A female ghost dressed in red appears before a lonely man sitting on the Havana seawall. They talk and dive into the water. People ascend, stairways are lowered, they go into the sky, traveling, and swimming among the clouds, by day or night.
They fight (uncontrolled) for a position inside an old car. The city is presented as a seething mass of people, desires, customs that occur again and again.
Flamenco serves as a unifying bridge to express the energy of each dancer, singer and spectator. We all felt what characterizes this genre: passion, strength and beauty. Some expressed it with dance and music, others with applause.
Read MoreBeing a mule driver was an occupation that was about to fade into oblivion because it was thought that they were no longer needed. However, life has demonstrated that they are part of a tradition that will continue for many years to be part of Cuba’s remote communities.
Read MoreThe witch (Laura Alonso) is capable of anything to stay the “fairest of them all.” In this Cuban rendition, she gives a poison guava to Snow White to send her into a deep and endless sleep, at least until the prince arrives and undoes the spell with a kiss.
A Concert for Snow White is performed by children with the support of their mothers and fathers, whose presence is felt in the atmosphere, organization and discipline within the theater.
Read MoreEnrique Pla is a man of few words but of a very musical ear. Since he was just a kid, he picked up on the melodies produced from his sister’s piano, and very soon earned the nickname “little drummer boy,” because he would improvise on that instrument for hours on end. He invented his own unique drum to begin his journey through the world of music, that of Cuban percussion. To celebrate his 60 years of life, Havana’s Museum of Music decided to pay him homage inviting several of his fellow musicians and friends.
Read MoreNobody doubts that what is most beautiful about Cuba are its beaches. What’s most important is to have fun and relax in the white sands, and the warm and clean waters, allowing ourselves to be caressed by the vivid colors of the sky and the gentle waves.
Read MoreRoy didn’t come alone to Cubadisco, the island’s recording industry’s most important annual event. He came with friends to receive the Honor Prize for his years of music. Tito Auger and the group Asi Somos were his guests at the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center in the capital.
Read MoreDay-to-day anecdotes are abundant, from people recounting stories about a group of women harassed by policemen at the beach, or nighttime soap operas that caricature gays, putting them on public display to be judged for their “immoral behavior.” These shows imply that HIV is a punishment for being gay, as their poorly focused characters become recorded in the public’s minds.
Read MoreThe Cuban capital is a vibrant, dynamic city in an evolving state of both renovation and decay. Most photo essays of Havana are taken from ground level. Now,Caridad gives HT readers a chance to see parts of the city from different elevated vantage points. Sit back and enjoy these fifty-one photos.
Read MoreOne of the most striking pieces during the recent Havana Art Biennial was from Manuel Castro Inda, entitled “Encounter”. With much realism it puts Fidel Castro and Cuban National Hero Jose Marti face-to-face.
Another provocative exhibit in the same room is “Columbus Doesn’t Exist” by Julio Alberto Mompié, with the three famous caravels suspended in a dark backdrop. Havana Times brings you a good look at both, separately and together.