January arrived in style– at least in terms of jazz. This past Sunday at the Amadeo Roldan Theater-Auditorium, Havanans enjoyed a jam session backed by strings, woodwinds and percussive instruments. Renowned Cuban jazz pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa, along with Gaston Joya (bass) and Enrique Pla (drums), joined forces with the National Symphonic Orchestra to give us the first symphonic jazz concert to ever take place on the island.
Read MoreThe Cuban National Ballet —beginning the year at its best— this past weekend presented The Nutcracker(in its complete version). One-hundred children from the Youth Ballet of Hamilton (Canada) performed as special guests. In addition were dancers from the Alejo Carpentier Elementary School of Ballet and the Vocational Workshop of the Dance Department of the Cuban National Ballet.
Read MoreWater has always been an inspiration for art. It’s the substance that cleans and purifies the wrongs of the world in legends and popular song. In Havana, though, it isn’t always as crystalline as we’d like. Water runs in the streets, parks and gardens to form puddles and very few of us contemplate them.
Read MoreThe Havana Times team wanted to give a gift to each child, not only in Cuba but to those around the whole world. Here’s a little joy for those that still refuse to grow up, for those that still want to see the world with astonished eyes.
Read MoreShopping for the Christmas-New Years dinners wasn’t easy as far as purchasing power went, though there was no canceling the pig slaughtering spectacle on the block – a prominent tradition in these holiday festivities. The world economic crisis was clearly felt at the counter.
Read MoreAfter reappearing in my home town in the United States after my trip to Cuba, many discussions about the differences in culture and perspective in a capitalist and a socialist society ensued. My two-week crash course on a society I was previously unfamiliar with had been psychologically hard and exhausting. It was very very challenging to overcome all the propaganda about Cuba that had dictated my mentality, and remain open to it as it is.
Read MoreTo make a portrait is to bring out what is hidden inside. It is to capture a look, a smile or grimace, without posing. This means doing so with images, not what people say, but capturing all they have to say: their life, their story, their happiness and hardships.
Read MoreFlamenco 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 MoreLa Casa de Africa museum in Old Havana is a cultural institution that showcases African roots, which, united with the Spanish, conform much of the Cuban national culture. The institution was founded on January 6, 1986 and has a vast collection of ethnography from the African continent. The following shots by Elio Delgado are from an outdoor celebration for its 23rd Anniversary.
Read MoreElio Delgado treats Havana Times readers to black and white photos of Cuban daily life, both urban and rural.
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