Maya Quiroga

Every Friday, on my way to the National Bus Station from my workplace, I usually wait for something to surprise me, as the journey is always monotonous and boring. Today I could hear a different sound from a distance, which my ear couldn’t make out: it was less powerful than a clarinet and sweeter.

From the French who founded the city of Cienfuegos, Lourdes Maria Trigo Bermudez took the tradition of decorative ribbons, a craft which requires a lot of work but fascinates this fashion designer. She was previously a Spanish and Literature teacher but as many Cubans had to redirect their careers towards one which would give them better earnings and the chance to express themselves artistically.

Octavio Irving Hernandez Jimenez is a Cuban artist who enjoys great national and international acclaim. He has worked as a cultural promoter, teacher and art methodologist. He has taken part in over 40 group exhibitions and has unveiled eight personal displays.

“My mother has been a very important person in my life because I grew up watching ballerinas and going to ballet performances. Even though I never step onto the stage, I also have this art form in my blood,” claims the young composer and pianist Pepe Gavilondo.

The name “Failde Orchestra” is just beginning to be heard regularly on the Cuban music scene. Founded in April, 2012 by the young flutist Ethiel Failde, the great-great-grandson of Miguel Failde, the musician who, two decades ago, got everyone in Matanzas dancing to his danzón called Las Alturas de Simpson.