Circles Robinson, Author at Havana Times

Cuba Weather Watchers Track Irene to N. Carolina

Hurricane Irene is a shade weaker as it moves closer to a possible landing in North Carolina, reported the Cuban Weather Service (INSMET) on late Friday afternoon.

Brazil: Organized Crime Raises the Stakes

The assassination of Brazilian Judge Patrícia Acioli, who was investigating militias made up of off-duty police and death squads, points to a new stage of organized crime, which is expanding into the vacuum left by the impunity surrounding 90 percent of murders in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Old Train Station

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Today’s Cuba & the Ripe Fruit Policy

If the “fruit” ended up maturing and fulfilling the prediction made by the sixth president of the United States, we would have to “thank” that model implanted in Cuba in the name of “socialism and working class power.”

Are there any meditation or yoga centers in Cuba?

Today, a national yoga television program coordinated by Eduardo Pimentel Vázquez, a well-known yoga master in Havana. In addition, Pimentel and his wife, Elsa Hermida, have their own studio “Vidya Yoga” (Yoga Knowledge) in Havana where they teach yoga to all interested individuals.

Cuba’s Female Rappers, a Vocal Minority

Women are still a small minority on Cuba’s hip hop scene. “If the situation is hard for us nationwide, imagine what it’s like in the eastern region, where this genre has very little recognition,” says Yaneidys Tamayo, leader of the group Las Positivas.

Cuba Forecasters See Stronger Irene Tilting North

While Irene no longer poses a threat to the Cuba, The Cuban Weather Service (INSMET) will continue to track it through the Bahamas and on approach to the United States eastern seaboard.

Heads Up on the Cuban Adjustment Act

The recent topic of debate between Havana and Miami is the “Cuban Adjustment Act.” Thanks to that legislation (1966), any citizen from the island who steps onto US soil receives residency, just as if they were a political refugee.

Cuba’s Audacious Trova Music

I heard a comment on the news about the “Festival of Political Song” an event held annually in Guantanamo at the beginning of August. To me, the name of this event seemed to be in poor taste. I wondered: Do people make political songs in Cuba?

Cuba’s Boris Larramendi: “It’s Not My Fault”

This is a very Cuban song, despite not reflecting a feeling usually thought of as “Cuban style.” It has to do with some “frikis” (punksters) in a park smoking marijuana. Maybe they’re not your average Cubans, but it’s something that many people here have experienced.