Culture

Interview with Cuban Singer Evelyn Garcia Marquez

We interviewed the Cuban singer Evelyn Garcia Marquez, who comes from a family of recognized musicians, among them her mother, the outstanding songstress Beatriz Marquez. “I didn’t think I’d go far in classical piano, that’s why I decided to sing,” she told HT.

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A Concert with Cuba’s Polito Ibanez

People were able to hear singer-songwriter Polito Ibañez not only live, but free and without all the usual concert turmoil. Nothing could break the magic spell of the afternoon at the Casa del ALBA when he told us the “simple things that fill me.” (8 photos)

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Cuba’s Young Jazz Artist Janio Abreu

We interview the young musician Janio Abreu, a clarinetist and the leader of the Cuban jazz group “Aire de Concierto.” As Janio noted, “Let’s hope that tomorrow they’ll keep us in mind in those venues where they truly should be featuring the art form that we consider ourselves to be championing.”

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Cuba, Miami Argue over Pablo Milanes

The controversy over the statements made by Pablo Milanés before his concert in Miami continues. First most radical exiles rejected him, then the moderates criticized him and now Silvio Rodriguez adds his opinion.

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Cuba’s Lindiana Murphy of “Mantra”

“Many people sometimes don’t have the courage to face change; but believe me, after that change starts you may begin from zero but it’s worth thousands,” said LIndiana Murphy, vocalist of the Cuban band Mantra in an interview with HT.

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Cuba’s Rock-Country Band: Extraño Corazon

Extraño Corazon began playing pop-rock, heavy metal, progressive rock & the blues, which is to say we weren’t a group defined by any particular musical style. But when we started getting some of our country-sounding songs played on the radio, the public began identifying us as that Cuban pop-rock-country band.

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Carlos Acosta & Cuba’s Performing Arts Award

I consider this award of recognition proper and commendable. However it would be good that starting from now nothing else were given to Cuban residents in Cuba or to nonresidents who reaffirm not only their patriotism but their identification with the system on the island.

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A ‘Maroon’ in Cuba’s Hip Hop

When I came off the stage the rappers told me: “You really did that ‘Spoken Word’ great.” I still didn’t know what it was. When investigating into it I realized that it was about doing your poetry or that of someone else’s on a rhythmic base of sound, and live.

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A Cuba Hip-Hop Shell Game

The majority of people still don’t know it (and those who know keep quiet), but the hip hop symposium is the official consequence of what had been the highly acclaimed Alamar Rap Festival.

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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.

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