The Rock Community of Havana, Cuba
Photo Feature by Ernesto González Díaz
HAVANA TIMES – In Cuba, rock is not one of the most followed music genres by the public. However, its followers are very loyal to a community that is quite diverse and varied, as shown in the photos of this work.
From young almost teenage individuals to people close to old age, they are present in various places where groups from the capital like Zeus, Pyra, La vieja escuela, Gens, Bonnus, among others, perform live. They are distinguished by their long hair, dark clothing, black T-shirts alluding to international rock icons, boots, but above all by their passion for a music that gives them energy and unique sensations.
They generally gather in small places like private bars Doble A, Fellini, Coco Blues, Club 23, or the Submarino Amarillo, a cultural center belonging to the state-run company Palmares. They also occasionally perform in larger venues like the Fabrica de Arte Cubano, and their headquarters is at Maxim Rock, a cultural center that hosts the state-run Cuban Rock Agency, an entity supposed to manage performances, discography, tours, contests, and festivals of the genre, but whose poor management and inefficiency are complained about by most of the musicians we have spoken to.
