I believe rap is sincere and real, I think it’s a poetic way to write down and express the truth, of telling the truth about the reality we live in. It is a means of getting ideas out there without intermediaries, of speaking directly to people. This is why we chose it, or, better, why it chose us.
A folk-music auteur, Rafa Bocero has made his work known to Cubans through numerous concerts on the island. “The genre is very strong at the moment,” he said during his interview with Havana Times.
The circumstances in which creation happens in the photographic milieu on the island and artistic interests based on the search for another Havana, these are the revelations of Cuban photographer Yunior Yanes. “I try to pay homage to daily life, to all common things.”
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the members of one of the latest Cuban rock bands: Bassist, song-writer and director Alex Lofler, cellist Yanet Moreira and song-writer and vocalist Franklin Rodriguez. The group was formed at the end of last year but has already enjoyed some success.
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Karla Martinez, one of the most outstanding young concert pianists in Cuba today. “Cuba has a great piano-playing tradition. Being an heir of that tradition implies a commitment to doing a good job, always,” she told me during our conversation.
Anolan Gonzalez is a Cuban concert performer who has had the kind of rewarding experiences outside of Cuba that are a privilege for most instrumentalists on the island. “Cuban artists lead an endless battle against noise,” Gonzalez said during her interview for Havana Times.
Young violinist, Camila Martel, can already look back on an impressive career as a devoted concert music performer. “The important thing is learning to appreciate different kinds of beauty,” the artist said during her interview for Havana Times.
Jenny Peña is a young soloist and concert musician on the island who manages to coax an almost magical sonorous quality from her instrument, infusing deep emotion into each musical note. “It’s difficult being a woman, but we live through our music just like men do.”
Yanier Gómez is one of the young prodigies trained by the Cuban Ballet School, who was invited to the Stars of American Ballet Gala, presented on the island during Havana’s last International Ballet Festival. “We live with the social challenges that stem from my country’s economic problems,” said Gomez in his interview with HT.
“The stage must be occupied by actors who are alive, who are able to convey a message to the audience, who are full of vitality, this is what I believe. Without tasting this passion for theatre, without feeling the actor’s passion, no one can walk away satisfied from a performance,” says Jose Antonio Alonso in his interview with HT.