Born in Santa Clara in 1975, Leonardo Garcia is among the most talented musicians of his generation. A skillful guitarist and lyricist, Garcia addresses Cuban and universal issues with both charm and intensity.
Though 22-year-old Manuel Leandro is one of Cuba’s youngest folk musicians today, he could well be described as one of the most talented, part of a generation that hasn’t yet defined itself as one.
My uncle has a dog on a leash in his back yard. Though I’ve often heard him bark, I have never once seen him wag his tail. The poor creature has a very hard life, at the mercy of the rain, the cold and his fleas.
Ariel Diaz is one of the few artists belonging to Cuba’s “lost generation” of folk musicians who has enjoyed an acceptable degree of publicity. His lyrics are profound and emotive, as befits his critical spirit and versatility.
Though exchanging a house or apartment with “hidden defects” is punishable by law in Cuba, people continue to do it (and successfully, in more than 90 percent of cases). Hidden defects are all such flaws a household may have which are concealed when the property is shown to its future resident.
“In the cafeteria of the ice factory in Guaso / you can’t get a glass of cold water / the fridge broke down months ago. / The employee responsible for fixing it / booked an appointment with the Minister. / He is number 132 on the list. – From the song “Cubans” by Inti Santana.
Imagine you don’t have a broad range of recreational options for the evenings that came after long days of work, that your one alternative is TV programing and that this is the one means of warding off boredom in the time spanning dinner and bedtime. Now, imagine your television set doesn’t have very good reception.
Diego Gutierrez belongs to a group of Cuban folk musicians that some refer to as the “lost generation.” So called, perhaps, because of the unfair neglect of the media or the consequences of internal situations decided by the country’s cultural policies, their music, undeniably rewarding, has nevertheless treated us to some of the most important moments in recent Cuban music history.
Though I thought I’d gotten over the enthrallment that this island and its people invariably inspire in visitors, I couldn’t help but feel, again, as though I were in heaven, a place where poetry, music, love and friendship ruled the roost. For four straight days, I lived on the edge, almost without sleeping…
I’d always thought of the whole dengue fever business as something that happens to others, something people can die from, but not anyone close to me. I imagine a lot of people think this way and will continue to do so. I don’t think this way anymore.