be casino style salsa dancing for couples. For more information: www.fiestadeltambor.cult.cu Teatro Mella March 1, 8:30pm Dance and congas (Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, Habana Compás Dance, Rakatán, Compañía Santiago Alfonso, Grupo Salsa, Mambo y Cha Cha Cha & Compañía Irene Rodríguez) March 2, 8:30pm Cuba & Venezuela (Pupy y los que Son, Julito Padrón and his band. Guests: Los Chinitos y Grupo Guaco) March 3, 8:30pm The best percussionists of Cuba and the world (Proyecto Rodney Barreto, Dreyser y Yaroldy, Oliver Valdés, Alex Acuña, Pete Lockett, Aldo Mazza, Roberto Fonseca y Ramsés Rodríguez, Proyecto El Flamenco, Kike Terrón y José Montaña, Manu Masaedo, Ft Alain Pérez, Walfredo de los Reyes Jr, Proyecto El Peje-Adel González-Dayron, Bombón, Suena como se Ve, Proyecto Kono y sus Muchachos, Yissy García, Brenda Navarrete and Nasrine Rahmani) March 4, 8:30pm Dance Competition Final (Yoruba Andabo, Afrocuba de Matanzas, Kervin Barreto, Timba Mix with the best timba DJs, Dj Timbao and Dj Mandy) March 5, 8:30pm Percussion Competition Final. Giraldo Piloto y Klímax, y Osain del Monte March 6, 3pm Awards ceremony for the dance and percussion competitions (Alain Pérez y su orquesta, and Grupo Desandán) lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 51 Jardines del Teatro Mella March 1, 4 November 10:30pm Eduardo Sosa Iyyeroso March 2, 10:30pm Addachè de Matanzas March 3, 10:30pm Los Papines 8 pm March 4, 4 November 10:30pm Rumberos de Cuba Eduardo Sosa March 5, 10:30pm Timbalaye March 6, 10:30pm Rumbatá de Camagüey 8 pm Casa de la Música Habana March 1, 4 November 11pm El Niño Sosa Eduardo y la Verdad, y Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor March 4, 4 November 11pm Bamboleo y Eduardo y Son Iyá Sosa March 2, 11 pm NG la Banda y Denis y su Swing March 5, 11pm Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, y Elito Revé y su Charangón March 3, 4 November 4pm-6pm Delvis Ponce y Experimental Jazz Eduardo Sosa March 3, 4pm-6pm Julito Padrón y su Proyecto 8 pm 8 pm Moise Gonzalez, Occidental Memories Miramar Hotel March 1, 4 November 4pm-6pm Eduardo Alain Pérez Sosa y su Proyecto de Jazz March 2, 4pm-6pm Alexis Bosch y Proyecto Jazz Cubano 8 pm 8 pm Salón Rosado de la Tropical March 6, 4 November 6pm 8 pm AlexanderSosa Eduardo Abreu y Habana de Primera, Paulo FG y su Élite, Giraldo Piloto y Klimax, Taínos de Mayarí Sala Avenida March 1, 4 November 9am Master Class Eduardo Sosaby Wally de los Reyes (US): Brazil, Cuba, USA March 3, 4 November 9am Master Class by Alain Pérez: The Eduardo Sosa Cajón in Flamenco March 2, 10:30pm International Percussion Competition March 5, 10:30pm International Percussion Competition March 2, 9am Master Class by Pete Lockett (UK): Indian Percussion March 6, 10:30pm Master Class by Alex Acuña (US): Weather Report Project March 2, 10:30am International Percussion Competition March 6, 10:30pm International Percussion Competition 8 pm lahabana 8 pm Cuba's Digital Destination page 52 EVENTS IN HAVANA Premio de Musicología Casa de las Américas y Coloquio Internacional de Musicología March 7-11 , Casa de las Américas Aimed at highlighting the best and most novel musical research projects carried out in Latin America, the Musicology Award also offers a collateral program of lectures, workshops, concerts and recitals. Since 1999, it has also held the International Musicology Colloquium, an important event for mutual recognition and the meeting of Latin American specialists and from around the world with what is happening in Cuban music, through concerts, book launchings, record albums and audiovisual materials. For more information: www.casa.cult.cu Bienal de Oralidad Escénica BarrioCuento 2016 March 8-12 Casa del ALBA Cultural, theaters, parks, cultural centers, schools and workplaces in Havana Organized by the Teatro Cimarrón Company and the Havana Theater Center, storytellers and groups involved in theater, dance and music that vindicate the traditions of African and native American peoples. The theoretical event Oral Literature and African Heritage will explore the work of writers and institutions that safeguard the cultural roots of their peoples. X Coloquio y Festival Internacional de Música y Poesía Nicolás Guillén March 22-24 , Cultural centers in Havana In addition to reexamining the work of the Cuban National Poet, Nicolás Guillén, the event proposes an exchange of ideas on the history and cultures of the African continent, from the time of the slave trade to the present day, as well as aspects of its diaspora in different countries where the African presence has marked the identity of its people and its culture. Along with concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions and other cultural activities, the theoretical event will take place through lectures, panel discussions and papers. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 53 EVENTS IN HAVANA XXII Encuentro Internacional de Academias para la Enseñanza del Ballet y XIV Concurso de Jóvenes Bailarines March 20-April 3 Nacional Theater and National Ballet School Organized for the first time in 1993, this International Meeting of Ballet Academies has made it possible for dancers, teachers and students to become familiar with the technical and stylistic peculiarities of the Cuban School of Ballet through workshops, courses, and methodological and master lessons. Similarly, dancers and pedagogues from other countries have conveyed their experiences in a fruitful exchange with their Cuban colleagues. The meeting will include workshops on repertory, classical duet, technique, folk dances and kinesiology applied to dancing; lectures on methodology of the Cuban School of Ballet and performances by participating academies. For more information: www.enballet.cu Havana World Music (HWM) March 24-27 Cultural centers in Havana Fabulous musical and cultural festival that includes performances and workshops, and in which the richness of diversity and mestizaje is highlighted. With difference as a source of inspiration and music as an engine of progress, HWM intends to open a window of Cuba to the world and the world to Cuba, promoting the musical collaboration among artists from very different backgrounds and styles, offering unrepeatable concerts to audiences. The HWM 2016 Lineup includes Juanito Makandé (Spain), Centavrvs (Mexico), Kobo Town (Trinidad and Tobago-Canadá), Daniela Spalla (Argentina), Vox Sambou (Haiti-Canada), Sergent García (France), Carolina Camacho (Dominican Republic) and Al McKay, whose concert Earth, Wind & Fire Experience will bring great hits of the band he was a member of. Cuban musicians include Havana D’Primera, Yoruba Andabo, Yelsy Heredia y Camino a Maisí, Yissy & Bandancha, Athanai, Ecos, the Tumba Francesa and members of the Primera Base Project, which supports young talents. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 54 EVENTS IN HAVANA Fiesta de los Clarinetes March 26-April 2 Cultural institutions in Havana This Clarinet Festival is a project organized by the D’Accord Duo, made up by pianist Marita Rodríguez and clarinetist Vicente Monterrey. The event will include concerts, master classes and meetings. Guest musicians include Trío TreColori (Germany), Mauricio Murcia (clarinet, Colombia), Ébanos de La Habana clarinet quartet, clarinetist Javier Zalba, Dianelys Castillo, Arístides Porto, Héctor Herrera, Alejandro Calzadilla, Alden Ortuño, Antonio Dorta, Michael Elvermann, Rafael Inciarte, Aylet Roque, Maryibis García, Niniam Rodríguez, Kimani Irarragori, Yoleidys Valderrama, Dunia A. Benítez and Joel Lafont, Cañas Móviles Trio (clarinet, oboe and bassoon). Oratorio San Felipe Neri March 26, 4pm April 1, 6pm April 2, 4pm Concerts Fábrica de Arte March 31, 9:30pm Concert Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana March 28-30; 2pm to 5pm lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana Master classes and meetings page 55 EVENTS IN HAVANA Coloquio Fuelle March 23-25 Historical Center of Old Havana Organized to celebrate the arrival of photography in Cuba and the 176 years since the first recorded photo was taken. During the three days of the colloquium, books Ediciones Bolona related to the theme, and a digital bibliography to which the public can access for free at the Casa Víctor Hugo Library. 23 de febrero 9:30am Se hizo la luz. A picture will be taken from the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales where the first picture was made in Cuba 176 years ago. The photo will be developed on site. 10:00am Recorrido por la calle O´Reilly. This street used to be known as Photographers’ Street. Walk around the street with a presentation by the historian Arturo Pedroso. 11:00am Presentación del Coloquio Fuelle. Opening of the bibliographic exhibition Entre colecciones. 24 de febrero 10:00am Lecture Aproximación a los estudios fotográficos de La Habana del siglo xix (19th-century photographic studios in Havana) by Claudia Arcos Ponce. 10:45am Lecture Chez Blez, on photographer Joaquín Blez, by Lisette Ríos. 11:30am Lecture about Luis A. del Cueto (Karol), by Lismary del Prado. 25 de febrero 10:00am Lecture about Julio Berenstein, by Isachy Durruthyí. 10:45am Presentation of the research work prior to the book Damas, esfinges y mambisas: Mujeres en la fotografía cubana (1840-1902), by Grethel Morell Otero. 11:30am Lecture La fotografía de guerra en la Colonia, by Liset Valderrama. lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 56 Around Cuba Festival Internacional de Documentales Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam 6-11 de marzo Santiago de Cuba Created in 2000, the International Documentary Festival Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam highlights the prominent role of the documentary, a film genre that has been somewhat consigned to oblivion by the promotional mechanisms of the larger movie festivals, yet with a tradition of significant quality and acknowledgement in Cuba, among other factors, thanks to the work of the late prize-winning Cuban film-maker, Santiago Alvarez. Although the festival began as a national event dedicated to the memory of the most relevant Cuban documentary maker of all time, throughout the years it has attracted the attention of a number of filmmakers from Latin America, Europe and the United States. With films in competition, ancillary screenings and theoretical discussions, the Festival constitutes a space for exchanging opinions and experiences among filmmakers and lovers of this genre. The 2016 country guest of honor will be Peru and the 4th Photogrpahy Contest will be held under the title “Solidarity” which aims to legitimate the realities of today’s world through photographic images. For more information: www.santiagoalvarez.org/es III Taller Internacional de Payasos Las Tunas This 3rd meeting of clowns will include classes, workshops, lectures, exhibitions and plays on the world of clowns. Both professionals and aficionados will be able to participate in theme workshops, theoretical events, concerts, exhibitions and the launching of specialized books. For more information: www.tunet.cult.cu Festival de la Trova Pepe Sánchez March 19-23 Parque Céspedes, Casa de la Trova, Sala de Conciertos Dolores, Casa del Coro Madrigalista, Sede de la UNEAC, Terraza Matamoros, Santiago de Cuba The International Pepe Sánchez Trova Festival began in 1962 in homage to local Santiago de Cuba composer José (Pepe) Sánchez (1856-1918), considered the father of Cuban trova. Several generations of musicians from different musical trends within trova participate in this event. Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of trova, hosts this festival, which takes the city’s streets and parks by storm, in a celebration where international musicians and singers join their Cuban counterparts. The opening of the festival on March 19, Trovador Day, commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Pepe Sánchez. For more information: http://noticiasdesantiagodecuba.com lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination page 57 El Litoral Havana’s best places to eat El Atelier Bella Ciao Café Bohemia Café Laurent Experimental fusion Homely Italian Café Spanish/Mediterranean Interesting décor, interesting menu. Great service, good prices. A real home from home. Bohemian feel. Great sandwiches, salads & juices Attractive penthouse restaurant with breezy terrace. Calle 5 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado (+53) 7-836-2025 Calle 19 y 72, Playa (+53) 7-206-1406 Calle San Ignacio #364, Habana Vieja Calle M #257, e/ 19 y 21, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2090 los mercaderes Cuban-Creole Beautiful colonial house. Popular place with quality food and great service. Calle Mercaderes No. 207 altos e/ Lamparilla y Amargura. H.Vieja (+53) 7861 2437 otra manera Casa Miglis El Chanchullero international Swedish-Cuban fusion Spanish/Mediterranean Beautiful modern decor. Interesting menu and good service. Calle #35 e/ 20 y 41, Playa. (+53) 7-203-8315 Oasis of good food & taste in Centro Habana Fabulous value hole in the wall tapas. Trendy. Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y Lagunas, Centro Habana (+53) 7-864-1486 Teniente Rey #457 bajos, Plaza del Cristo, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-872-8227 El Cocinero Corte Príncipe río mar D.eutimia internacional Italian international cuban/creole Industrial chic alfresco rooftop with a buzzing atmosphere Sergio’s place. Simple décor, spectacular food. Contemporary décor. Great sea-view. Good food. Absolutely charming. Excellent Cuban/creole food. Calle 26, e/ 11 y 13, Vedado. (+53) 7-832-2355 Calle 9na esq. a 74, Miramar (+53) 5-255-9091 Ave. 3raA y Final #11, La Puntilla, Miramar (+53) 7-209-4838 Callejón del Chorro #60C, Plaza de la Catedral, Habana Vieja (+53) 7 861 1332 La fontana internacional Habana mía International gourmet iván chef spanish El litoral International Consistently good food, attentive service. Old school. Endless summer nights. Excellent food and service. Brilliantly creative and rich food. Watch the world go by at the Malecón’s best restaurant. Calle 46 #305 esq. a 3ra, Miramar (+53) 7-202-8337 Paseo #7 altos e/ 1ra y 3ra. Vedado (+53) 7-830-2287 Aguacate #9 esq. a Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-863-9697 Malecón #161 e/ K y L, Vedado (+53) 7-830-2201 santy sushi/oriental Nazdarovie soviet Authentic fisherman’s shack servicing world-class sushi. Well designed Soviet décor excellent food & service. Calle 240A #3023 esq. a 3ra C, Jaimanitas (+53) 5-286-7039 Malecon #25, 3rd floor e Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947 nero di seppia Italian The new location for Havana’s best pizza chef, Walter. Same food, great locale. Calle 6 #122 e/ 1a y 3a, Miramar (+53) 5-478-7871 san cristóbal cuban/creole Deservedly popular. Consistently great food. Kitsch décor. San Rafael #469 e/ Lealtad y Campanario, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-9109 La Guarida www.laguarida.com TOP PICK Style of food: Contemporary fusion Cost: Expensive Type of place: Private (Paladar) 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 El Litoral Style of food TOP PICK International CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) 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 Nazdarovie Style of food TOP PICK Soviet CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Best for Getting a flavor of Cuban-Soviet history along with babuska’s traditional dishes in a classy locale. Don’t miss Vodka sundowners on the gorgeous terrace overlooking the malecon. Malecon #25 3rd floor e/ Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947 Santy Style of food TOP PICK Sushi CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) 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 Café Bohemia Style of food TOP PICK Traditional CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Best for taking a break from long walks and seeking shelter from the stifling Cuban. Don’t miss location in the cool inner courtyard of the colonial building. Ground floor of the Palacio de la Casa del Conde de Lombillo, Calle San Ignacio #364 (+53) 5- 403-1 568, (+53) 7-836-6567 www.havanabohemia.com Iván Chef Justo Style of food TOP PICK Spanish CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) Best for Spectacular innovative food. Light and airy place where it always seems to feel like Springtime. Don’t Miss The lightly spiced grilled mahi-mahi served with organic tomato relish. Try the suckling pig and stay for the cuatro leches. Aguacate #9, Esq. Chacón, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-863-9697 / (+53) 5-343-8540 Los Mercaderes Style of food TOP PICK Cuban-Creole CostModerate Type of place Private (Paladar) Best for Beautiful colonial house. Popular place with quality food and great service. Dont’t Miss The balcony view to the colonial epicenter of La Habana Vieja. Calle Mercaderes No. 207 altos e/ Lamparilla y Amargura. Habana Vieja (+53) 7861 2437 y (+53) 5290 1531 Casa Miglis Style of food TOP PICK Swedish-Cuban fusion CostExpensive Type of place Private (Paladar) 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 www.casamiglis.com HAVANA’S best Bars & Clubs TRADITIONAL BARS EL FLORIDITA Hemingway’s daiquiri bar. Touristy but always full of life. Great cocktails. Obispo #557 esq. a Monserrate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1299 1950S TRADITIONALS SLOPPY JOE’S BAR CERVECERÍA ANTIGUO ALMACÉN DE LA MADERA Y EL TABACO GUEST PERFORMERS INCLUDE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB MEMBERS Recently (beautifully) renovated. Full of history. Popular. Lacks a little ‘grime’. Sociedad Rosalía de Castro, Egido 504 e/ Monte y Dragones, Old Havana (+53) 5-270-5271 Ánimas esq. a Zulueta, Habana Vieja Microbrewery located overlooking the restored docks Simply brilliant. Avenida del Puerto y San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-7157 CONTEMPORARY BARS EL COCINERO ESPACIOS TABARISH FAC Fabulous rooftop setting, great service, cool vibe. Laid back contemporary bar with a real buzz in the back beer-garden. A comfortable place to chat / hang out with your friends. Great service. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (+53) 7-832-2355 Calle 10 #510, e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar (+53) 7-836-3031 Calle 20 #503, e/ 5ta y 7ma. (+53) 7-202-9188 X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Great concerts, funky young scene. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) (+53) 5-329-6325 www.facebook.com/fabrica. deartecubano CONTEMPORARY BARS/CLUBS DON CANGREJO Love it/hate it—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 BOLABANA Packed night after night with a young dressed-up clientele wanting to party. Don’t go looking for Buena Vista Social Club! Calle 39 esq. 50, Playa (+53) 5 -294-3572 CORNER CAFÉ SANGRI-LA Highly frequented by locals. Great tapas. Live Music performances every day . Calle B e/ 1ra y 3ra. Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7837 1220 For the cool kids. Basement bar/club which gets packed at weekends. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 7-264-8343 GAY-FRIENDLY CABARET LAS VEGAS Can get dark and smoky but great drag show (11pm) from Divino—one of Cuba’s most accomplished drag acts. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 7-264-8343 FASHION BAR HAVANA A superb example of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a San Juan de Dios, esq. a Aguacate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1676 CAFÉ BAR MADRIGAL Pop décor, fancy cocktails, and the staff’s supercilious attitude, this is a gathering spot for all types of folks. Calle 17 #809 e/ 2 y 4, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2433 Corner Café TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/clubs Best for Highly frequented by locals. Great tapas Don’t Miss Live Music performances every day at 11pm Calle B e/ 1ra y 3ra. Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7837 1220 Espacios TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/clubs Best for Laid back lounge atmosphere in the garden area which often has live music. Good turnover of people. Don’t Miss Ray Fernandez, Tony Avila, Yasek Mazano playing live sets in the garden. Calle 10 #510 e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar (+53) 7-202-2921 Sangri-La TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/clubs 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 Bolabana TOP PICK Contemporary Best for Trendy new location near Salón Rosado de la Tropical Don’t Miss Hipsters meet the Havana Farándula Calle 39 esq. 50, Playa Sloppy Joe´s Bar TOP PICK Bar / Traditional Best for Immense original bar lovingly restored. Good service, History. Worst for Not quite grimy. Too clean. Ánimas, esq. Zulueta La Habana Vieja, (07) 866-7157 Fábrica de Arte TOP PICK Contemporary Bar Best for X Alfonso’s superb new cultural center has something for everyone Don’t Miss Artists who exhibit work should demonstrate ongoing creativity and a commitment for social transformation. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) Fashion Bar Havana TOP PICK GAy friendly 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 Bertolt Brecht TOP PICK Contemporary Bar/clubs 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 Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Havana’s best live music venues Concert venues karl marx theatre World class musicians perform prestigious concerts in Cuba’s best equipped venue. Calle 1ra esq. a 10, Miramar (+53) 7-203-0801 Basílica San Francisco de Asís A truly beautiful church, which regularly hosts fabulous classical music concerts. Oficios y Amargura, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Habana Vieja fábrica de arte sala covarrubias X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Great concerts inside (small and funky) and outside (large and popular!). Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro) teatro nacional Recently renovated, one of Cuba’s most prestigious venues for a multitude of events. Paseo y 39, Plaza de la Revolución. jazz jazz café café jazz miramar la zorra y el cuervo A staple of Havana’s jazz scene, the best jazz players perform here. Somewhat cold atmosphere-wise. Clean, modern and atmospheric. Where Cuba’s best musicians jam and improvise. Galerías de Paseo Ave. 1ra e/ Paseo y A, Vedado Cine Teatro Miramar 10:30pm – 2am Ave. 5ta esq. a 94, Miramar Intimate and atmospheric, this basement jazz club, which you enter through a red telephone box, is Cuba’s most famous. Calle 23 e/ N y O, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2402 salsa/timba café cantante mi habana Attracts the best Cuban musicians. Recently renovated with an excellent new sound system. Ave. Paseo esq. a 39, Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7-878-4273 casa de la música casa de la música centro habana miramar salón rosado de la tropical A little rough around the edges but spacious. For better or worse, this is ground zero for the best in Cuban salsa. Smaller and more up-market than its newer twin in Centro Habana. An institution in the Havana salsa scene. The legendary beer garden where Arsenio tore it up. Look for a salsa/timba gig on a Sat night and a Sun matinee. Galiano e/ Neptuno y Concordia, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-8296/4165 Calle 20 esq. a 35, Miramar (+53) 7-204-0447 Ave. 41 esq. a 46, Playa Times: varies wildly (+53) 7-203-5322 contemporary café tatro bertolt brecht Think MTV Unplugged when musicians play. Hip, funky and unique with an artsy Cuban crowd. Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354 don cangrejo el sauce Love it/hate it—this is the oldest Friday night party place and is still going strong. Outdoor by the sea. Great outdoor concert venue to hear the best in contemporary & Nueva Trova live in concert. Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837 Ave. 9na #12015 e/ 120 y 130, Playa (+53) 7-204-6428 teatro de bellas artes Small intimate venue inside Cuba’s most prestigious arts museum. Modern. Trocadero e/ Zulueta y Monserrate, Habana Vieja. trova & traditional Barbaram pepito´s bar Some of the best Cuban Nueva Trova musicians perform in this small and intimate environment. Calle 26 esq. a Ave. del Zoológico. Nuevo Vedado (+53) 7-881-1808 gato tuerto Late night place to hear fabulous bolero singers. Can get smoky. Calle O entre 17 y 19, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2224 tradicionales de los 50 salón 1930 compay segundo The 1950s traditionals, a project created over 10 years ago, pays tribute to the Golden Era of Cuban music: the 1950s. Buena Vista Social Club style set in the grand Hotel Nacional. Sociedad Rosalia de Castro, Egido #504 e/ Monte y Dragones, Havana Vieja (+53) 7-861-7761 Hotel Nacional Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835-3896 Havana’s Best Hotels Hotel Nacional de Cuba Simply the best… Iberostar Parque Central Luxury hotel overlooking Parque Central Neptuno e/ Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-6627 Santa Isabel Luxurious historic mansion facing Plaza de Armas Narciso López, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201 Saratoga Terral Stunning view from roof-top pool. Beautiful décor. Wonderful ocean front location. Newly renovated. Paseo del Prado #603 esq. a Dragones, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201 Malecón esq. a Lealtad, Centro Habana (+53) 7-862-8061 Boutique Hotels in Old Havana Florida Beautifully restored colonial house. Obispo #252, esq. a Cuba, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-862-4127 Palacio del Marqués... Cuban baroque meets modern minimalist Oficios #152 esq. a Amargura, Habana Vieja Business Hotels Meliá Cohíba Meliá Habana Oasis of polished marble and professional calm. Attractive design & extensive facilities. Ave Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado (+53) 7- 833-3636 Ave. 3ra y 70, Miramar (+53) 5-204-8500 Hostal Valencia Immensely charming, great value. Oficios #53 esq. a Obrapía, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1037 Occidental miramar conde de villanueva Delightfully small and intimate. For cigar lovers. Mercaderes #202, Lamparilla (+53) 7-862-9293 H10 Habana panorama Good value, large spacious modern rooms. Cascades of glass. Good wifi. Modern. Ave. 5ta. e/ 70 y 72, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3583 Ave. 3ra. y 70, Miramar (+53) 7 204-0100 For a sense of history Ambos Mundos Mercure Sevilla A must for Hemingway aficionados Stunning views from the roof garden restaurant. Calle Obispo #153 esq. a Mercaderes, Habana Vieja (+53) 7- 860-9529 Trocadero #55 entre Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8560 Hotel Nacional Eclectic art-deco architecture. Gorgeous gardens. Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835 3896 Riviera Spectacular views over wavelashed Malecón Paseo y Malecón, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4051 Economical/Budget Hotels Bosque Deauville Saint John’s Vedado On the banks of the Río Almendares. Lack of pretension, great location. Lively disco, tiny quirky pool. Popular. Good budget option with a bit of a buzz Calle 28-A e/ 49-A y 49-B, Reparto Kohly, Playa (+53) 7-204-9232 Galiano e/ Sán Lázaro y Malecón, Centro Habana (+53) 7-866-8812 Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-833-3740 Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4072 Havana’s best private places to stay Mid range - Casa Particular (B&B) 1932 Miramar 301 Visually stunning, historically fascinating. Welcoming. Campanario #63 e/ San Lázaro y Laguna, Centro Habana (+53) 7-863-6203 Luxury House 4 bedrooms private luxury villa with swimming pool Habana Julio y Elsa Beautiful colonial townhouse with great location. Cluttered bohemian feel. Hospitable. Calle Habana #209, e/ Empedrado, y Tejadillo, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-861-0253 Consulado #162 e/ Colón y Trocadero, Centro Habana ( +53) 7-861-8027 Up-scale B&Bs (Boutique hostals) Cañaveral House Vitrales Casa Escorial Hostal Guanabo But undoubtedly the most beautiful about private homes in Cuba Hospitable, attractive and reliable boutique B&B with 9 bedrooms. Attractive accomodations with a panoramic view of Plaza Vieja Beautiful 4 bedroom seafront villa in sleepy Guanabo. Excellent food. 39A street, #4402, between 44 y 46, Playa, La Habana Cuba (+53) 295-5700 http://www.cubaguesthouse.com/ canaveral.home.html?lang=en Habana #106 e/ Cuarteles y Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-2607 Mercaderes # 315 apt 3 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja (+53) 5-268 6881; 5-278 6148 [email protected] Calle 480 #1A04 e/ 1ra y 3ra, Guanabo (+53) 7-799-0004 Apartment rentals Bohemia Boutique Apartments Gorgeous 1-bedroom apartment beautifully decorated apartment overlooking Plaza Vieja. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja (+53) 5- 403-1 568 (+53) 7-836-6567 www.havanabohemia.com Casa Concordia Beautifully designed and spacious 3 bedroom apartment. Spanish colonial interiors with cheerful, arty accents. Concordia #151 apto. 8 esq. a San Nicolás, Centro Habana (+53) 5-254-5240 www.casaconcordia.net Tropicana Penthouse A luxurious penthouse with huge roof terrace and breath-taking 360 degree views of Havana and the ocean. Galiano #60 Penthouse Apt.10 e/ San Lázaro y Trocadero (+53) 5-254-5240 www.tropicanapenthouse.com Suite Havana 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 Luxury Houses Villasol Casablanca Rent Room elegant and wellequipped. Beautiful wild garden and great pool. Elegant well-equipped villa formerly owned by Fulgencio Batista. Beautiful wild garden. Calle 17 #1101 e/ 14 y 16, Vedado (+34) 677525361 (+53) 7-832-1927 (+53) 5-360-0456 Morro-Cabaña Park. House #29 (+53) 5-294-5397 www.havanacasablanca.com Michael and María Elena This leafy oasis in western Havana has an attractive mosaic tiled pool and three modern bedrooms. Calle 66 #4507 e/ 45 y Final, Playa (+53) 7-209-0084 Residencia Mariby A sprawling vanilla-hued mansion with 6 rooms decorated with colonial-era lamps, tiles and Louis XV furniture Vedado. (+53) 5-370-5559 TOP PICK Bohemia Boutique Apartments Red Best for 3 small balconies (facing the Patio of the Palace), 1 spacious bedroom with air conditioning Don’t Miss The apartment is fully furbished, plenty of light and very well ventilated. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja [email protected] (+53) 5 4031 568: (53) 7 8366 567 www.havanabohemia.com TOP PICK Bohemia Boutique Apartments Blue Best for i1 internal balcony, 1 spacious bedroom on the mezzanine with air conditioning. Don’t Miss The apartment is fully furbished, plenty of light and very well ventilated. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja [email protected] (+53) 5 4031 568: (53) 7 8366 567 www.havanabohemia.com Casa Escorial TOP PICK Best for Attractive accomodations with a panoramic view of Plaza Vieja Don’t Miss The smell of fresh made coffee from the café below. Mercaderes # 315 apt 3 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja (+53) 5-268 6881; 5-278-6148 [email protected] Cañaveral House TOP PICK Best for Large elegant villa away from downtown Havana. Great for families or groups of friends. Don’t Miss Basking in the sun as you stretch out on the lawn of the beautifully kept garden. 39A street, #4402, between 44 y 46, Playa, La Habana Cuba (+53) 295-5700 http://www.cubaguesthouse.com
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