Interviews Archives - Page 103 of 147

Horizontalism as a strategy: “taking over the state doesn’t lead to real liberation” (I)

Marina Sitrin is a lawyer and has a PhD in sociology, but she prefers to define herself as “a writer, dreamer, and revolutionary”. She is well known among the emancipatory activists for editing the book Horizontalism on self-organization in Argentina after the 2001 collapse. Recently, she authored They Can’t Represent Us!: Reinventing Democracy from Greece to Occupy. We met first during her stay in Cuba.

Cuban Folk Musician Alex Mendez: Run-Away Slave in Copenhagen

A Cuba folk musician living in Europe speaks to us about his music and shares his thoughts on his condition as musician. “I learn from what people feel. Now, without a sensitive pair of ears my songs say nothing, they’re empty, emptier than a beach in Copenhagen during the winter,” Alex Mendez tells us in his interview for HT.

Interview with Diario de Cuba Editor Pablo Diaz

Diario de Cuba was born at a Starbucks in Madrid in 2009. Its creators, Pablo Diaz (editor in chief) and a group of Cuban journalists, artists and intellectuals, wanted to develop a forum that would contribute to public and democratic debates among Cubans, beyond the issue of human rights.

Ballerina Xiomara Reyes Returns to the Cuban Stage

Days before the start of Cuba’s International Ballet Festival (October 28 – November 7), the second Cuban woman to make it in the American Ballet Theater (ABT), lead ballerina Xiomara Reyes, returns to the Cuban stage to treat us to her immense talent. “I have many dreams and ideas in my mind and my heart.”

Islam in Cuba, an Unknown World

Without a mosque to perform their prayers at, faced with a very limited Islamic tradition and next to no possibilities of travelling to the Mecca, Cuba’s Muslim community currently gathers about 4,000 converts. This year has been particularly significant for the island’s Muslims.

Kissinger’s Plan to Bomb Cuba (Video)

In the new book, “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana,” authors Peter Kornbluh and William LeoGrande use recently declassified documents to expose the secret history of dialogue between the United States and Cuba.

Cuba: Tearing Down Barriers (Part II)

I conducted the first half of this interview in 2012, a few months after meeting my interviewee for the first time. His partner, my friend Michel, had described him as being homophobic, complaining that, even though they had a relationship, they never went out together. Being seen with Michel, who claims he didn’t come out of the closet because he was never in it in the first place and is proud of his sexual orientation, embarrassed him.

Haydee Milanes Returns to Cuba Stages

Cuban musician Haydee Milanes will soon be launching her new album, dedicated to the work of one of the island’s most respected composers. “It is a great honor to be among those invited to participate at this prestigious festival,” the young singer told HT.

“Cubamerican” Doc. Premieres in Miami

This Thursday, September 4, Jose Enrique Pardo’s documentary “Cubamerican” will premiere in Miami. The film, includes interviews with renowned Cubans such as ballet star Lorena Feijoo, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba & actor Andy Garcia.

Jassiel Palenzuela: A Young Cuban Painter

Jassiel Palenzuela is a Cuban contemporary visual artist. “Plurality and diverse ways of making and taking on art, that may be the posture that defines this generation,” he said during his interview with Havana Times.