Author: Circles Robinson

With the new year here, returning to the wooden street of the Plaza de Armas will be the open air performances of the Banda Nacional de Conciertos, directed by maestro Rafael Diaz Carter, on Fridays at four in the afternoon.

The group Obsesión is presenting their project “El Club del Espendrú” (The Afro-Club – referring to that hairstyle of days gone by), will be offering their fans their most recent musical compositions and bringing in 2010 full of happiness with their different musical works. They will be at the Teatro Bertold Brecht café, on Thursday, January 14, at 11:00 p.m.

DJ Iván Lejardi, DJ Obi and DJ Ra will present their show in the Jardines de La Tropical on Sunday, January 17, at 4:00 pm.

Cuban singer-songwriter Santiago Feliú will give us an extensive sample of his most recent compositions and a few other tunes better known by his followers. Santiago —belonging to the movement known as New Trova— has transcended this to reach the “Novísima Trova.” The concert will take place at the Salón Maxim Rock on Wednesday, January 20, at 9:00 p.m. It will be a good occasion to hear excellent lyrics.

Composer, guitarist and singer Heidy Igualada will be presented on Friday, January 15, at the Palacio del Segundo Cabo. Her songs are of a soft, sweet and lively poetic style, free of the violent tones typical of this modern era; yet, nor are they hermetic metaphors insulated from the world us.

The “El jardín de Epicuro,” painting exhibit by Arturo Montoto is on display at the Galería El Reino de este Mundo of the Jose Marti National Library of Cuba (Independence Ave and 20 de mayo, in Cerro) through Sunday January 31. This personal exhibition by the painter recreates passages of the poem of that same name.

The Acacia Gallery (San Martin, between Industria and Consulado, facing the Capitol Building in Centro Habana) presents the collective exhibition of artists from the “Laderas” vanguard through Sunday January 31.

On display until Sunday, January 31, is an exhibition made up of sculptures created from leather by artisan and visual artist Romisleidys Ramos Perez. These are on display at the Casa de la Poesía (No. 63, Muralla, in Old Havana) beginning at 5:00 in the afternoon.

The exhibition of visual artist Ileana Mulet will continue at the Museum of Colonial Art (No. 61 San Ignacio, Old Havana) until Saturday, January 30. The museum opens daily at 10 a.m.

The Leo Vocal Choir performs in concert on Saturday, January 30, at 5:00 p.m., at the Centro Hispanoamericano de la Cultura (Prado and Malecon, Old Havana).