Oct 5, 2016 - At that same event we were nominated for Best Electronic Music CD .... Signature rock brought us the Havan
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lahabana magazine
HIP-ROCK issue OCT
OCT 2016 INCLUDING GUIDE TO THE BEST PLACES TO EAT, DRINK, DANCE AND STAY IN HAVANA
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OCT 2016
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LA HABANA.COM is an independent platform, which seeks to showcase the best in Cuba arts & culture, life-style, sport, travel and much more... We seek to explore Cuba through the eyes of the best writers, photographers and filmmakers, both Cuban and international, who live work, travel and play in Cuba. Beautiful pictures, great videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips.
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HAVANA GUIDE The ultimate guide to Havana with detailed reviews of where to eat, drink, dance, shop, visit and play. Unique insights to the place that a gregarious, passionate and proud people call home.
HAVANA LISTINGS
MAY 2016
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E D I TO R I A L Welcome to the October Hip Hop & Rock’n’Roll issue of La Habana magazine. Yes, there’s more to Cuban music than just salsa. Hip hop beats first trickled into Cuba in the early 90s. Rap, Cuban-style, is now very much part of the island’s musical culture. In the early days it was met with a deal of resistance but was slowly embraced. Although the present-day movement is limited given a great lack of resources and venues, it is still pretty vibrant. Rock‘n’roll, however, is thought by experts that it is not going through its best times right now. Yet, there are many rock bands active right now, not only in Havana but in provinces like Pinar del Río and Santa Clara, which both hold rock festivals. So, we invite the reader to learn about these genres in Cuba through the articles we have put together in this issue and discover how hip hop and rock are both alive and kicking. There is no shortage of events in October. For the first time in Cuba, the Countertenors of the World Festival will be held through October 9. Get ready to enjoy the unique voices of singers from 11 different countries, and several world premieres. In a similar vein, the Festival Mozart-Habana 2016 is a must for classical music lovers. And last but surely not least, the 25th International Havana Ballet Festival will open on October 28 and will continue through November 6. If by any chance you are in the eastern part of Cuba, we recommend you take a trip to the city of Bayamo for the Fiesta de la Cubanía, art and culture in a festival
that contributes to a reunion with the roots of the nation (October 17-20) and the Fiesta de la Cultura Iberoamericana, an event that seeks to recover and promote the Spanish roots and background of the Ibero-American nations (October 24-30). Back in Havana, We especially wish to recommend the Cuerda Viva Grand Concert of Alternative (Teatro Nacional, Sala Avellaneda, October 8, 11pm), and when that has ended, grab a cab and rush down to Fábrica de Arte for Mozart Classical Rave with DJ producer Iván Lejardi (October 8), which promises to be an interesting experience. And in other news, read about Savior, the first Cuban indie videogame by visual artist Josuhe Pagliery and programmer Johann Armenteros. Abrazos! The LaHabana.com Team
OCT 2016
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OCT 2016
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CONTENTS OCT 2016
HIP-ROCK issue Rap Cubano: The Birth of a Cuban Movement
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The New Cuba Mix
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Alejandro Zamora: A Cuban Hip-Hop Historian
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Despite changes, Cuba’s Hip Hop Obesión stays strong
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Guámpara Music: Feet planted in Santiago de Cuba but eyes on the continent
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The Best Cuban Rock Songs
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The World without Patio de María
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What’s happening today in Cuban Rock Music
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On the spotlight: Michel Hernández
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Cuban ingenuity at its best
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Savior: a leap of faith
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Cuba Beyond the Beach: Stories of Life in Havana
HAVANA LISTINGS VISUAL ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY DANCE MUSIC THEATRE FOR KIDS EVENTS
HAVANA GUIDE FEATURES RESTAURANTS BARS & CLUBS LIVE MUSIC HOTELS PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION
OCT 2016
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RAP CUBANO The Birth of a Cuban Movement by Jauretzy
OCT 2016
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“I think Cuban rap has always had a proper use of intellectualism. It can take a problem that exists, recognize it, and take it to a poetic description, and in an individualistic way. A rap song can say in four minutes what it takes an intellectual a whole day to explain.” - Ariel Fernandez, Cuban Rap Historian
OCT 2016
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Chuck D was the founder of a respected American rap band called Public Enemy. In 1990, a song named “Fight the Power” was blasted from the speakers of a misunderstood movie character in the famous film “Do the Right Thing” directed by Spike Lee. The genre of rap had existed before, but for some reason mainstream America took notice. Perhaps because the movie finally crawled out of the ghettos and into white movie theaters all over the country, including shopping malls. The music was confrontational, bold, angry, poetic, and to white America, yes it was scary. Chuck D once reffered to rap as “the black CNN”, a newsletter of the ghettos. Soon, all ages and races in the United States and eventually the world would rally for these voices. A bunch of white, black, brown, indian, chinese, and beyond were showing up to international Public Enemy concerts with raised fists. The music was no longer about color, it was about the disenfranchised worldwide, and slowly those few invisible voices became a larger body of visible voices. For the first time, all voices were heard and it was cool to listen… and isn’t that exciting?
OCT 2016 10
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“The morning workday is ending and I am swallowed by the afternoon, my stomach is sending an SOS I can’t prevent” - Lyrics to Vivencias (Living Conditions) by Papa Humbertico
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lahabana. com Around the same time, young Cubans were starving and hungry, not just for nutrients of the belly, but of also for outside inspiration. It was 1990 and the start of an era called The Special Period. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Cuba was in the precarious position of being one of the few countries left to hold the torch for a communist belief. This meant Cuba was financially on its own, and spiralled into widespread poverty with food and resources disappearing off shelves. Coupled with the intense stronghold of the American embargo, the streets became the new forum to discuss, debate, and eventually spawn a new freestyle culture. “When there was a power outage, people would get bored” explains Rap radio host, Ariel Fernandez. “You couldn’t watch movies or play dominoes. People would get together on corners and in neighborhoods. The first rappers got stimulated and began to improvise and freestyle to the blackout. It is not very different from
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what happened in Cuba with the guaguanco and previous music from the streets.You lose the lights and you get a couple of boxes and a couple of spoons, and sit in the street and create a Rumba. Rap is part of the Cuban tradition of finding an alternative.” If you really want to take this back in time, Cuba’s original tribes used to do the same. Gathering in secrecy, or “on-the-down-low” as they say, the first slave ships arrived in 1522 into Cuba and its slave population began to form social clubs called “cabildos” which became the root of most Cuban musical forms. Essentially, these were jam sessions to release tension, while preserving African cultural traditions, generating a distinctive style of music called Afro-Cuban music. The spirit of freestyling and improvistation has been embedded in the Cuban spirit ever since, from cabildos to Cuban jazz.
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Soandry, a resident of Alamar, was emblematic of this new generation in crisis. As a child, his brother left in the mass exodus of 1994. “It’s a time that I will never forget. I was very young and you would see people who would just leave from one day to the other. I lent something to a friend of mine from Alamar, and when I went to get it a few days later, his mom said, “No, he left. You didn’t hear?” This happened all across the country, and created a gap in understanding. “His departure was something that marked me forever because it divided the family and it separated me from a loved one. It affected me deeply, but I had to go on. I had the responsibility of not failing my mother, now more than ever. I was her only son.”
OCT 2016 13
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“I think it was normal for the youth to question the things that were happening” echoes Ariel. “Young people question their parents, their professors. You start to live your life and understand, and you are very critical of things. I don’t know, maybe a psychologist could explain it better, but it was a time of rebellion – in the way you dressed, the way you talked. Also, it is known that here in Cuba we have a history of rebellion. Of combating things that are wrong. Of criticizing negative things. The youth started to share their problems using rap. I think that undoubtedly the first expressions of rap in Cuba and in Havana were not rapping for rapping’s sake, but people talking about the problems in their lives. I think that rap creates an objective. It creates a space of freedom within an individual, with things they have inside”.
OCT 2016 14
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The damaged relations with the US didn’t help matters. Since 1979, Cubans in Alamar began to rig antennas to their rooftops in order to channel illegal media. In 1985, under the approval of President Ronald Reagan, the US launched Radio and TV Marti, seen as “anti-Castro programming”, and quickly, the Cuban government retaliated by jamming existing commercial medium-wave broadcasts from Florida, blocking all forms of signals. According to most of the rappers I spoke with, none of them cared for additional propaganda shoved down their throats. Instead they were seeking music. In this inflated time of anti-American fever, the residents of Alamar continued to master illegal antennas on the roofs of Alamar, the site of Cuba’s largest housing projects. In those years, the antennas picked up radio stations HOT 105 and 99 JAMZ, satisfying Cuban youths’ growing fascination with American entertainment culture. The early hip hop scene was mostly centered around breakdancing, that is until the 90’s hit.
OCT 2016 15
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“The [rap] movement started in 1990,” explains Soandry who resides in nearby Cojimar. “It really became strong in ‘93, ‘94. The Special Period was the motor that gave Hip Hop the jump start to a young rebellious youth movement. It was the trampoline”. How did his family explain this destitute period to him? “It was not really spoken about. To put it simply, they referred to it as The Special Period. The term did not reflect the harshness of the situation, especially for someone very young, who who didn’t understand anything about politics” says the musician about his early adolescence. “You could find different opinions on the street without any compromise. People said ‘I believe’ or ‘I don’t believe.’ Keep in mind, we were all facing the same problems; and we were all young people. We had the same concerns.”
OCT 2016 16
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Without official venues to buy or trade rap recordings, Cuban youth created a massive bootleg market of hip hop mix tapes derived from stolen radio signals, thus forming the basis for their own identity of Cuban rap. The frequent outdoor parties in the streets of Alamar ensured the genre’s evolution, which thrived on an improvisational, freestyle approach and free thinking. Sometimes the lyrics were in good fun, other times the subject matter was taboo.
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Eventually, a collective called Grupo Uno, led by member Rodolfo Rensoli, contributed to legitimizing hip hop in Cuba by creating what would become the Annual Rap Festival. The festival is met with support from the government’s Asociación Hermanos Saíz (AHS), an offshoot of the Communist Youth Organization. The first “Festival de Rap Cubano” occured in Alamar, which is the reason it became known as the birthplace of Cuban hip hop. “This generation needed to scream and let go of all that was happening, and all they didn’t understand” affirms Ariel. And so the Festival became just that, a venue to let it all out. “In 1995 I went to the first rap festival. I found people saying things for the first time. We were now not just consuming American hip hop music, we learned that we could also make it our own. I came to see the movement growing and I realized that my way of thinking was not limited to me or my neighborhood friends or brother. For the first time, there were a lot of young people who thought like me.” With Cubans emulating US rappers’ aggressive posturing and lyrical content, hip hop was seen by Cuban authorities as another attempt at cultural invasion by the U.S., threatening to bring with it the violence and problems of the U.S. ghettos. The government of Cuba quickly declared it a corrupt American and Imperialist influence. It was not uncommon to find police at early shows, regulating the concerts.
OCT 2016 18
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The younger ones viewed it as a more healthy outlet. “The early ’90s was a time when someone could go to a party and express everything, and others could go to listen to it and identify themselves with those people” affirms Ariel. “I think it was an alternative space for that youth at the time that was very necessary. There was a lot of frustration, and this place meant that you belonged to something, that you weren’t alone. You could be with them on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in different locations and have a good and interesting time”.
OCT 2016 19
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At the same time, positive American influence began arriving in the form of what is considered “the conscious rappers” by US standards. Mos Def, Common, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and The Roots were amongst some names that visited to pay respects to this fresh movement. “We drove to Alamar on a bus. It was great. Fifty of us on a bus packed in like sardines singing Public Enemy songs acapella. It was awesome” said artist Mos Def.
“There was this theater in the projects [Alamar’s Anfiteatro]. It reminded me of the theater you see in Wild Style when they perform at the end. I was like, ‘Wow, this is surreal’, and you walked through and people wanted to invite you into their homes”. Together, both nations would cross-pollinate and begin to form a healing bond through the vehicle of art. This was ironically during a year just before George W. Bush reinforced one of the toughest crackdowns of the US Embargo.
OCT 2016 20
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The energy was contagious for both rap scenes. “It was one of the highlights of my artistic career. It was also one of the highlights of my life as a traveler” says Mos Def in excitement. “It was like performing at the Great Wall of China or something. What’s after the moon, you know? It was amazing. It’s sort of beyond words. English words, anyway”. In terms of his performance with fellow American artists, Mos describes the elation. “I was down there withTalib Kweli and one half of Dead Prez. We did a bunch of songs off the Black Star album. Oh man it was electric. The energy was just electric, you could feel it sparkling. Just feel it.You felt it on your skin. It was crazy, it was great”.
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Eventually, Soandry transformed himself from concert attendee to rapper himself. “It was not one specific thing that got me rapping”, he explains, “It was an accumulation of many incidents that became a big hill which covered me, so when I felt that I was going to suffocate because of the heavy weight upon me, I decided to express myself. I began to speak and sing about all the things that I didn’t understand, didn’t believe, and all the things that I felt it my duty to express, so that people who felt like me and thought like me didn’t feel so alone. I wanted people to know that we all had the same problems and we could find solutions to those problems by addressing them and making them public.”
OCT 2016 22
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I have a flag, I have a palm tree And a map without a treasure I have aspirations without the means to make them real I have more or less the right interpretation of things I have a race that is dark and discriminated against I have a system that requires but does not give I have so many things that I can’t touch I have so many places that I can’t enter I have freedom within an iron parenthesis -Lyrics to Tengo, by Soandry (Hermanos de Causa)
OCT 2016 23
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Due to the loud reverberation of healthy rebellion, Cuban Institutions attempted to curb the artform. Frustrated by the lack of support by Cuban authorities, cultural promoter Ariel Fernández decided to write a Rap manifesto stating that Cuban hip hop is an important cultural phenomenon for the Cuban State to consider. An Hermano Saiz official found the essay and printed it, helping to open discourse about rap on a government level. After using his radio show “The Rap Corner” to broadcast local rap, Ariel was soon offered a job with Hermano Saiz to be in charge of Hip Hop events.
In 1999, Cuba’s Minister of Culture, Abel Prieto, gave a public speech to the nation expressing that rap was “an authentic form of expression,” thereby making a public declaration of the Cuban government’s acceptance of this rebellious genre. Cuban hip hop takes place within the context of Fidel Castro’s maxim “Within the revolution everything: outside the revolution, nothing” which allows for critical debate as long as it is not seen to be counter-revolutionary.
OCT 2016 24
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On the other side of the coin, Cuban hip hop flourished in diverse ways. In 2002, the first Cuban rap compilation, Cuban Hip Hop All Stars, was produced by Pablo Herrera (an ex-University of Havana professor turned rap producer). The album was released in the U.S. and featured some of the country’s top bands. The song “Tengo”, performed by Soandry Del Rio Ferrer of the collective El Cartel, becomes an anthem. Around the same time, 2003 introduced the first album of Orishas, a rap group from Alamar who chose to relocate to France, where they became the first to achieve international success. Orishas bandmember Yotuel explains the irony of making this album abroad. “A lo Cubano was born out of nostalgia” he says of their time spent in Paris incubating this record while missing their motherland in exile. The amalgamation of Cuban sounds mixed with hip hop beats and yoruba language were all birthed out of a studio in Paris, and would become the template for Cuban rap moving forward, earning a Latin Grammy Award for Best Rap/ Hip hop Album. It’s important to note that Orishas would not have existed if it were not for the original Alamar shows, where the youngsters first met under their first band, Amenaza.
OCT 2016 25
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Meanwhile back at home, Cultural Institiutions switfly stepped into the game. In 2002, the Hermanos Saiz Association, a cultural arm of the government, decided to open Agencia Cubana de Rap (The Cuban Rap Agency), with the promise of promoting the movement of rap to the world. Out of the nation’s estimated 500 bands, the Rap Agency chose to represent nine bands. These chosen few would record albums and travel abroad. The Agency promised to take over the annual Havana Rap Festival, and produce a magazine (entitled Movimiento) to foment the movement. Critics point out that the Agency’s bands reflect more reggaeton-influenced music, as opposed to the original spirit generated by Alamar’s underground. Others see the Agency as a savior and a reflection that the establishment supports changing times. In 2004, the government cancelled Havana’s Festival de Rap Cubano on the week of its commencement as hundreds of international fans and media flooded into Cuba to attend the shows. The State declares it needed all its local resources to recover from the damage of Hurricane Charley, which had passed through another city, Pinar del Rio, the previous week. Cuba’s government creates a “make- good” show the following November which was poorly attended due to lack of promotion. To date, The Rap Agency has produced no compilations, while the magazine Movimiento ceased to exist ever since its founding editor Ariel Fernández relocated to the United States. There would be no 2005 or 2006 Festivals thereby discouraging fans of Cuban rap abroad. Twelve years later, the fate of the Havana Rap Festival is currently unknown with not even a website to explain matters.
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“Part of our musical history has already been lost” laments Kokino (of the band Anonimo Consejo) in an early issue of the now defunct Movimiento magazine back in 2004. “That anthology of the first years were never recorded. The few recordings that we have done are in compilations for foreign labels. The time is passing by, and our work loses the opportunity to build itself upon its past, not just in terms of its historical grouping, but in terms of the hip hop movement, and finally, in relation to the history of Cuban music.” Since then, Kokino abandoned Cuba in order pursue his dream elsewhere.
OCT 2016 27
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The movement continues to thrive on a grassroots level on the island with an additional burgeoning scene emerging out of the streets of Santiago. Expanding beyond Cuban issues, the islands rappers seek to explore solutions to world problems as well. “The youth here talk about social issues, racial issues, political issues, the situation in the world, Latin America, and [back then] the war in Iraq” states Soandry. “In our music we talked about being against the war. It is not limited to Cuban society. It is universal and much more positive than hip hop from other countries which talks about gangs, guns, violence, drugs, and the ‘I’mthe-meanest-of-them-all-and-I’ll-take-everybody-on’ type of talk. Here in Cuba, rap is more progressive. The rappers want to perfect society by criticizing it” as he explains further about his love for Cuba, and the desire to see the best nation he can envision.
OCT 2016 28
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Out of all the players in the Hip Hop scene since its inception, about 80% of the early bands have since left Cuba, including the new breed of artist Aldeanos who have also moved away. This week, it has been announced that El B (one half of Aldeanos) was just nominated for his first Latin Grammy in the US. Soandry, however has always kept Cuba as his home, choosing to make a difference from the inside. Years after the festival cancellations, he continues producing an independent Rap gathering entitled Punos Arriba which contains a different format than the Rap Festival. Culling together only top bands of the year, Punos Arriba serves as an Award show highlighting top categories of music within the year, for example, “Best Social Commentary”, “Song of the Year”, and similar categories. Eternally struggling for funds, the annual event barely happens every year, yet still, the artists will always find a way. As he tells us in the film East of Havana, “With or without the festival, cuban rap will go forward, or at the very least, I will go forward”. The documentary shows him against the world, a perfect metaphor for a misunderstood cut of Cuban youth trying to make their planet a better place.
OCT 2016 29
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In mutual support of all voices struggling to be heard, I sat down with Mos Def one afternoon and asked him if he had a message for the Cuban rappers. “Don’t be discouraged” he said without blinking. “You guys are doing amazing things, and if you stop, then IT stops, but if you keep going, IT keeps going, and it grows. People are listening and people do know. I hope it doesn’t seem like some weak consolation but they have to keep going. It will change their society if they keep doing it because hip hop changes minds. There’s still a lot more to do. It’s a different world than when we were first doing it. And it’s got new challenges, and new problems and dilemmas. It’s also got new opportunities and possibilities, new hope, new beauty, and they should keep it up”. He sinks in his chair with a big grin and finishes his thought. “Keep it up, Cuba. You’re doing fantastic. Life is hard but it’s beautiful, so don’t be dismayed. And that would be it.”
Jauretsi is a Writer/Director, Digital Strategist, and Cuba Consultant who is currently rooting for “The New Cuba” on all levels, from both inside and outside the country — Vedado to Soho. You can follow her adventures on @ TheNewCuba on Instagram or download East of Havana on iTunes or Amazon.
OCT 2016 30
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THE NEW CUBA MIX by Jauretzy
For this music issue, we thought we would put together a series of tracks that reflects Cuba in 2016 and all the key players and sentiments that have played a role in making this a historical year. This is what we call The New Cuba Mix—looking forward to all the infinite possibilities of tomorrow, yet still holding on to our ancient roots and identity as a people. In traditional Cuban form, let’s celebrate this with music.
Ellegua invocation / Orishas In homage of Cuba’s original rap band, the Orishas hail from Alamar, Cuba, considered the Bronx of the Island. This track opens the famous album named A lo Cubano, which was revered for creating the template for Cuban rap. Ellegua’s invocation is spoken in Yoruba and is a ritual to honor the deity responsible for opening doors. In the year 2016, we can say that Ellegua’s energy is still summoned for paving the path towards a more friendly Cuba/US relation, as well as Cuba towards the world. This soulful chant is for Ellegua. Ache.
Yes We Can / The Pointer Sisters Considered the official campaign song for Barack Obama, this song was played over and over again before and after his speeches to young voters with the desire for real change. “Yes We Can” he said from the podium, as he promised to end the Iraq war, take a shot at affordable health care, and drop the Cuban Embargo. “Now is the time for all good men / To get together with one another” says the song. “Iron out our problems / And iron out our quarrels / And try to live as brothers / I know we can make it. I know we can work it out if we try. Yes we can, Yes we can”. The song has been performed by many artists, but this particular version by 80’s disco queens, The Pointer Sisters, gives it that extra funky flavor.
OCT 2016 31
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I Come from New York / Desi Arnaz
Lean On / Major Lazer
Cuban-born American Desi Arnaz was born in Santiago, and fled Cuba as a child under the Batista regime. A shrewd business man, and a pioneer, he began a production company with wife Lucille Ball, called Desilu Productions. Together, they created “I Love Lucy”, one of America’s most famous TV shows. Desi and his cameraman have been credited with the development of the multiple-camera setup production style using two stages side by side in front of a live audience. This is the standard for shooting situation comedy shows today. Everybody told him it can never be done. But lo and behold, he insisted that you can allow an audience onto a soundstage. Network executives also feared high costs recording all this on film, so Arnaz negotiated a deal where he covered all costs of filming under the condition he owned and controlled all rights of the film. A groundbreaking deal. The profits from years of reruns made them both very wealthy based on this one radical move. Desi Arnaz was a visionary and splendid entrepreneur, and a shining example of what all Cubans can achieve given the right opportunities.
One of the biggest concert surprises in the last few years, the band Major Lazer showed up in Havana in March 2016 and spawned an audience of 450,000 of the freshest young Cuban Millenials the Malecón has ever seen. The day remains lodged in our memories as one of the funnest street parties we can remember. The track “Lean On” has also received the honor of being named the most heavily streamed song in Spotify’s history. Although the song is officially American, every time I listen to it, I feel that I am at Fábrica, Espacios, a Cuban coffee shop, or in a beat-up 1950s Chevy where the song blasts from speakers all day long. “Blow a Kiss / Fire a Gun / All We Need is Somebody to Lean On” [ey-oh-ey-oh]
OCT 2016 32
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Miss You / Rolling Stones We couldn’t very well create a 2016 Cuba playlist without kneeling to the Kings of Rock’n’Roll. The British legends spent at least six months working tirelessly with the Cuban government to construct a massive free show at the Ciudad Deportiva and then bottle the memory afterwards into a feature length documentary. Of all the songs in their repertoire, I choose “Miss You” as an anthem of love and longing for all the families that were separated during the Cuban Revolution, and the joyous homecoming of seeing each other again in the last few years ever since travel has loosened up a bit on both sides. There is much more work to be done, but this track is a toast to the reunification of Cubans with family, young and old.
Quizás, Quizás, Quizás / Nat King Cole One of the most elegant voices to come out of American music industry is legendary performer Nat King Cole—a man of class and grace. Cole visited Havana in 1958, just before the Revolution and recorded an album sung entirely in Spanish. After the Cuban Missile Crisis, and consequently the Embargo, it became illegal for Americans and Cubans to co-create together again which means the world missed out on more albums like these.
Corazón de Melón / Rosemary Clooney / Perez Prado Rosemary Clooney was known for her refined and powerful voice. Years later, her nephew George Clooney would become a famous Hollywood actor. In 1959, Rosemary recorded a full studio album with Cuban band leader Perez Prado, and called it “A Touch of Tabasc.o. The album was promoted with bottles of Tabasco sauce as a cute metaphor for the songs being “caliente.” It is the only album these two artists made together. Here is a taste of collaboration between US and Cuba, and a reminder that we make beautiful music together. OCT 2016 33
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He Venido / Los Zafiros The Zafiros were a 1960s doo-wop band that mixed harmony, bossa nova, and boleros. The fusion of these sounds were a Cuban response to American soul bands such as The Platters. Translated into “The Sapphires,” the band created a few albums for just one decade until they burned themselves out with personal turmoil. The records remain immortal and a beacon of experimental 1960s Cuban rock’n’roll. Hugo Cancio, one of Cuba’s leading entrepreneurs today (and owner of OnCuba magazine) is the offspring of Miguel Cancio, one of the band’s frontmen. This track was revived in America’s mindset as it scored a classic Breaking Bad episode. As we see the infamous methlab of a trailer getting demolished in the junkyard, the crooning sounds of “He Venido” emanate from the wreckage. Impeccable scoring.
Yo Soy el Punto Cubano / Celina González Celina González was a Cuban woman in the raw. Born in 1929, she was the essence Campesino music of Cuba, which is considered the folk music of the countryside. This track is anthemic in its portrayal of what it means to be Cuban, and the love of the soil. Pure and simple. “Ay yo canto a Cuba querida / la tierra de mis amores.”
Son de la Loma / Trío Matamoros Son de la Loma is a sonic national treasure and was immortalized by the Trío Matatomoros. Moreover, it is a song about passing down tradition, from one generation to the other. Cuba 2016 is all about passing the torch of responsibility from elders to youth, as the nation faces its most drastic changes in just a few years. This song has been covered by thousands of bands over the years, but I prefer this original version in all its purity and authenticity.
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Camarera de Amor / Beny Moré
Obatalá / Afroshock
It would be incomplete to make a mixed tape on Cuba without including Beny Moré, aka “El Bárbaro del Ritmo.” Considered Cuba’s most famous bandleader, Beny Moré grew up with no formal education on music. Self-trained musician, composer, and arranger, it would be his destiny to be the king of big band era in Cuba. I chose this song because it reminds me of the spirit of my grandfather’s pre-revolution restaurant in Vedado, named Centro Vasco. The track is about a drinking spot where solid memories of love and laughter were built. The bar is the glue that keeps everyone together.
A final nod to the Orisha deity that inhabits the spiritual world so well in Cuba.
Guajira Guantanamera / Joseíto Fernández If Frank Sinatra sang the American anthem with “My Way,” then it would be Joseíto Fernández (born 1908) who would create the unforgettable “Guantanamera,” a tune that is sung around the planet in multiple languages. I would venture to say that this iconic song is more known than Cuba’s national anthem. We are ending this Cuban mix with the epic Guantanamera because, well, this is what we call a “drop mic” moment.
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ALEJANDRO ZAMORA a Cuban Hip-Hop Historian by Nube Moreno
Alejandro Zamora Monte is a young artist who was born in Havana in 1978. He is a critic who has, for years, been concerned with understanding and collecting the history of Cuban hip-hop. From his roots as a social commentator, using his experience of working with the Agencia Cubana de Rap, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and contacts that made (and make) the necessary convergences to take on his prime passion: documenting the Cuban hip-hop movement. From the National Library of Cuba and that cherished digital website called Librinsula, he pounds the keys of his keyboard, providing us with insights and taking rap to that site which had never before been invaded by the hip-hop phenomenon. These days, his book called “Rapear una Cuba utópica” [Rapping Utopian Cuba] is being evaluated by several publishers, and it is due to be released next year. LaHabana.com chatted with him about this and his work in support of the Cuban hip-hop scene from the literary point of view.
How did you start being interested in hip-hop? I think the start of my love affair with hip-hop culture comes from my maternal grandparents. They were Protestant clergy and when I was little they’d take me to church with them. There was a choir that sounded like American Gospel music and it fascinated me. I loved to listen to what those men and women did with their voices. And my grandfather played the harmonica in church and that music got to me. I am also thankful to my uncles on my mother’s side: one was very much into rock‘n’roll and the other one preferred Afro-American
trends such as rap, Soul and R&B. Just like Rodolfo Rensoli, the founder of the Alamar Rap Festivals, I went through the 3 Rs, as he says: I started with Rock, moved to Reggae where I learned about Bob Marley, fell in love, stopped wearing ripped jeans and started wearing sandals and wide-legged pants and finally, I ended up in Rap. What really got to me about hip-hop culture is the profound sociological slant it takes; not that other genres don’t have it too but I think that rap takes it to a higher level. I love how secondary subjects take power. In that regard, hip-hop culture is an excellent tool for social change. OCT 2016 37
lahabana. com When is it that can we start talking about the existence of a Cuban hip-hop movement? Many start with the year 1995 because that was when the First Rap Festival was held in Alamar. You could see then that there was a movement made up of rappers, graffiti writers, dancers, DJs…in other words, the four basic elements of hip-hop culture, plus the spirituality or the knowledge. Others believe that it all started with dancers in the 1980s: now that’s nothing strange because Cuba has always been and is a country of dancers par excellence. A video clip was shown here that caused a furor among dancers: “Rock it” by Herbie Hancock. There are several forerunners: first the Soul Train program that started in 1975 in Chicago and got to Cuba by the end of the 1970s, the start of the 1980s; second, something I dug up myself, there was the Havana Jam event in 1979 when Billy Joel, Rita Coolidge and Fania All-Stars came to Cuba and this was also the year when The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” appeared. It is considered by the critics to be the number opening up the commercial hip-hop market. My guess is that in Havana Jam there were persons who gave out copies of that song. And third, there was the meeting between Fidel Castro and musician
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Harry Belafonte who was the producer of Beat Street. Fidel Castro knew absolutely zip about hip-hop and what started out as a one-hour meeting stretched to eleven hours during which fifty percent of what they talked about was hip-hop. I believe this was one of the things that contributed to the subsequent creation of the Agencia Cubana de Rap (ACR in its Spanish abbreviation) in 2002. It’s aim was to promote and market the work of rappers under the Asere productions label, its catalogue of artists and Movimiento magazine. The Golden Age of Cuban Rap evidently occurred in the 1990s when youths, generally from marginal neighborhoods, without clothes or food, were thinking: “We have to speak; we have to say this and that.” The situation of prejudice about this kind of music which wasn’t exclusively rap culminated in the debate about “black influences.” In fact there was a very famous saying in the 1990s: “The blacks are getting together.” Because that’s what hip-hop is. It’s a meeting place, a place to dignify and increase the pride of poor Cuban blacks. It’s not that there weren’t any whites, but evidently it is a movement for blacks and mestizos, the poor…just as in the US. Now that I mention it, I understand that there is a Cuban hip-hop archive at Harvard University. UCLA is also interested in such matters and Cornell University also has a hip-hop archive.
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What about the University of Havana? That is my pain, my dream and my frustration: to fight for a history of Cuban hip-hop. I understand that at the start of this year US rapper Nas was invited to lecture at Harvard. I dream of the day when Cuban rappers will be giving lectures at the University of Havana. Why not? LaHabana.com: Tell us about your work at the National Library. Approximately from the year 2008, I have been writing on hip-hop subjects. I regularly publish in the digital magazine Librinsula and elsewhere. In this time I am proud to have taken rap to the National Library. The first time was with a concert by Primera Base where Cuban intellectuals such as Víctor Fowler, Tomás Fernández Robaina and Roberto Zurbano took part and later, last year, the library held a panel on hip-hop. The panel was composed of a psychologist, a cultural promoter and hiphop activist, a theologian and myself. Since 2014, we have given presentations at various venues on subjects such as the start of hip-hop culture in the United States and how it landed in Cuba, and its development until the present day; the contribution of Rap Festivals to national culture and the movement as a platform grouping the four basic hip-hop culture elements; rap and hip-hop serialized publications in Cuba and Christian Rap in Cuba. How did the idea for your book come about? What is it about and how is it going? The genesis of Rapear una Cuba utópica lies in the rapper Tony Manigua, who was compiling material for what would become Comisión Depuradora (2007), a socio-musical project thought up by rappers Maykel Xtremo and Aldo. According to the exponents, it was a desperate cry to create a project for rappers not belonging to the ACR and who at that time were being censored or found themselves outside of the boundaries of cultural institutions. The result was a double album of 30 songs and two concerts. As far as I have been able to research, there is a before and an after to the Comisión Depuradora. OCT 2016 39
lahabana. com Intellectual and music producer Pablo Herrera, the producer of Amenaza, later the Orishas, has the theory that before Comisión Depuradora there was Afro-Cuban rap dealing with being black, race, racism and discrimination. But after Comisión Depuradora, we can see elements referring to the essence of being Cuban, global issues, antiimperialist matters and criticism of the centers of power and mass communication and the role hip-hop culture was playing in all this. At first rappers imitated what they were seeing in the US; for example the names of the Cuban groups Explosión Suprema or Reyes de las Calle. Then this changed. Look at the group called Ogguere. The name means “soul of the earth” in the Yoruba language. Tony knew I was interested in these topics and with incredible nobility of spirit he gave me the manuscript and told me: “Listen Ale, I’m tied up in thousands of projects, so finish this because I won’t be able to finish it.” As I got into it, I realized that Comisión Depuradora was
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merely a drop of water within the ocean of hip-hop culture in Cuba and that was when I started thinking about the book. Rapear una Cuba utópica is a book of interviews, providing a juicy overview where people get mad, talk, get things off of their chests and say things that normally wouldn’t be said in any other type of encounter. I get into the topic of the ACR, of Cuban intellectuals who have backed this cultural resistance movement; there are interviews with the most recent crop of Cuban rappers and I also talk about the four basic elements of hip-hop culture. It is a national overview, very much Cuban, something I very much feel is missing. My major hope is that people will get to know Cuba a little more through hiphop culture. If I can do that, I will feel very happy.
If somebody were to decide to learn about Cuban hip-hop, what numbers would Alejandro recommend in order to get a feel of the movement in Cuba? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Mala Manía (Sigrid) Mi belleza (Magia López) 120 horas rojas (Las Krudas) Cómo fue (Obsesión) Como está el yogurt (Ogguere) Hora de abrir los ojos (Alto y Bajo) Tengo de Hermanos (Causa) Achavón cruza’o (Amenaza) Igual que tú (Primera Base) Ley 5666 (Anónimo Consejo)
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DESPITE CHANGES, CUBA’S HIP HOP OBESIÓN stays strong
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by Lucy Valdés Every 15 minutes the “lanchi connects bayside Old Havana with the colonial town of Regla, long ago swallowed up by the city of Havana and famous for its black virgin that attracts pilgrims from all over each and every September. Once a month, believers from different parts of Regla and far flung neighborhoods like 10 de octubre, San Miguel del Padrón, La Lisa, and Mantilla also climb onto the ferry to make the pilgrimage to Regla. But upon disembarking in Regla they walk past the famous Catholic Church which houses the Virgin of Regla. They are believers of a different breed. Among them are representatives of the five manifestations of Hip Hop: rappers, breakdancers, DJs, graffiti artists and people tuned into the spiritual and intellectual aims of the movement. It would be hard to get lost on the short walk between the dock where the ferry leaves its passengers and the empty lot next to the building where Alexey Rodriguez “el tipo este” grew up and lives today. As soon as you get close you know you’ve arrived. The lot is adorned with brightly colored murals, a gift to the duo for Obsesión’s 20th anniversary from Michelle Angela Ortiz, a Philadelphia visual artist and it is the site of Obsesión’s pet projects: the open mic that attracts hip-hop believers from around the city. In September I made the pilgrimage to Regla accompanied by another La Habana.com writer to sit down with Magia Lopez and Alexey Rodriguez at his family’s apartment in Regla. This year Obsesión celebrated its 20th anniversary as a duo and we spent the afternoon talking around the kitchen table about this important anniversary and their current projects.
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lahabana. com La Habana.com: Many artists and Hip Hop commentators who participate in the movement on the island and beyond point to your group as a model to aspire to for the quality of your music and your role as activists. Can you tell us a little about how you decided to celebrate these 20 years? Magia: Obsesión has been together for 20 years uninterrupted. We have spent our career not only producing music and writing lyrics but also participating in activism and art about subjects that are difficult to deal with: gender and race in Cuba. We’ve organized all kinds of events and concerts and we knew that for our 20th anniversary we had to do something special. We ended up with a three day event hosted in the Casa de Africa, a museum in old Havana and a concert in the National Fine Arts Museum. Alexey: It was really also great to hear what people had to say about the group and about the influence it has had and it was really gratifying. To hear so many people, from specialist
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to people from the neighborhoods, about the impact that the group has had was really amazing. People remind you of things that you had forgotten about and sometimes even learn about things that happened that you didn’t know about. To be able to do a concert that was produced in collaboration with Fonseca and Temperamento was really special because he produced our first album which came out in 1999. And that was like closing one door and opening another. Magia: There were so many different projects that we wanted to do for the 20th anniversary that as the date approached we had to put aside some of the projects, like a Mixtape that we were working on, because there just wasn’t time. And now that the celebration and all the work that it entailed is over, we are entering a new stage as a group. Alexey: But not yet, we also have to take a break! Sometimes when the music catches you have to just keep going. Now I have a daughter who is two years old. Our parents have always been by our side through these years and they now they need us to be by theirs, spend time with them, and do simple things like take them to the beach; those regular things that make us human. Magia: For seven years we were doing the Cuban Hip-Hop Symposium every August. We did workshops and talks and it was a tremendous organizational effort, but it was my nephew’s birthday and the birthdays of Alexey’s parents as well and we were never there. This year since the celebration was on June 25 for the first time we could be a part of these other celebrations. OCT 2016 43
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LaHabana.com: Can you tell you a little about what this new stage is about for Obsesión? Magia: When I say that this is a new stage I mean it’s a more difficult stage and that has to do with the times that were living in. We’re trying to insert ourselves into these new economic opportunities that the country is offering, but from our own base in hip-hop. We are thinking about visitors who are coming to our country and we want to preserve our culture and make sure we are not lost as the country reorients towards tourism. Alexey: We want to “give color” to this vision that’s being shown that the everyday seems is more “whitened”. We want to impact the concept of our culture and identity that is being offered to tourists. For years now are part of a project that is called the Club del Espendrum (The ‘Fro Club), and together with art critic and essayist Roberto Zurbano, and Jorge Luis Casas and Deyni Terry, two lawyers active in the Alianza Unidad Racial (Racial Unity Alliance). Now we are in new stage of the Club the stage of trying to position this project. We’ve come to realize how important it is to work as a cooperative in function of this new “business”, but also how important mutual cooperation is as a way to fix our own problems, not just as business partners, but as people who deeply care for each other. We’re also learning to demystify the idea of “business”. It is not just about making money, but doing it for the prosperity of the people involved. Magia: We want to highlight the historical contributions of blacks and mestizos in Cuba that are often lost in the way that our country is presented for tourists. We want to tell the stories so that the impact of our African roots is more visible. So far we’ve done some presentations for student groups and socially conscious tourists and hope to do more.
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Alexey: Sometimes there are places that we’d love to sing but because of the dynamics we have to say no. Sometimes there is a “stigma” against being a rapper and sometimes they don’t treat you with respect. After 20 years that’s not something that I’m willing to deal with. It feels great to be able to say that, but at this point if it’s not a good pitch I don’t swing, just like in the cartoons. Magia: But we’ve also met a lot of people who really value what is being done in hip-hop. They’re out there, in the media and they’re within the organizations, and we have to search them out. This is a problem not only for hip-hop artists, but in other genres as well, because in this day and age it is difficult to get exposure for “thinking music”, and intelligent lyrics.
Alexey: This isn’t only true in Cuba. When you go to the US, the same thing happens in the way history is taught. Black Americans’ role in history is hidden and that is happening here as well. We’re always blaming the government for what they didn’t do and what they need to do. It’s a huge responsibility, but I think it’s also time for popular initiatives to do something as well. Rather than the tendency towards paternalism and waiting for the state to do it for us, it’s time for us to do this on our own. Magia: What Alexey says about taking a break isn’t really quite accurate. We’re looking to do more shows in the provinces, something that we’ve done in the past and would like to do again because we feel like the provinces are really important. It is different than working in Havana, it can be pretty difficult. More than going to a province and singing, we want to maintain a connection and know what’s going on and what things are like in other parts of the country and support artists there. In November there is a festival which we’ve been invited to in Las Tunas through the AHS. These can be great spaces to meet artists creating in other genres of music and art.
Alexey: It’s good to recognize it because sometimes we talk about the media and it’s just to complain, “They don’t play our music on the radio or help us promote it” but that’s not 100% true. I have to say that there are people inside who are willing to take the risks and even hit up against the wall hard. Sometimes we censor ourselves because we think, “That is not to get played” and they say to us, “Yeah, give it to me, I’ll put it on”. Those people are out there! LaHabana.com: Can you tell us a little about the dream of creating a cultural center that is occupying your time these days? Magia: For years we’ve been doing cultural work in lots of different places. This house where Alexey grew up used to be our home base but it’s not the same when you have OCT 2016 45
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four people living here as it is when the family begins to grow. And the ideas are growing too, and they don’t fit in this living room. My house has even less space! In 2013 we did a US tour and we visited a lot of cultural centers in the US and saw how they were able to host workshops and bring together their movements, a house where people can come together to listen to music, read important books, and a space for the elderly to have their own activities. Now there is a real estate boom in Cuba and everything is being bought up so quickly that if we don’t act fast we won’t ever be able to afford anything, so we are looking for financing. Alexey: The cultural center could also be a space that can create employment in the community and get youth involved. Here in Regla there are very few cultural options, and it’s not only a problem in Regla. We want to promote the history of black people in Cuba because our young people are growing up with an idea of our past that is not complete. They’re not able to learn about the contributions that people of all colors have made to our country. That’s what we want to achieve. As we wrapped up our conversation, the sounds of Cuban hip hop wafted through the open window from the lot downstairs where Magia and Alexey’s collaborators were busy setting up the sound system. For the last that four years the duo has offered the community a regular open mic show in the empty lot near Alexey’s apartment. The empty lot, now adorned with the beautiful murals is surrounded by houses, it’s a public space that belongs to the neighborhood, and the neighbors take care of the space. We headed downstairs with Magia and Alexey and observed as they organized the list of performers, young people from all over the city and even a couple visiting spoken word artists from Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. The open mic lasted close to 2 hours, packed with local talent: Black youth speaking out and sharing their stories of struggle: against racism, sexism, and ableism and well as OCT 2016 46
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their joys. As Alexey explained, “When people define hiphop they define it as protest music, but we don’t like to define it that way because hip-hop is life. And in life there are lots of different aspects: sometimes you are angry, you fall in love, you get disappointed, you have a family, you have struggles, you go to parties, it’s not just protest, it is life, in all its aspects.” When the open mic ended we said goodbye to Magia and Alexey and headed to the Regla ferry dock. From this side of the bay there is a beautiful view of the city of Havana and the Morro fort which guards the Havana Bay, backlight by the reddening hues of the setting sun. Little by little the dockside filled up with people waiting for the ferry and I recognized faces in the crowd of those with whom I had shared the last couple of hours. We didn’t know each other, but many had shared their music and poetry and opened a part of them to all of us who had been present. We had danced together, laughed together and raised our hands, moving to the beat of the building sense of community and flowing creativity. When the boat docked we joined the tide that pushed aboard and when we arrived on the other side we split paths again, seeking out different bus stops that would redistribute this faithful group around the city to the neighborhoods that feed their music and the urgency of their activism.
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GUÁMPARA MUSIC
Feet planted in Santiago de Cuba but eyes on the continent
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by RAFAEL GONZÁLEZ ESCALONA - CACHIVACHE MEDIA
The first time I heard of Guámpara Music was during the first edition of the AM PM “America for its Music” gathering where professionals from the music industry of the continent met for four days in Havana in June 2015. I had the opportunity there to meet some of its members and see them steal the show during a project pitch, with a fun and original presentation by this group of young people involved in producing and promoting the urban music being made in Santiago de Cuba. But more than that, it was the opportunity to listen and dance until the wee hours to the rhythm of Golpe Seko, one of the groups that make up
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their catalog. And I thought to myself, “Why isn’t Havana enjoying more of this? If you describe Guámpara Music as a brand-new project, you will find it’s only half the story. The truth is that the men and women in the project have been busy for over ten years working on urban music production and promotion in their hometown of Santiago de Cuba. All you have to do is listen to them for a while. Listen to them and to the music in order to be convinced that this group has more than a couple of things to say on the contemporary music scene. Guámpara’s general headquarters are in a room in Centro Habana, jam-packed with vinyl records and CDs. If he isn’t making music somewhere, as OCT 2016 49
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solo artist or part of YISSY & Bandancha, we can find Isnay Rodríguez (DJ Jigüe) on the premises. You don’t have to persuade him to get him to talk passionately about this ambitious and promising enterprise which aims to oxygenate the local urban scene with raw talent, good lyrics and an ensemble of sounds rooted in the Caribbean and eastern Cuba. How did it all start? What are the origins of Guámpara Music, and the context in which it began? Let’s see, even though this project is a little over a year old, it is the result of the work we’ve been involved in since 2000. It has a lot to do with Guámpara Music’s direct participation in the Cuban hip hop movement. In Santiago de Cuba we developed a number of projects whose basic aim was to promote hip hop culture in Cuba, with all of its artistic elements: graffiti art, breaking, DJing, rapping, etc. We also work with rap as a sociocultural phenomenon. In other words, seeing how hip hop can become a tool for social transformation in the neighborhoods and communities that are culturally and economically challenged. We have always felt that the matter of the visibility of the Santiago de Cuba urban movement in the rest of the country (and outside of Cuba) is a problem. The scene in our province has characteristics which make it different, due to how close we are to the Caribbean area. There’s the influence of Jamaica, reggae and other genres such as ragamuffin from Panama and the Dominican Republic, something that is a sort of antecedent of reggaeton. That’s where the idea to create Guámpara Music comes out of. This is a project focused on the promotion of urban music specifically made in Santiago de Cuba. Our intention is to form a quality base which encourages taking that product, like an unpolished diamond, to audiences in Cuba and abroad. Today Guámpara is composed of four groups attempting to cover the spectrum of what is happening in Santiago de Cuba: Kamerun
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el Akademico takes on R&B, hip hop and reggae variations, Golpe Seko is a duo more focused on rap even though they also are influenced by Caribbean music, Niño Fony creates music that is closer to raggamuffin, and Dj Jigüe, that’s me, works more inside experimental and electronic music, tending to lean towards Afro-futurism but also marked by Caribbean rhythms. Those four groups make up the vanguard of Guámpara Music. As an independent enterprise, what positive proposals and challenges does Guámpara have, from the cultural, economic and legal points of view? At this time, that’s one of our weak points, just to give it a name. From a legal standpoint we have no official status to let us sign contracts with third parties; we aren’t recognized as an institution inside the recordmaking industry in Cuba. But at the same time, being an independent project gives us many other advantages, especially those associated with the freedom to do what we want, the way we want. This has let us be involved in and concentrate on only the creative processes in which we have faith. There is no record company, no transnational that tells us “Do it this way, because that’s how it is, because that’s how it gets sold, that’s how it is in the rulebook.” So, how do Cuban institutions look at you…that is, if they even see you? When we created Project G12K in Santiago, we aimed to establish a direct relationship with the institutions. If we were going to hold a workshop, we tried to let the directors of the Casas de Cultura know about it; and if they wanted to participate, they were welcome. We would invite the local press to our concerts. We have always tried to keep up these exchanges for the added perk that they would learn about the essence of the hip hop phenomenon. At the end of the day, that attitude (we even organized hip hop culture workshops to municipal methodologists) helped us. We managed to get in touch with many institutions that had earlier refused to cooperate because they didn’t know about the hip hop phenomenon and acted solely on the basis of the little they knew about it. I think that the same thing is happening now. Many people don’t even know what Cuban urban music is; they don’t know about its development, its history, and all they have are some isolated references or prejudices and they act according to them. Undertaking projects like this one contributes
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lahabana. com to having everyone who approaches us broaden their knowledge about hip hop and this will help to change people’s ideas about it. How is the project seen today, in terms of sustainability and growth and in its relationship with audiences and the hip hop scene in the capital? After working very hard at the beginning, I think that now that we have seen certain success, we can perceive the impact of all that effort. Thanks to the publicity we have gotten on the web and in the national media, now we can say that Guámpara is known both inside and outside Cuba. We have finished our first musical production, the CD Golpe Seko Brothers by Golpe Seko, and we received the Cubadisco award for Best Hip Hop CD of 2015. At that same event we were nominated for Best Electronic Music CD with Metamorfosis, my first recording (Dj Jigüe). Another success was getting the Lucas award for Best Electronic Music Video with the video-clip Electrotumbao.
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give them the possibility of coming in direct contact with a market they have been trying to gain access to for years. Even though Cuba, on the one hand, has not felt that sort of artistic commercial aggression, on the other hand Cuban institutions have lacked the commercial vision regarding the contemporary phenomena that are growing in our country. That lack of vision hasn’t allowed esthetics like ours to thrive the same way they have thrived elsewhere in the world. And I’m not just referring to rap. The fact there is an opening will give artists the opportunity for alternatives to be able to channel what they do. Of course we will still have the job of making good music that is attractive and which has an impact outside of Cuba.
Golpe Seko’s participation at a number of national festivals like AM-PM and Musicabana has also been important, as has my participation as DJ-producer at festivals such as Mananain Santiago de Cuba, and Afrolatino, in New York. The new map being drawn in Cuba because of the process of re-establishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States is generating many expectations about the future of the cultural industry in Cuba. What dangers and possibilities do projects like yours have within this context where tomorrow there could be an avalanche of big US companies setting up business here? We can’t assess that kind of context because we don’t know how it works, what its pros and cons are, what could result from this. But I do think that this opening that is drawing near (or at least we think so) of Cuba to the international market, particularly in the music industry, is going to be positive for all artists because it’s going to
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The music industry can be unfair. Do you think that the Guámapara Music project can be successful? Cuba has a lot of talent, many excellent artists who can make the country a first-class element in the urban music market. Our country is already an important player but it hasn’t started to compete commercially due to that lack of vision of institutions that haven’t done their job. I always present the example of Orishas’ success, a slap in our own faces. And this wasn’t the only interesting project that was around then. Orishas showed that when you conceive a quality product you can enter the market and become established. When I’ve gone to countries like Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico, countries that are part of the market and which have their own commercial dynamics in urban music, I’ve been able to see for myself that they think of Cuba as a top-quality player. Unlike the rest of Latin America, Cuban artists don’t have a lot of opportunities to participate in well-organized festivals, to tour different countries and earn money for their shows, sell records, etc., etc. Yet in spite of this, we are being looked up to. It has been shown that a Latin American urban music artist can make a living with his or her work because there is a market for it; what makes us different is the absence of a process to introduce that product on a commercial level. That depends on people. And that is Guámpara’s dream.
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THE BEST CUBAN ROCK SONGS
Drawing up a list of the best songs from the long history of Cuban rock isn’t easy because many of them weren’t recorded and among the ones that were recorded, not all of them possess the right professional standards. To make this selection—besides considering the musical quality and lyrics—I took into account the impact and the significance they had on the audiences, as well as my experiences during over twenty-five years of radio rock programs. Most of the following numbers have been included on records. Many of them have even been included on the hit record lists of national and provincial radio stations. Let’s begin our historical tour in the 1960s with “Cuba va,” one of the first attempts of our trovadors to write rock music under the auspices of the Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC. We remember Los Dan and their radio hit “Yo te di todos mis sueños,” popularized on the Nocturno radio show and the Los Barba’s version of “Oh, ven ven, Oh van ba.” Rounding out
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Por Carlos Fornés
the decade we cannot forget Amaury Pérez’s “Hacerte venir” and “De lo simple a lo profundo” a song included in the Los 5U4 album. In the 1980s the Gens band drew attention to themselves with “Brindis por los pocos” and “Nací culpable” written by their drummer and leader Carlos Rodríguez Obaya. In 1987 the band Síntesis included two unforgettable numbers on its classic LP Ancestros: “Asoyín” by Carlos Alfonso and “Eyeleó” by sax player Lucía Huergo. This LP was released by EGREM and is one of the rock recordings that received the greatest number of awards and editions, including outside of Cuba. In the following decade Cuban rock went through a brilliant period especially because of the presence of a new generation of musicians who were opening up a diversity of styles and singing their own repertoires. The number of Cuban recording and production companies also grew and they began to tentatively approach the new bands. That’s why the period had the greatest number of recordings being produced. Mezcla came out with its CD Fronteras de sueño CD in 1990 in which they included “El camino se hace con la fé” and “Río Quibú.” Three OCT 2016 54
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years later, Monte de Espuma had a hit with Fernando Rodríguez’s “Ese hombre está loco.” It was also a hit on television because it was one of the first music video produced in Cuba. Pop Rock was well represented during the second half of the 1990s. A composition by Ernesto Romero and his band Paisaje con Río had an outstanding hit with “Confesiones de Jockey.” Moneda Dura made their stellar debut in 1999 with their CD Cuando duerme La Habana on the EGREM label and they had numbers that were being constantly heard on the radio such as “Sin hablar” with singer Nassiry Lugo. Como los peces is Carlos Varela’s most rock-flavored album; it came out in 1999 and has some soul-wrenching classics such as “Como un ángel” and “Solo tú (puedes traer el sol).” Another project with trova, soul and rock sounds was Superávit—the quality of the CD was a surprise. Verde melón included “Fresco y sin cortar,” a song written by Raúl Ciro and Alejandro Frómeta, inspired by a Juan Formell
and the Van Van Band classic. “Extraño Corazón” moved into a Blues direction with Spanish lyrics and a Latin feeling. The CD Solitario of 1998 has a number full of melodic magic: “El inútil sueño de Jessie Rainbow.” Signature rock brought us the Havana-born Athanai and the number giving its title to the CD Séptimo cielo, a Spanish production of “No more discos” in 1997. Heavy rock and metal fans also had an excellent decade. In 1997 Garaje H put Cuban punk on Cuban and Spanish stages with their CD Sin azúcar under the Basque label Esan Ozenki. A year later the band Havana recorded the album Puertas que se abrirán, received a Cubadisco award and became the best national grunge group. Among its emblematic numbers we remember “Almas en soledad.” We cannot let the years sequester Cossa Nostra and their Invisible bridges. I am going to choose a strange piece from this CD: “Insane (like a devil’s slave),” a composition written by singer David Blanco and bass guitarist Eduardo Mena in which these fathers of Cuban post-grunge introduce a Caribbean element by means of a trumpet solo. The start of the new millennium was marked by “Acorralada,” a song by Tanya that was widely played on radio and TV. The pop-rock scene saw David Blanco, one of its national idols, mature: he presented us with his third CD “La evolución” on the BisMusic label, a classical disc whose OCT 2016 55
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songs have been chanted in choruses all over the squares of Cuba. Among his best numbers we ave “Parar el tiempo” and “La evolución.” The 2004 film “Habana blues” awakened interest in Spain because of its new Cuban music soundtrack and numbers made popular by X Alfonso, especially “Arenas de soledad.” A few years later guitarist Elmer Ferrer left his rock and instrumental Blues fans confused with his CD Fango dance and “Sactcharina,” a first cut that paid tribute to Joe Satriani. We find ourselves in the Golden Age of Cuban Metal Music. Among its most representative numbers we can mention “Bring it on” and “Aprende to walk” by Tribal, included on the 2001 CD Aprende to walk under the EGREM label in which Tribal makes the expressive possibilities of Cuban Nu metal quite clear along with their fusions with Spanglish rap. Zeus, the thrash veterans, produced the classic “Violento Metrobús” included in the CD Hijos de San Lázaro under the Spanish Tercer Milenio label, while Hipnosis gained some followers with their El elegido going for a power metal sound with a prevailing female image. The band Escape grabs its metalcoreloving audiences as of 2003, putting their savage energy on stage with numbers like “Rebellion.” In the city of Pinar del Río, Tendencia finds the magic formula by fusing metal with Afro-inspired rhythms in “La tumba que tumba” and “Aché pa’ te,” while from Matanzas Province the fresh sound of Rice and Beans with their very rhythmic numbers within a metal OCT 2016 56
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context reached us in pieces numbers like “Kuva” from the Need to see album produced by EGREM in 2008. Artemisa province has Chlover, a band that turned its career right around and went for Spanish lyrics in 2008. In its CD Primer encuentro con el lado oscuro, the single “Resistiendo” stands out for its excellence and it was decisive for the group getting a Cubadisco award. The decade closes with the brutal sounds of the Havana-based band Combat Noise and its piece called “Platoon” which is part of the CD Frontline offensive force released under the French Brutal Beatdown label. In the last five years Anima Mundi has impressed us with its sustained presence on European stages and its Cuban progressive rock classics such as The Way, a 2010 production which includes the longest composition by any Cuban band, lasting almost 27 minutes: “Spring knocks on the door of man.” Production in Cuba of rock music has decreased in the last five years but among the best and most important songs we have to include “Soltando amarras” written by Roberto Perdomo for the Tesis de Menta band where Beatrix López and singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés perform an excellent duet. Metal bands are by far predominating in numbers. Representative pieces from award-winning work at the International Cubadisco Festival include Dead Point’s “No es suficiente,” a number that was included in the 2011 CD Palabras vacías; “Rompiendo el silencio,” a song by Escape which belongs to La hora de la verdad album from 2012; “Fear to change” by Hipnosis included in the CD Revelation” and “Confiesa” by Zeus from La verdad prohibida album of 2014. We cannot forget the band Stoner (also from the city of Havana) among the Cubadisco awards and their 2013 CD Fuera del camino and the outstanding number “Cero
impuesto” with the New American Metal sound. We conclude with a surprising recording if we consider the technical and infrastructure possibilities of the Cuban rock scene. In Holguín, in the eastern part of the Island, the band Mephisto and the Symphonic Orchestra in that city collaborated on a live CD in 2013, which includes an emblematic piece of Cuban Black Metal music called “Mausoleum of Immortals.”
Carlos Fornés: Director and presenter of musical programs on Radio Cadena Habana and Radio Habana Cuba. Since 1990 he has been presenting the SabaRock program. He has published articles on music in newspapers and magazines.
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THE WORLD WITHOUT PATIO DE MARÍA by Marta María Ramírez
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I find it difficult to imagine a world, the world, my world, without Patio de María. When it opened in 1987, I was only eleven years old. But very soon I caught on to the existence of that place called “Maria’s Backyard” which was surely and steadily becoming the Cathedral of rock music in Cuba. My cultural education, and not just the musical side of it, was already influenced by Rock ‘n’ Roll even though I would also listen to trova, jazz and more or less anything that would be played in tune. That’s why my friends didn’t consider me to be a “friki,” the popular term defining fans of that musical genre and everything it included, or vice versa. And that’s why I don’t consider myself to be a pure “friki”. Nevertheless, I strongly identify with that venue created by the cultural manager María Gattorno in the backyard of a government-run cultural center (Casa de Cultura Roberto Brandly) in La Timba, a marginal Havana neighborhood near Plaza de la Revolución, the place from which the destiny of this Island and its inhabitants is managed. Although I can’t pin down the exact date, I do remember attending a concert by Venus, a band that appeared in 1982 and disappeared in 1988. According to those in the know, Venus marked the start of the Cuban rock movement; from hard rock to metal, it was written in Spanish, without a hint of being copies. At the Patio I enjoyed glam, grunge, symphonic and trash trends…even punk, which arrived in Cuba more than a decade behind the rest of the world. But more than that, I found a place where I could share with my friends all my concerns, frustrations, doubts, beliefs and everything else that passed through our adolescent and youthful brains. It was a place where we weren’t being censured because of our age, ideologies or our appearance, not even for our musical taste…nothing.
María Gatorno
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We found a safe haven in the Patio. It was there that I learned how to put on a condom and even the risks of consuming drugs. I saw somebody being tattooed for the first time (I think it was Leo Canosa, the man I work with now in his La Marca Tattoo Studio). I read or listened to works read there by authors who would take years to be published. I soaked up the trova of Santiago Feliú and Ireno García. There, years later, I founded a family with the troubadour Jorge García who, from his space at El Fandango del Candil, would illuminate the power outages at La Timba. I would dare say that we were all safe in the Patio. But rock music in Cuba was still being stigmatized as a musical genre and as a cultural phenomenon by a cultural policy that at the time saw everything as leading to “foreignization”. That’s why, in September of 2003, I attended what we supposed would be the last concert at Patio de María. Everyone was there. I can’t remember
which band played. I do remember a pall of sadness. I also don’t know why we didn’t fight for our home or did we? They talked about a temporary closure and finally they promised to setup the Agencia Cubana de Rock which would pull together the professionalized bands (that gives artists the chance to charge for their performances). Today the Patio is a hostel for people who have lost their homes because of a hurricane or due to the relentless passage of time. And that makes me less unhappy. Rock has its space at Maxim’s, a former movie theater in Havana. And that makes me less unhappy even though I wander from one place to the other without finding my spot in the world, even if one day Metallica puts on a show in Havana and the Rolling Stones have celebrated my forties with a load of nostalgia, a great big serving of rock-stalgia. Marta María Ramírez is a radical feminist, activist, community manager and Cuban journalist.
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What’s happening today in CUBAN ROCK MUSIC by Ricardo Alberto Pérez photos: brutalfest by David Chapet OCT 2016 61
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Some Cuban rock music connoisseurs and performers think that the genre is not going through its best times right now. But I believe that even though there might be a lot of truth to that point of view, I also think that these people are being overly influenced by the high demands which rock aficionados tend to have when it comes to their musical passion. This having been said, the exuberance and the desire for this musical genre to continue alive and well throughout the Island have not diminished. We only have to take a look at the festivals being held in the different provinces in Cuba. They have the effect of drawing together the best groups in Cuba and on occasions bringing them in close contact with foreign rock artists. Also, these events are one of the best ways to encourage interchanges among the different tendencies and to increase the back-and-forth flow between musicians and their audiences. On the whole, festivals have been occurring in cities that have strong traditions and backgrounds in rock, cities that have given birth to the most outstanding bands. That’s why certain cities are the ones to most frequently host the festivals: Santa Clara with its Ciudad Metal, Bayamo which organizes Rock de La Loma, Holguín with its Metal HG, Cienfuegos with their Rockasol, Matanzas giving the fans their Atenas Rock and Pinar del Río chiming in with Pinar Rock. Meanwhile in Havana, we often get the biannual gift of the Caimán Rock Festival. The year 2016 has already seen some of those above-mentioned festivals as well as a brand new road version of the Rock Brutal Fest inaugurated on August 19th in Bayamo; it continued on to hold concerts in Holguín, Camagüey, Santa Clara and Havana and it ended up this September
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lahabana. com in Pinar del Rio. During the first two weeks of September, Cienfuegos put on Rockasol with over a dozen bands from different provinces. Just a few days ago, El Atenas Rock wound up in Matanzas, the city known as “The Athens of Cuba”: around twelve bands from Pinar del Río, Havana, Sancti Spíritus and Camagüey were taking part, joined by the local hometown bands. Needless to say, it was a cornucopia of rock styles. And of course as a logical adjunct, audiences could also enjoy tattoo shows and competitions at the same time. Among the many rock bands keeping alive this passion for the genre here in Cuba, are the following “veterans” who have been around for years: Zeus, Akupuntura, Tesis de Menta, Agonizer, Albatross and Combat Noise. Add to the list the more recent bands such as Dana, Waiting for Nadia and Sweet Lizzy Project and the result is quite a heady mix. It’s amazing how the bands have dispersed throughout the length and breadth of Cuba. Havana is definitely not the unchallenged capital of rock. Take a look at Rice and Beans from Matanzas, Mephisto (from Holguin, Azotobacter, Adictox and Blinder, all from Santa Clara, Limalla, and
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Cancerberos from Sancti Spíritus, Antagon and Sex by Manipulation from Camagüey…and these are merely a few examples. In conclusion I’d like to take some time to mention three specific bands, Dana, Waiting for Nadia and Sweet Lizzy Project. Dana’s roots clearly burrow deep into the Death, Dom, Viking and Goth Metal springing out of the southern city of Cienfuegos. Waiting for Nadia was born in 2012 after the group known as Seven Days disbanded, fusing post-hardcore and some progressive rock trends to create a very original attraction on the rock scene.
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As for the Sweet Lizzy Project, we need to emphasize the fact that the band is mainly made up of self-trained musicians. It highlights the distinctive voice of Lizet Díaz (Lizzy) who reminds us a lot of the legendary British singer, Amy Winehouse. The band’s mayor accomplishment is having been nominated at Cubadisco 2013 with their first recording “The Beginning”. I think that if we want to see Cuban-flavored rock music developing we’ll have to set aside our historical nostalgia for this genre and focus on creations that have been enriched by the powerful sounds on our Island in order to end up with an original new sound. We’ll have to get a feel for the market and for a certain sector of fans who have gotten used to the live performances of these undisputedly talented artists who have been providing us with the covers of famous English-language rock ‘n’ roll numbers and not just their own repertoires. The problem of finding the ideal venues for rock concerts is one of the most controversial topics today, especially because such emblematic places such as Havana’s Patio de María and Maxim Rock have been shut down. On the other hand, some groups manage to perform in new venues such as El Sauce and Fábrica de Arte Cubano. In some provinces the Hermanos Saiz Association (AHS) provides support for the search for such places. With the present and growing demand for rock music, performance venues are sadly too few and far between these days.
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On the spotlight : Michel Hernández Por Lucía Conesa At school they tell us that journalists are the toughest subjects to interview. We spend countless hours dreaming up questions and then when our colleagues ask us questions, when they turn the spotlight on us, we are reluctant to answer. I remembered that professional conundrum when I found out I was to interview Michel Hernández. Michel has gained somewhat of a reputation in the pages of Granma newspaper for his articles dedicated to the world of rock and hip hop. Both of these music genres were absent from Cuba’s national paper but as soon as this cultural manifestation became more visible there, the paper gained a following among a segment of the young. Please note, Dear Readers, that what you are about to read here is not exactly an interview even though it takes the form of one. That’s because my editor asked me to do an interview. The compulsion for discussion, gossip and laughter didn’t let me make too many objective and reliable questions, like the kind you’d have in a good interview (and we all know that stuff about being objective is just another myth). Ten years ago I set myself the goal of getting onboard “Granma” and taking about subjects that had been hushed up or forgotten by the official media. I wanted to provide a voice for the rappers, troubadours, DJs… to the entire movement of what was called underground music. I ran headfirst into the suspicions of the editors and the newspaper directors who didn’t understand, or didn’t want to understand, the importance of talking about such things. Almost all of them are artists with a revolutionary agenda, in the broadest sense of the world. OCT 2016 65
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Then the unusual happened; rock groups came to the newspaper to show me their work so that I could write about them because they realized that they would have space in the official media. Imagine that: a group of rock ‘n’ roll artists at the newspaper was pretty sensational for the people working there. I also got emails and readers would call me to suggest subject matter for possible articles. The surprise is especially because they weren’t expecting articles to be printed on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Obsesión or Doble Filo…… ¡Violento metrobus!* Cuban rock music is in a huge slump. Many bands have left the country, especially metal bands which are the most known genre in Cuba. The metal scene has been depleted. To make matters worse, Maxim Rock, the main concert venue has been closed for a year. They say a band such as Zeus is going to break up, as a protest. There are other good groups but they dedicate themselves to playing covers just to survive. I think there is great institutional apathy to Cuban rock music.
Michel Hernandez and Ozzy Osbourne
Even rap is in the same situation: the Agencia de Rap was created in order to promote the genre on the Island and it hasn’t worked out; among its rank and file they’ve got reggaeton exponents, but they have nothing in common with rap. They have a phantom recording label named Asere Productions; in 10 years they have only released two or three recordings. Y ahora estoy sobreviviendo con tu recuerdo** [and now I’m surviving with your memory] We arepaying for the Ministry of Culture’s disastrous promotion strategy in recent years. But we’ve already gone through that: in the 1990s we had really good pop and rock bands such as Paisaje con río, Garaje H, Cosa Nostra, Monte de espuma. They had nowhere to perform, no promotion. A while back I wrote about Paisaje con río and not one single photo appeared in the media. There is no evidence about an era which, for me, was the best in Cuba for rock and pop music. Just like now, almost all the musicians emigrated and stopped recording. I am thinking about the case of Tanya; the group returned recently to Cuba but it’s not the same.
Michel Hernandez and NORTEC-Collective
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When music leaves a void on the scene, naturally another comes in to fill it up. This is what happened with reggaetón. The reguetoneros have found alternative efficient methods to promote their music. Up till now I don’t see any clear strategy to counter this situation in the media and, ultimately, in the public’s taste. El amor no basta, cuando el respeto no alcanza*** [love isnt enough when respect is gone] There’s the case of Danay Suárez, a female rap artist that nobody paid any attention to in Cuba but she was contracted by one of the American producers and these days she is touring the main stages in the world. Some years ago the same thing happened with the Orishas, when they were Amenaza. Now they have gone back together again but I don’t think they can do much with this new structure…you’ve got to have some faith in them. Se te olvidó que el kilo no tiene vuelto**** [you forgot that the “kilo” cant be returned] Throughout the world “AM-PM Américapor el mundo ” is a good attempt to unite music journalists but it is still too young a movement to let us come to any conclusions. They brought together Latin American music writers like Betto Arcos… there were some positive discussions. We talked about possible promotion channels for Cuban and Latin music in the world. Een though it seems strange, audiences in Cuba have always been looking to American music and they barely know anything about Latin rock music. There are some fabulous bands that just aren’t promoted here, especially young metal bands. “AMPM América por el mundo” could exert some positive influence. I can’t get no satisfaction***** When the Rolling Stones came to Cuba many international media announced this to be the first visit to the Island of a great Rock ‘n’ Roll band. Not true. Ten years ago Audioslave came, at a time when the group was at its best, topping the rock charts around the world. In the 1980s groups from the Socialist countries came; yes indeed, there were some. I
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think the groups that came have been mainly interested in bringing people together, in seeing how far the ties between the US and Cuba could be reestablished. And this doesn’t detract from the fact it’s free publicity if you come to Cuba to perform at this very moment in history. The worst thing was that Cuban bands had no access to the Stones. I don’t know whether the British band would have been interested but the Agency and Cuban musicians were unable to even have minimal contact with them. Word is out now about possible visits by famous musicians such as Paul McCartney, U2, Kiss…but it’s complicated because even if they really want to come here they still need a sponsor to foot the bills for the concert.
* Violento Metrobus, by Zeus ** Perdida en el tiempo, by Tanya *** Yo aprendí, by Danay Suárez **** El Kilo, by Orishas ***** Satisfaction, by The Rolling Stones ****** Lo necesario, by Doble Filo
Para cantar no necesito una razón****** [I dont need a reason to sing] I think these concerts had absolutely no influence on the Cuban metal scene. In my opinion, to turn around the situation we’re in now we need to reopen Maxim Rock and the other venues so that the bands can perform. And we should create the mechanisms for Cuban groups to interchange with foreign groups. If that doesn’t happen they won’t know about the new trends. Groups like Sepultura have sung the praises of our musicians’ excellence, and so they could compete with other bands in the region if only they had the support of our cultural institutions.
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UNDER THE HOOD: a Fender Twin Reverb in Havana by Joyce Suarez
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Cuba is famous for its Almendrones, the iconic old American cars that still roam the streets and make up the backbone of the public transportation system for Cuba’s emerging middle class. When visitors arrive to Havana they are fascinated by the mystery, “How are those old cars still working?” Any time a visitor tries to research this he or she quickly learns that often the brightly painted skeleton is the only thing “Old” or “American” about these icons. Under the hood of a 1957 Chevy you are more likely to find a modern Toyota diesel engine than the original US parts. In Cuba necessity is the mother of invention…and Cubans have gotten really good at inventing! To be a taxi driver, or even to own a car in Cuba, you have to practically be a mechanic as well and the same is true of local musicians. Musicians must also be creative, not only in composing or interpreting a song but in keeping their instruments and gear in shape. There are many vintage instruments still being played in Cuba on local stages and in garage (and rooftop bands) that inspire US musicians and peak our curiosity to look “under the hood.” On the recommendation of Ruthie Meadows, a guitarist and ethnomusicologist at the University of Pennsylvania I sat down with Rock guitarist Jorge Martínez after band practice at his home in Havana’s Miramar neighborhood and asked him to tell me a little about the custom-built tube amplifier that has accompanied him and his group for over 20 years. It was built according to the plans of a Fender Twin Reverb, an amp that since it debuted in 1963 has earned a place as one of Fender’s most iconic amps. Nowadays in the US, hand built amps like Jorge’s go for from $1,800–$2,800. They are known and respected by top musicians for producing a warm clean sound at any volume and are especially valued as amps for jazz and
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classic rock and country. They are the perfect amp for pedal experimentation as well. The online Reverb magazine reports that, “Twins have been used by the Beatles, Mike Bloomfield, Jerry Garcia (his first amp was a ’63 Twin Reverb that he used for most of his career), Keith Richards, Don Rich, Steve Howe, B.B. King, James Burton, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Eric Johnson, and even Kurt Cobain”. You may not have ever heard Jorge Martínez’s group Red-X play live in Havana yet, but you may be familiar with this amp from the Beatles’ Abbey Road album or, more recently, Kurt Cobain’s Invicto. Among US musicians, tube amps are often preferred to cheaper solid-state technologies. Meadows explains, “Tube amps are extremely high end (especially “handwired”, ie, manually-wired, ones) because of their warmer, distinct sound in comparison with the run-ofthe-mill “solid-state” amplifiers common now.” When Meadows met Martínez, she impressed with not only the handmade amp, but with his guitar as well. “He had actually created a switch on the guitar for distortion, which is usually something that you switch on using a distortion pedal (with your foot). I’d never seen it before and thought it was totally brilliant—Why isn’t that a standard feature on guitars?!” Meadows asked me. As a teen, Jorge Martínez fell in love with Rock and Roll and quickly learned that in order to play the electric guitar he’d have to also become an electrician capable of not only fixing his own equipment but also building it. Jorge’s homemade version of the Fender Twin Reverb was made by patching together pieces scavenged from Russian, Czech, US, Japanese, English, and East German electronics that belonged to his family and friends and neighbors who over the years had donated their unusable appliances to Jorge, known as the neighborhood tinkerer.
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Like the old American cars that work Havana’s streets, on the stage Jorge’s basic black amplifier looks like an original. Back then, to get the plans for a piece of equipment, the only way to do so was to find someone who had what you wanted to make and convince them to take it apart, meticulously noting every detail. Jorge got the plans for the Fender amp in the late 1980s and “with a little help from his friends,” set about making his own. Jorge’s amp doesn’t look that different from a standard guitar amp but when you look past the surface, you find that it is indeed one of a kind. The black vinyl casing is of Russian origin, sewn by a neighbor who had a heavy duty sewing machine. “My grandmother was my accomplice in everything I ever did growing up,” Jorge remembers, but his grandmother’s sewing machine was not tough enough to handle the thick material and a neighbor across the street did the stitching for him on her Russian
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sewing machine. The wood for the box was cut by another neighbor who had an electric saw and Jorge put it together with screws and glue that have now withstood decades of heavy vibrations of his band’s pounding rock. The levers, switches and knobs were cannibalized from old appliances (for example, the levers on the left side were from Russian TVs). The netting over the speaker has two layers: the top layer is a plastic mesh originally used as mosquito window netting, the second layer in an earlier life covered a young girl’s face as a white wedding veil when she walked down the aisle. Jorge painted both black before pinning them to the wooden frame and when you look inside you can see the multicolored pushpins he used to stretch the fabrics over the speaker section. Another friend prepared the labels for the knobs on the face of the amp, in English, in a nod to Fender and what Jorge calls the true language of Rock.
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The inside of the amp is a vivid testimony to the multiple ties that have touched Cuba’s history: transformers from an old US TV (owned by Jorge’s family and imported to Cuba before the US embargo began in 1960), another from a Regen brand amp made in East Germany that was much maligned for its poor sound quality, but useful to Jorge because it packs a good punch. The speakers are Yamaha and the original vacuum tubes, given to Jorge by a friend who worked in a Soviet listening station, have since been replaced by tubes manufactured in the US. Jorge is known in Cuban rock circles for his skills as a tinkerer, and over the years has lent a hand to other Cuban musicians, like trova/folk musician and Rock fan Frank Delgado, to help keep their gear in shape. In the US hand-wiring custom, tube amps is seen as a true craft, one that people pay a lot of money for. In Cuba, ingenuity like Jorge’s is just another example of what makes this country so special.
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SAVIOR a leap of faith Indie videogame developed in Cuba will soon launch its first crowdfunding campaign By María Luisa Espinosa
Pictures courtesy of the persons being interviewed
Indie culture in Cuba is gaining ground day by day. With the democratization of technology we can all potentially be producers of cultural material. Whether with photos, videos and/or animation, we can create our own representations of reality. But what about those who like parallel different realities? We Cubans have a culture very much rooted in the day-to-day, in the urgency of the present moment. Nevertheless there are some who decide to take a leap of faith and conquer more distant horizons. This is the case of visual artist Josuhe Pagliery and programmer Johann Armenteros. For a year they have been partners in developing the indie game called “Savior”. The saga tells about the legend of a man who awakens and realizes that his world has ceased to exist and that he in reality is part of that videogame. At that moment the logic of that world begins to function, something that is completely new for him. Josuhe: For many years now I have wanted to design a videogame. On the basis of an idea I presented at the last Havana Biennale, Destroyer, a proposal that in some way resembled a videogame, we met and clicked even though we came from two different professional worlds. In terms of videogames we even have very different tastes.
How did you establish the work dynamic, keeping in mind that you are a minimal team? Josuhe: I look after the central idea, the concept, the art. Johann looks after the programming and an element on which we both work is the template. Nevertheless it is a process where we are discussing all the time and we can change some aspects. It is a very horizontal process. Johann: We get an idea, we discuss it and we implement it. If we are dealing with animation we look for someone to do it for us, and the same happens with the sound we want to use in the game. Then all that information is added to the program and we test it. It is an iterative process: this works and that does not.
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How is Savior different from other games? Josuhe: Our game is different from what we are used to. Even if it assimilates some template elements, it also possesses others that are far from being the usual ones. Many times then we have no direct reference point to which we can look. In spite of the fact that it is based on a 2D platform, it is especially focused on experience. It hasn’t been conceived of as a challenge or entertainment, but it is an organic experience. We believe that Savior possesses very special rhythm, visual elements and esthetics. You affirm that Savior is the first Cuban indie videogame. But in the 1980s and 1990s others were created such as Fortaleza, Laberinto del saber, Star Peace, Jeli… Johann: Those games were created under the tutelage of the Las Villas University. Josuhe: There is some controversy about the term “indie”. Many people say that an independent videogame is one that is produced outside of an institution. Another opinion, which is closer to what I think, says that an indie videogame is based on a code or structure that seeks to precisely break the usual codes for these products. Just as with movies, if you make an independent film with shooting and explosions you won’t be too far from industry canons even though technically you are not part of the industry.
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lahabana. com In my opinion, the term “independent’ encapsulates the spirit and the form with which the videogame has been made. It is part of a more profound sensibility, with a finish and a search that is more conceptual than formal; it focuses more on the sensorial and the experiential rather than the commercial angle. What is your proposed commercial strategy, especially since in Cuba there is no electronic business environment? Josuhe: Right now we are backed by the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba and the Innovators Foundation of the United States. These sponsors have helped us with promotion. In October we are going to launch our first crowdfunding campaign from Cuba in the United States. It is a very important opportunity for us because most of the independent productions are done using these funding platforms. It is a processs that takes time. At the present moment it would be a bit foolhardy to mention any specific strategy because we still have a long way to go.
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Johann: Initially the videogame would come out on PC, Mac and Linux platforms. The ideal thing would be to use one of the more well-known online distribution platforms: Steam. If everything goes well at this first launch we may aim for distributing Savior for consoles such as PlayStation and XBox, but these leagues are more difficult to access because it all depends exclusively on the initial success of the game. Doing crowdfunding from Cuba could be a complicated process since these kinds of online campaigns require lots of time on the Internet… Josuhe: We are aware of our disadvantage in regards to other similar projects in the world. Nonetheless we see the work going on in stages. With this campaign we would like to show that we are immersed in a serious production process and that the project has possibilities. Also, we know that it is a very important step because on the basis of the budget we obtain, the complexity of Savior will be determined.
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Our aim with this first campaign is that at the beginning of next year the first game demo will be ready. And we do not rule out having other crowdfunding campaigns. Johann: Above all, the disadvantages translate into minimal access to the Internet. We cannot be in direct contact with persons who are dedicated to the same things as we are. What we intend to do with this first campaign is to create an audience, an expectation in the community that is interested in these issues. Nevertheless, before beginning your first campaign, you have already had a presence in some important media such as Hobbyconsolas.com; they gave you a very positive critique. Josuhe: It was a surprise; they compared us to games that are considered to be at the top of the indie circuit. Perhaps it is not definitive, but for us, the Cuban developers, it is hope. Thanks to that review we have had access to other more lofty publications. All this leads to the campaign we are about to embark on. At times this work can be rather disheartening because there is no background for creations of this kind. Savior is a leap of faith. The production is full of dreams for the two of us but right from the start it has been realistic. In other words, it is a game that can be produced in the Cuba of 2016. It hasn’t been our goal to have a multimillion-dollar production. But even though the campaign could totally bomb, we are going to finish the videogame. And it’s not going to be an inferior version of some other game; it’s going to be Savior.
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Cuba does not have a Media Law to provide cover or to legalize the activity you are engaged in. On the other hand, access to quality Internet that would let you download the game is very expensive at this time. How do you plan to distribute it in Cuba? Josuhe: That’s something we have talked about from the word go: we aren’t interested in seeing Savior being distributed on the blackmarket. In fact we expect that’s going to happen. I think it would be somewhat immoral to try to sell it in a country like Cuba where people might not have the $10 or $15 to spend on a game like this. Johann: Our goal is to make a good videogame, not to make money. We greatly respect the other similar projects that have been undertaken in Cuba before because behind all that lies the work of a lot of people; but there is something very real. Abroad what they think of Cuba is that we are only ready to make poor quality educational videos. We just want to show them that we can produce other kinds of material.
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CUBA BEYOND THE BEACH: Stories of Life in Havana The new book “Cuba Beyond the Beach: Stories of Life in Havana” from one of Canada’s best Indie presses takes readers beyond the beach and deep into Cuba’s soul. Karen Dubinsky’s refreshing prose introduces readers to Cuba’s complex, fascinating capital city by sharing stories of life in Havana from her unique perspective as a teacher, researcher, and friend who visited Cuba for the first time in 1978 and has visited regularly (2-3 times a year!) since 2004. The book is more than a travelogue and more than a memoir. It’s a window into neighborhood life in Havana, how Cuban artists, intellectuals, and just plain old regular people adjust to life in the new economy and the complexity of the ties that form as the world comes to Cuba, and as Cubans move out into the world. The stories shared in the book not only feel like Cuba but the author succeeds in capturing the stories behind the sounds of Cuba. This intimate portrait of life in Havana, vibrates with the sounds of the city: jazz, rock, hip hop, fusion (and yes, even reaggaeton.) As the author writes in one section dedicated to Cuban music, “The whole country is a playlist.”
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“Those Who Dream With Their Ears: The Sound of Havana” A Selection from Cuba Beyond the Beach: Stories of Life in Havana By Karen Dubinsky One of my first experiences of the sound of Havana occurred in a moment, as I was walking one evening in Vedado near the beautiful old theatre Amadeo Roldán. A young man stepped out of his house just as I was passing. He put a trumpet to his lips and began playing, simply and beautifully, as I walked past. It was night, not very late, and the music followed me as I continued walking down calle Calzada toward my apartment. A random, lone trumpet sounding melodically in the city night sky, it’s almost a clichéd Hollywood image, but it happens from time to time in Havana. If you can’t wait for a random moment, take a walk along avenida Boyeros, near the Omnibus Terminal, not far from Revolution Square. Across the street is a stadium where, owing to the great acoustics provided by the cement awnings, horn players regularly gather to practice. The same thing happens on the Malecón, near the statue of Antonio Maceo, where an underpass (which is always closed) also attracts horn players. Geographers claim that music is how Havana neighbourhoods are transformed from “space to place” – traditional son is the sound of touristheavy Old Havana, drums are persistent in predominantly Afro Cuban Centro, and internationally inflected jazz reigns in cosmopolitan Vedado. Personally, I hear more of a mixture than a boundary when I walk these streets, but the point is, Havana is a musical city. The richness of Cuban music has drawn attention and visitors for over a century. “Why is Cuban music so good?” is a question I pose as research to my Canadian students, fully and ironically aware that this formulation skews the results. But that is my point: we can begin the discussion from the premise that Cuban music is “so good.” There are plenty of ways to explore why that is so, but most would agree that syncretism or cultural mixing provides part of the answer. OCT 2016 81
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Cuban music mixes historical and geographic influences like nothing else. In Havana one can appreciate not only the immense quality of Cuban music but also its variety. Genres such as salsa, son, bolero, mambo, and jazz are familiar to foreign audiences because of how they have crossed borders. In Havana one can hear the full range of traditional or classical Cuban sounds, as well as genres that might take visitors by surprise: trova (which is comparable to folk), hip hop, rock, reggaeton, metal, and country have all been remixed and reinterpreted in distinctly Cuban ways. There are dozens of venues in Havana to hear some of the best music of the world. I can still hear Kevin Barreto playing the classic “Viente Años” (Twenty Years) on his trumpet at La Zorra y el Cuervo, a popular jazz club on La Rampa in Vedado. I have been deliriously happy hearing a range of different music from the undulating 1950s balconies at the Mella Theatre on calle Línea, under the stars at the beautiful outdoor club El Sauce in Playa, as well as at two other popular venues, el Brecht and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano. However, walking the street, day or night, is almost like attending an ambulatory concert—or rather a series of concerts. In Havana “garage bands” are rooftop bands or balcony bands or courtyard bands, audible at various levels all over the neighbourhood. If you live near a park or community centre you don’t need to know the schedule of musical events during the weekend, because a strong breeze and an open window (which all of them mostly are) will deliver the sound right to your apartment. One December evening during the Havana Jazz Festival I decided, after a lot of late nights in a row, I needed a night in. Reluctantly, I stayed home to catch up on some sleep. I should have known better. That night, right from my bed, I listened to one of my favourite ensemble groups, Interactivo, perform outdoors at a cultural centre two blocks from my apartment— the same beautiful set that had done me in when I had heard them play the night before in a club. All this music-making doesn’t just happen. It is a cliché that Cuban musicians are among the best in the world, but it’s not by magic. The Cuban Revolution built a tremendous education system in the early years, and music education was no exception. Here they built on a pre-existing tradition of musicianship, handed down from generation to generation. Cuba’s long history as a tourist destination actually nurtured this musicianship, as generations of fathers taught generations of sons (and occasionally daughters) to perform old OCT 2016 82
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standbys like “Guantanamera” for generations of tourists. After 1959, the Cuban government expanded and formalized this training, turning golf courses into music schools and opening countless neighbourhood casas de cultura, cultural centres. The new government closed the nightclubs and casinos, and plenty of world-famous musicians such as Celia Cruz left for Miami and New York. But those who stayed saw a different kind of musical culture develop, which emphasizes performance over album sales, and provides sophisticated education even when the most basic elements like proper instruments remain scarce. Even through the Soviet years of grey, ideological rigidity, music remained defiantly Cuban, and both musicians and audiences alike are educated and selective. Cuba is one of the few places in the world where, when a child declares their intention to be a musician, parents might actually be pleased. In November Cuba Beyond the Beach will be available online at the mainstream Amazon.com and Amazon. ca but small indie presses have to wait longer for Amazon to distribute, so, for those eager to keep reading, the best thing to do is to order directly from the publisher Between The Lines’ website at https://btlbooks.com/book/cuba-beyond-the-beach ($24.95).
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HAVANA LISTINGS VISUAL ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY DANCE MUSIC THEATRE FOR KIDS EVENTS
HAVANA GUIDE FEATURES RESTAURANTS BARS & CLUBS LIVE MUSIC HOTELS PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION
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photos by Huberto Valera Jr.
PHOTO GRAPHY OCT 2016 87
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DANCE BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA
JULY 8 & 9, 8:30PM; JULY 10, 5PM GRAN TEATRO DE LA HABANA ALICIA ALONSO
Cuba’s National Ballet presents Dionaea, Percusión para 6 hombres and the Paquita Grand Pas Classique. Each evening, the program includes a different pas de deux: The Talisman Pas de Deux, the Grand Pas Classique and the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. In the main roles: Anette Delgado, Viengsay Valdés, Sadaise Arencibia, Grettel Morejón and Dani Hernández.
GISELLE
JULY 1-2, 8:30PM; JULY 3, 5PM GRAN TEATRO DE LA HABANA ALICIA ALONSO
The Camagüey Ballet Company will present the all-time favorite Giselle, directed by Maître Regina Balaguer
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MUSIC
JAZZ OCT 2016 91
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FOR KIDS Wind and Choral Concert ORATORIO SAN FELIPE NERI JULY 11, 10AM
Didactic concert by the Quinteto de Vientos Ventus Habana and the Coro Schola Cantorum Coralina.
Festival de verano Circuba CARPA TROMPOLOCO JULY 12-17
Circuba is back with 26 circus acts, 17 of which are international, from 13 countries. Reservations on-line at www.circonacionaldecuba.cu
Fantasías CINE YARA SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, 3PM
Circus show with magic, pole dance, aerial ribbons, lassos, whips, acrobatics, hula hoop, juggling, clowns and much more.
El león y el ratón TEATRO DE TÍTERES EL ARCA FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS, THROUGH JULY 14, 3PM
Opening of the play by Mexican puppeteer Mireya Cueto, adapted by the multi prizewinner puppeteer Adalett Pérez. photos by Huberto Valera Jr.
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CUBAN FARM
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The Mediterráneo Havana
Restaurant
is recognized today as the first true experience of a farmto-table restaurant in Cuba. A tour of the farms allow our customers to know firsthand about the ecological agricultural system used for growing the products that they will later enjoy at our restaurant.
Calle 13 No. 406 e/ F y G, Vedado. Havana Reservations: +53 78324894
[email protected] www.medhavana.com
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HAVANA’S
best places to eat Los Mercaderes EL ATELIER
BELLA CIAO
CAFÉ BOHEMIA
CAFÉ LAURENT
EXPERIMENTAL FUSION
HOMELY ITALIAN
CAFÉ
SPANISH/MEDITERRANEAN
Interesting décor, interesting menu.
Great service, good prices. A real home from home.
Bohemian feel. Great sandwiches, salads & juices
Attractive penthouse restaurant with breezy terrace.
Calle 5 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado (+53) 7-836-2025
Calle 19 y 72, Playa (+53) 7-206-1406
Calle San Ignacio #364, Habana Vieja
Calle M #257, e/ 19 y 21, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2090
CASA MIGLIS SWEDISH-CUBAN FUSION
Oasis of good food & taste in Centro Habana Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y Lagunas, Centro Habana (+53) 7-864-1486
MEDITERRÁNEO HAVANA INTERNATIONAL Interesting and diverse menu. Beautiful terrace. Calle 13 #406, e/ E y F, Vedado. (+53) 7-832 4894 http://www/medhavana.com
INTERNATIONAL
Beautiful colonial house.Polpular place whit great food and good service.
Beautiful modern decor. Interesting menu and good service.
Calle Mercaderes No. 207 altos e/ Lamparilla y Amargura. H.Vieja (+53) 7861 2437
Calle #35 e/ 20 y 41, Playa. (+53) 7-203-8315
CORTE PRÍNCIPE
RÍO MAR
D.EUTIMIA
INTERNACIONAL
ITALIAN
INTERNATIONAL
CUBAN/CREOLE
Industrial chic alfresco rooftop with a buzzing atmosphere
Sergio’s place. Simple décor, spectacular food.
Calle 26, e/ 11 y 13, Vedado. (+53) 7-832-2355
Calle 9na esq. a 74, Miramar (+53) 5-255-9091
IVÁN CHEF
EL LITORAL
SANTY
INTERNACIONAL
SPANISH
INTERNATIONAL
SUSHI/ORIENTAL
Calle 46 #305 esq. a 3ra, Miramar (+53) 7-202-8337
OTRA MANERA
EL COCINERO
LA FONTANA Consistently good food, attentive service. Old school.
LOS MERCADERES
CUBAN-CREOLE
Brilliantly creative and rich food.
Watch the world go by at the Malecón’s best restaurant.
Aguacate #9 esq. a Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-863-9697
Malecón #161 e/ K y L, Vedado (+53) 7-830-2201
Contemporary décor. Great seaview. Good food. Ave. 3raA y Final #11, La Puntilla, Miramar (+53) 7-209-4838
NAZDAROVIE SOVIET
Authentic fisherman’s shack servicing world-class sushi.
Well designed Soviet décor excellent food & service.
Calle 240A #3023 esq. a 3ra C, Jaimanitas (+53) 5-286-7039
Malecon #25, 3rd floor e Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947
Absolutely charming. Excellent Cuban/creole food. Callejón del Chorro #60C, Plaza de la Catedral, Habana Vieja (+53) 7 861 1332
SAN CRISTÓBAL CUBAN/CREOLE
Deservedly popular.Consistently great food. Kitsch décor. San Rafael #469 e/ Lealtad y Campanario, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-9109
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El Litoral
TOP PICK
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Style of food: International Cost: Expensive Type of place: Private (Paladar)
Best for Quality décor, good service and great food. Best new place recently opened. Don’t Miss Drinking a cocktail at sunset watching the world go by on the Malecón Malecón #161 e/ K y L, Vedado. (+53) 7-830-2201
Style of food: Soviet Cost: Moderate Type of place: Private (Paladar)
TOP PICK
Nazdarovie
Best for Getting a flavor of Cuban-Soviet history along with babuska’s traditional dishes in a classy locale. Don’t miss Vodka sundowners on the gorgeous terrace overlooking the malecon. Malecon #25 3rd floor e/ Prado y Carcel, Centro Habana (+53) 7-860-2947
TOP PICK TOP PICK
Otra Manera
Style of food: International Cost: Moderate Type of place: Private (Paladar)
Best for Beautiful modern décor and good food. Don’t miss Pork rack of ribs in honey. Sweet & sour sauce and grilled pineapple Calle 35 #1810 e/ 20 y 41, Playa (+53) 7-203-8315 OCT 2016 102
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La Guarida
TOP PICK
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Style of food: Contemporary fusion Cost: Expensive Type of place: Private (Paladar)
Best for Authentic, charming and intimate atmosphere in Cuba’s best known restaurant. Great food, professional. Classy. Don’t Miss Uma Thurman, Beyoncé or the Queen of Spain if they happen to be dining next to you. Concordia #418 e/ Gervasio y Escobar, Centro Habana. (+53) 7-866-9047
Style of food: Traditional Cost: Moderate Type of place: Private (Paladar)
TOP PICK
Café Bohemia
Best for taking a break from long walks and seeking shelter from the stifling Cuban.. Don’t miss location in the cool inner courtyard of the colonial building. Ground floor of the Palacio de la Casa del Conde de Lombillo, Calle San Ignacio #364 (+53) 5- 403-1 568, (+53) 7-836-6567 www. havanabohemia.com
TOP PICK
Iván Chef Justo
Style of food: Spanish Cost: Expensive Type of place: Private (Paladar)
Best for Spectacular innovative food. Light and airy place where it always seems to feel like Springtime. Don’t Miss The lightly spiced grilled mahi-mahi served with organic tomato relish. Try the suckling pig and stay for the cuatro leches. Aguacate #9, Esq. Chacón, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-863-9697 / (+53) 5-343-8540 OCT 2016 103
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Los Mercaderes Style of food Cuban creole Cost Moderate Type of place Private (Paladar)
Best for Beautiful colonial house.Polpular place whit great food and good service.
Don’t miss Wonderfull balcony view to the clasic street.
Calle Mercaderes No. 207 altos e/ Lamparilla y Amargura. Habana Vieja (+53) 7861 2437 y (+53) 5290 1531
Casa Miglis
TOP PICK
Style of food Swedish-Cuban fusion Cost Expensive Type of place Private (Paladar)
Best for The beautifully designed interior, warm ambience and Miglis’s personality create the feeling of an oasis in Central Havana. Don’t Miss Chatting with Mr Miglis. The Skaargan prawns, beef Chilli and lingonberries. Lealtad #120 e/ Ánimas y Lagunas, Centro Habana www.casamiglis.com (+53) 7-864-1486
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HAVANA’S best Bars & Clubs
Corner Café TRADITIONAL BARS EL FLORIDITA Hemingway’s daiquiri bar. Touristy but always full of life. Great cocktails. Obispo #557 esq. a Monserrate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1299
1950S TRADITIONALS Guest performers include BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB MEMBERS Sociedad Rosalía de Castro, Egido 504 e/ Monte y Dragones, Old Havana (+53) 5-270-5271
SLOPPY JOE’S BAR Recently (beautifully) renovated. Full of history. Popular. Lacks a little ‘grime’. Ánimas esq. a Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-7157
CERVECERÍA ANTIGUO ALMACÉN DE LA MADERA Y EL TABACO
Microbrewery located overlooking the restored docks Simply brilliant. Avenida del Puerto y San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja
CONTEMPORARY BARS EL COCINERO
ESPACIOS
TABARISH
FAC
Fabulous rooftop setting, great service, cool vibe.
Laid back contemporary bar with a real buzz in the back beergarden.
A comfortable place to chat / hang out with your friends. Great service.
X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Great concerts, funky young scene.
Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado
Calle 10 #510, e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar
Calle 20 #503, e/ 5ta y 7ma.
Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro)
(+53) 7-832-2355
(+53) 7-836-3031
(+53) 7-202-9188
(+53) 5-329-6325 www.facebook.com/fabrica.deartecubano
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CONTEMPORARY BARS/CLUBS
Sangri-La
TOP PICK
CONTEMPORARY BAR/CLUBS
Best for Hanging out with the cool kids on the Havana Farundula in the most popular bar/ club.
BOLABANA
DON CANGREJO Love it/hate it—this is the oldest Friday night party place and is still going strong. Outdoor by the sea. Ave. 1ra e/ 16 & 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837
Packed night after night with a young dressed-up clientele wanting to party. Don’t go looking for Buena Vista Social Club! Calle 39 esq. 50, Playa (+53) 5 -294-3572
CORNER CAFÉ
SANGRI-LA For the cool kids. Basement bar/club which gets packed at weekends.
Great live music every day. very frequently by locals. Good tapas. Calle B e/ 1ra y 3ra. Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7837 1220
Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 7-264-8343
Don’t Miss The best gin and tonic in Havana. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 5-264-8343
GAY-FRIENDLY CABARET LAS VEGAS Can get dark and smoky but great drag show (11pm) from Divino—one of Cuba’s most accomplished drag acts. Ave. 21 e/ 36 y 42, Miramar (+53) 7-264-8343
FASHION BAR HAVANA
CAFÉ BAR MADRIGAL
A superb example of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a fantastic floor show.
Pop décor, fancy cocktails, and the staff’s supercilious attitude, this is a gathering spot for all types of folks.
San Juan de Dios, esq. a Aguacate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1676
Calle 17 #809 e/ 2 y 4, Vedado (+53) 7-831-2433
Corner Café
TOP PICK
CONTEMPORARY BAR/CLUBS
Best for Frequently by locals. Great tapas. Don’t Miss Live music every day. Calle B e/ 1ra y 3ra. Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 5-264-8343
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Espacios
TOP PICK
magazine
CONTEMPORARY BAR/CLUBS Best for Laid back lounge atmosphere in the garden area which often has live music. Good turnover of people. Don’t Miss Ray Fernandez, Tony Avila, Yasek Mazano playing live sets in the garden. Calle 10 #510 e/ 5ta y 31, Miramar (+53) 7-202-2921
CONTEMPORARY
TOP PICK
Bolabana
Best for Trendy new location near Salón Rosado de la Tropica. Don’t Miss Hipsters meet the Havana Farándula. Calle 39 esq. 50, Playa
TOP PICK
Sloppy Joe´s Bar
BAR / TRADITIONAL Best for Immense original bar lovingly restored. Good service, History. Worst for Not quite grimy. Too clean. Ánimas, esq. Zulueta La Habana Vieja, (07) 866-7157 OCT 2016 107
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Fábrica de Arte
TOP PICK
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CONTEMPORARY BAR/CLUBS Best for X Alfonso’s superb new cultural center has something for everyone Don’t Miss Artists who exhibit work should demonstrate ongoing creativity and a commitment for social transformation. Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro)
GAY FRIENDLY Best for A superb example of queer class meets camp, accompanied by a fantastic floor show.
TOP PICK
Fashion Bar Havana
Don’t Miss The staff performing after 11pm San Juan de Dios, esq. a Aguacate, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1676
TOP PICK
Bertolt Brecht
CONTEMPORARY BAR/CLUBS
Best for Hanging out with hip & funky Cubans who like their live music. Don’t Miss Interactivo playing on a Wednesday evening. Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354 OCT 2016 108
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HAVANA’S
best live music venues
CONCERT VENUES KARL MARX THEATRE World class musicians perform prestigious concerts in Cuba’s best equipped venue. Calle 1ra esq. a 10, Miramar (+53) 7-203-0801
BASÍLICA SAN FRANCISCO DE ASÍS A truly beautiful church, which regularly hosts fabulous classical music concerts. Oficios y Amargura, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Habana Vieja
FÁBRICA DE ARTE X Alfonso’s new cultural center. Great concerts inside (small and funky) and outside (large and popular!). Calle 26 e/ 11 y 13, Vedado (next to the Puente de Hierro)
SALA COVARRUBIAS TEATRO NACIONAL
Recently renovated, one of Cuba’s most prestigious venues for a multitude of events. Paseo y 39, Plaza de la Revolución.
SALSA/TIMBA CAFÉ CANTANTE MI HABANA Attracts the best Cuban musicians. Recently renovated with an excellent new sound system. Ave. Paseo esq. a 39, Plaza de la Revolución (+53) 7-878-4273
CASA DE LA MÚSICA
CASA DE LA MÚSICA
CENTRO HABANA
MIRAMAR
A little rough around the edges but spacious. For better or worse, this is ground zero for the best in Cuban salsa.
Smaller and more up-market than its newer twin in Centro Habana. An institution in the Havana salsa scene.
Galiano e/ Neptuno y Concordia, C. Habana (+53) 7-860-8296/4165
Calle 20 esq. a 35, Miramar (+53) 7-204-0447
SALÓN ROSADO DE LA TROPICAL The legendary beer garden where Arsenio tore it up. Look for a salsa/timba gig on a Sat night and a Sun matinee. Ave. 41 esq. a 46, Playa (+53) 7-203-5322
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CONTEMPORARY CAFÉ TATRO BERTOLT BRECHT
DON CANGREJO
EL SAUCE
Think MTV Unplugged when musicians play. Hip, funky and unique with an artsy Cuban crowd.
Love it/hate it—this is the oldest Friday night party place and is still going strong. Outdoor by the sea.
Great outdoor concert venue to hear the best in contemporary & Nueva Trova live in concert.
Calle 13 e/ I y J, Vedado (+53) 7-830-1354
Ave. 1ra e/ 16 y 18, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3837
Ave. 9na #12015 e/ 120 y 130, Playa (+53) 7-204-6428
TEATRO DE BELLAS ARTES Small intimate venue inside Cuba’s most prestigious arts museum. Modern. Trocadero e/ Zulueta y Monserrate, Habana Vieja.
TROVA & TRADITIONAL BARBARAM PEPITO´S BAR Some of the best Cuban Nueva Trova musicians perform in this small and intimate environment. Calle 26 esq. a Ave. del Zoológico. Nuevo Vedado (+53) 7-881-1808
GATO TUERTO Late night place to hear fabulous bolero singers. Can get smoky. Calle O entre 17 y 19, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2224
TRADICIONALES DE LOS 50 The 1950s traditionals, a project created over 10 years ago, pays tribute to the Golden Era of Cuban music: the 1950s. Sociedad Rosalia de Castro, Egido #504 e/ Monte y Dragones, Havana Vieja (+53) 7-861-7761
SALÓN 1930
COMPAY SEGUNDO
Buena Vista Social Club style set in the grand Hotel Nacional. Hotel Nacional Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835-3896
JAZZ CAFÉ JAZZ MIRAMAR Clean, modern and atmospheric. Where Cuba’s best musicians jam and improvise. Cine Teatro Miramar 10:30pm – 2am Ave. 5ta esq. a 94, Miramar
JAZZ CAFÉ A staple of Havana’s jazz scene, the best jazz players perform here. Somewhat cold atmospherewise. Galerías de Paseo Ave. 1ra e/ Paseo y A, Vedado
LA ZORRA Y EL CUERVO Intimate and atmospheric, which you enter through a red telephone box, is Cuba’s most famous. Calle 23 e/ N y O, Vedado (+53) 7-833-2402
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HAVANA’S
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Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Best Hotels
SIMPLY THE BEST… IBEROSTAR PARQUE CENTRAL
Luxury hotel overlooking Parque Central Neptuno e/ Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-6627
SANTA ISABEL
Luxurious historic mansion facing Plaza de Armas Narciso López, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201
SARATOGA
TERRAL
Stunning view from roof-top pool. Beautiful décor.
Wonderful ocean front location. Newly renovated.
Paseo del Prado #603 esq. a Dragones, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8201
Malecón esq. a Lealtad, Centro Habana (+53) 7-862-8061
BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN OLD HAVANA FLORIDA
Beautifully restored colonial house. Obispo #252, esq. a Cuba, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-862-4127
PALACIO DEL MARQUÉS...
Cuban baroque meets modern minimalist Oficios #152 esq. a Amargura, Habana Vieja
HOSTAL VALENCIA
Immensely charming, great value. Oficios #53 esq. a Obrapía, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-867-1037
CONDE DE VILLANUEVA
Delightfully small and intimate. For cigar lovers. Mercaderes #202, Lamparilla (+53) 7-862-9293
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MELIÁ HABANA
Oasis of polished marble and professional calm.
Attractive design & extensive facilities.
Ave Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado (+53) 7- 833-3636
Ave. 3ra y 70, Miramar (+53) 5-204-8500
OCCIDENTAL MIRAMAR
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H10 HABANA PANORAMA
Good value, large spacious modern rooms.
Cascades of glass. Good wi-fi. Modern.
Ave. 5ta. e/ 70 y 72, Miramar (+53) 7-204-3583
Ave. 3ra. y 70, Miramar (+53) 7 204-0100
FOR A SENSE OF HISTORY AMBOS MUNDOS
MERCURE SEVILLA
HOTEL NACIONAL
RIVIERA
A must for Hemingway aficionados
Stunning views from the roof garden restaurant.
Eclectic art-deco architecture. Gorgeous gardens.
Spectacular views over wavelashed Malecón
Calle Obispo #153 esq. a Mercaderes, Habana Vieja (+53) 7- 860-9529
Trocadero #55 entre Prado y Zulueta, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-860-8560
Calle O esq. a 21, Vedado (+53) 7-835 3896
Paseo y Malecón, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4051
ECONOMICAL/BUDGET HOTELS BOSQUE
DEAUVILLE
SAINT JOHN’S
VEDADO
On the banks of the Río Almendares.
Lack of pretension, great location.
Lively disco, tiny quirky pool. Popular.
Good budget option with a bit of a buzz
Calle 28-A e/ 49-A y 49-B, Reparto Kohly, Playa (+53) 7-204-9232
Galiano e/ Sán Lázaro y Malecón, Centro Habana (+53) 7-866-8812
Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-833-3740
Calle O e/ 23 y 25, Vedado (+53) 7-836-4072
HAVANA’S Best Hotels
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HAVANA’S
best private places to stay Sueño Cubano
MID RANGE - CASA PARTICULAR (B&B) 1932 MIRAMAR 301 LUXURY HOUSE Visually stunning, historically fascinating. Welcoming. 4 bedrooms private luxury villa Campanario #63 e/ San Lázaro y Laguna, with swimming pool Centro Habana (+53) 7-863-6203
HABANA Beautiful colonial townhouse with great location.
JULIO Y ELSA Cluttered bohemian feel. Hospitable.
Calle Habana #209, e/ Empedrado, y Tejadillo, Habana Vieja. (+53) 7-861-0253
Consulado #162 e/ Colón y Trocadero, Centro Habana ( +53) 7-861-8027
UP-SCALE B&BS (BOUTIQUE HOSTALS) SUEÑO CUBANO
Old palace carefully restored, seven rooms, suites with bathrooms and featuring 24 hour service. Calle Santa Clara número 66 entre Oficios e Inquisidor. Habana Vieja 53 78660109 39 339 1817730
CAÑAVERAL HOUSE
But undoubtedly the most beautiful about private homes in Cuba 39A street, #4402, between 44 y 46, Playa, La Habana Cuba (+53) 295-5700 http://www.cubaguesthouse.com/canaveral. home.html?lang=en
VITRALES
Hospitable, attractive and reliable boutique B&B with 9 bedrooms. Habana #106 e/ Cuarteles y Chacón, Habana Vieja (+53) 7-866-2607
CASA ESCORIAL
Attractive accomodations with a panoramic view of Plaza Vieja Mercaderes # 315 apt 3 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja (+53) 5-268 6881; 5-278 6148
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APARTMENT RENTALS BOHEMIA BOUTIQUE APARTMENTS
Gorgeous 1-bedroom apartment beautifully decorated apartment overlooking Plaza Vieja. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja (+53) 5- 403-1 568 (+53) 7-836-6567 www.havanabohemia.com
CASA CONCORDIA
Beautifully designed and spacious 3 bedroom apartment. Spanish colonial interiors with cheerful, arty accents. Concordia #151 apto. 8 esq. a San Nicolás, Centro Habana (+53) 5-254-5240 www.casaconcordia.net
TROPICANA PENTHOUSE
A luxurious penthouse with huge roof terrace and breath-taking 360 degree views of Havana and the ocean. Galiano #60 Penthouse Apt.10 e/ San Lázaro y Trocadero
SUITE HAVANA
Elegant 2-bedroom apartment in restored colonial building. Quality loft style décor. Lamparilla #62 altos e/ Mercaderes y San Ignacio, Habana Vieja (+53) 5-829-6524
(+53) 5-254-5240 www.tropicanapenthouse.com
LUXURY HOUSES VILLASOL
CASABLANCA
Rent Room elegant and wellequipped. Beautiful wild garden and great pool.
Elegant well-equipped villa formerly owned by Fulgencio Batista. Beautiful wild garden.
Calle 17 #1101 e/ 14 y 16, Vedado
Morro-Cabaña Park. House #29
(+34) 677525361 (+53) 7-832-1927 (+53) 5-360-0456
(+53) 5-294-5397 www.havanacasablanca.com
MICHAEL AND MARÍA ELENA
This leafy oasis in western Havana has an attractive mosaic tiled pool and three modern bedrooms. Calle 66 #4507 e/ 45 y Final, Playa (+53) 7-209-0084
RESIDENCIA MARIBY
A sprawling vanilla-hued mansion with 6 rooms decorated with colonial-era lamps, tiles and Louis XV furniture Vedado. (+53) 5-370-5559
Bohemia Boutique Apartments Red
TOP PICK
Best for 3 small balconies (facing the Patio of the Palace), 1 spacious bedroom with air conditioning Don’t Miss The apartment is fully furbished, plenty of light and very well ventilated. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja
[email protected] (+53) 5 4031 568: (53) 7 8366 567
www.havanabohemia.com
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Bohemia Boutique Apartments Blue
TOP PICK
Best for i1 internal balcony, 1 spacious bedroom on the mezzanine with air conditioning. Don’t Miss The apartment is fully furbished, plenty of light and very well ventilated. San Ignacio #364 e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, Habana Vieja
[email protected] (+53) 5 4031 568: (53) 7 8366 567
Sueño Cubano
TOP PICK
Best for Old palace carefully restored, seven rooms, suites with bathrooms and featuring 24 hour service. Don’t Miss Relax at any of the four terraces, feel the mellow touch of antique and original Cuban furniture. Calle Santa Clara número 66 entre Oficios e Inquisidor. Habana Vieja 53 78660109 / 39 339 1817730 WWW.SUENOCUBANO.COM
TOP PICK
Cañaveral House Best for Large elegant villa away from downtown Havana. Great for families or groups of friends. Don’t Miss Basking in the sun as you stretch out on the lawn of the beautifully kept garden. 9A street, #4402, between 44 y 46, Playa, La Habana (+53) 295-5700 http://www.cubaguesthouse.com OCT 2016 116
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THANK YOU Wishes to thank all of the following entities for their support and involvement with La Habana.com
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