From cubart2 en listas.cult.cu Wed Aug 2 05:39:41 2006
From: cubart2 en listas.cult.cu (cubart2@listas.cult.cu)
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 09:39:41 +0100
Subject: [Cubart2] [Cubart] We Shall Meet Fidel Next December
Message-ID: <010201c6b60f$32c258c0$4e01a8c0@anayansi>
We Shall Meet Fidel Next December
August 01, 2006
August 1st, 2006
Message of the Guayasamín Foundation to the participants in the event for the 80 birthday of Fidel.
Friends:
You should have known about the "Proclamation to the Cuban People" made public by Fidel a few hours ago. In that text, he refers to the event that the Foundation promoted with your support in the following terms: "The 80 anniversary of my birthday, that thousands of personalities so generously decided to celebrate next August 13th, I ask them to postpone it for the December 2nd of the present year, 50 anniversary of the disembark of the Granma yacht."
We must pay attention to the request of this dearest friend of Guayasamín and of the world with all our love and therefore we will meet in Havana next December 2nd to pay our tribute to whom deserves universal affection and admiration.
The news we have received are encouraging and we have no doubts about his recovery. We must continue to work so our event will have even greater success in that historical date the Commander Fidel has suggested.
Alfredo Vera
General Coordinator
Source: Fundación Guayasamín
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From cubart2 en listas.cult.cu Mon Aug 7 10:51:23 2006
From: cubart2 en listas.cult.cu (cubart2@listas.cult.cu)
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 14:51:23 +0100
Subject: [Cubart2] [Cubart] THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CUBA MUST BE RESPECTED
Message-ID: <000a01c6ba28$91fdb7e0$4e01a8c0@anayansi>
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CUBA MUST BE RESPECTED
As a result of the communication of Fidel Castro on his state of health and the provisional delegation of his responsibilities, high ranking U.S officials have formulated more explicit statements about the immediate future of Cuba. The Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez said that "the moment has arrived for a true transition towards a true democracy" and the White House spokesman Tony Snow said that his government is "ready and eager to provide humanitarian, economic and other aid to the people of Cuba", as was recently reiterated by President Bush.
Already the "Commission for Assistance to a free Cuba", presided over by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pointed out in a report issued on June "the urgency of working today to ensure that the Castro regimen's succession strategy does not succeed" and President Bush indicated that this document "demonstrates that we are actively working for change in Cuba, not simply waiting for change". The Department of State has emphasized that the plan includes measures that will remain secret "for reasons of national security" and to assure its "effective implementation".
It is not difficult to imagine the character of such measures and the "announced assistance" if one considers the militarization of the foreign policy of the present American administration and its performance in Iraq.
In front of this increasing threat against the integrity of a nation, and the peace and the security of Latin America and the world, we the signatories listed below demand that the government of the United States respect the sovereignty of Cuba. We must prevent a new aggression at all costs.
José Saramago, Portugal; Wole Soyinka, Nigeria; Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Argentina; Dario Fo, Italia; Desmond Tutu, Sudáfrica; Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemala; Nadine Gordimer, Sudáfrica; Zhores Alfiorov, Rusia; Noam Chomsky, EEUU; Oscar Niemeyer, Brasil; Harry Belafonte, EEUU; Mario Benedetti, Uruguay; Ignacio Ramonet, España-Francia; Danny Glover, EEUU; Samir Amin, Egipto; Alfonso Sastre, España; Francois Houtart, Bélgica; Eduardo Galeano, Uruguay; Juan Gelman, Argentina; Frei Betto, Brasil; Pablo González Casanova, México; Russell Banks, EEUU; Bernard Cassen, Francia; Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaragua; Angela Davis, EEUU; Ariel Dorfman, Chile; Tom Morello, EEUU; Walter Salles, Brasil; Manu Chao, Francia; Blanca Chancosa, Ecuador; Egberto Gismonti, Brasil; Andrés Gómez, Cuba; Alice Walker, EEUU; István Mészáros, Hungría; Fredric Jameson, EEUU; Pedro Casaldáliga, Brasil; Franz Hinkelammert, Alemania; Joao Pedro Stedile, Brasil; Jorge Enrique Adoum, Ecuador; Fernando Birri, Argentina; Leonardo Boff, Brasil; David Viñas, Argentina; Emilio Carballido, México; José Luiz del Roio, Italia; Hebe de Bonafini, Argentina; Thiago de Mello, Brasil; Eugenio Barba, Italia-Dinamarca; Amiri Baraka, EEUU; Pedro Rivera, Panamá; Amina Baraka, EEUU; Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Portugal; Armand Mattelart, Bélgica; William Blum, EEUU; Miguel Bonasso, Argentina; Chico Whitaker, Brasil; María Rojo, México; Idea Vilariño, Uruguay; Belén Gopegui, España; Diamela Eltit, Chile; Atilio Borón, Argentina; Luciana Castellina, Italia; Ramsey Clark, EEUU; Luis Britto García, Venezuela; Stephen Rivers, EEUU; Miguel D'Escoto, Nicaragua; Stella Calloni, Argentina; Emir Sader, Brasil; Daniel Viglietti, Uruguay; Lucius Walker, EEUU; Piero Gleijeses, Italia-EEUU; James D. Cockcroft, EEUU; Aníbal Quijano, Perú; Theotonio dos Santos, Brasil; Pablo Guayasamín, Ecuador; Leonard Weinglass, EEUU; Susu Pecoraro, Argentina; Francisco de Oliveira, Brasil; Graciela Duffau, Argentina; Fernando Rendón, Colombia; Luis Sepúlveda, Chile; Andy Spann, EEUU; Hildebrando Pérez Grande, Perú; Fernando Pino Solanas, Argentina; Santiago García, Colombia; Michael Löwy, Brasil; Juan Manuel Roca, Colombia; Pascual Serrano, España; León Rozitchner, Argentina; Jorge Rufinelli, Uruguay; Franca Rame, Italia; Alfredo Vera, Ecuador; Patricia Ariza, Colombia; Leslie Cagan, EEUU; Noé Jitrik, Argentina; Tununa Mercado, Argentina; Eric Nepomuceno, Brasil; James Petras, EEUU; Keith Ellis, Jamaica- Canadá; Tristán Bauer, Argentina; Ferreira Gullar, Brasil; Marco Martos, Perú; Lorgio Vaca, Bolivia; Eric Toussaint, Bélgica; Georges Labica, Francia; Octavio Getino, Argentina; Richard Levins, EEUU; Martin Almada, Paraguay; Elmar Alvater, Alemania; Roberto Montoya, Argentina; Víctor Heredia, Argentina; Víctor Víctor, R. Dominicana; Tomás Borge, Nicaragua; Eva Forest, España; Michele Mattelart, Francia; Leticia Spiller, Brasil; Javier Couso, España; Fernando Suárez, México; Salim Lamrani, Francia; Montserrat Ponsa, España; Jean Pascal Van Ypersele, Bélgica; Verenice Guayasamín, Ecuador; Marilia Guimarães, Brasil; Gioconda Belli, Nicaragua; Tarek Williams Saab, Venezuela; Isidora Aguirre, Chile; Suzy Castor, Haití; Claribel Alegría, El Salvador; Andrés Sorel, España; Ann Sparanese, EEUU; Denisse Stoklos, Brasil; Alessandra Riccio, Italia; Carlos Fernández Liria, España; Alex Cox, Reino Unido; Michel Collon, Bélgica; Danny Rivera, Puerto Rico; Tato Pavlovsky, Argentina; Román Chalbaud, Venezuela; James Early, EEUU; Jean Brigmont, Bélgica; Anthony Arnove, EEUU; Carlo Frabetti, Italia-España; Fernando Buttazoni, Uruguay; Fernando Morais, Brasil; Ramón Chao, España-Francia; Silvio Tendler, Brasil; Hanan Awwad, Palestina; Orlando Senna, Brasil; Saul Landau, EEUU; Francisco Jarauta, España; Adolfo Colombres, Argentina; Roberto Amaral, Brasil; Pilar del Río, España; Fernando Ainsa, Uruguay; Alcira Argumedo, Argentina; Carmen Bohorquez, Venezuela; Steve Williams, EEUU; Hernando Calvo Ospina, Colombia-Francia; Gilberto López y Rivas, México; Juan Carlos Camaño, Argentina; Michael Parenti, EEUU; Marta Palau, México; Italo Ordóñez, Ecuador; Gloria la Riva, EEUU; Francisco Villa, Chile; Gennaro Carotenuto, Italia; Edward Sanders, EEUU; Ersi Sotiropulos, Grecia; Constantino Bértolo, España; Manuel Cabieses, Chile; Jose A. De Frietas (Tunai), Brasil; Thelva Nava, México; Hugo Urquijo, Argentina; Isaura Navarro, España; Cecilia Conde, Brasil; Igor Jinkings, Brasil; Iosu Perales Arretxe, País Vasco; Issa Makhlouf, Líbano; Marcos Roitman, España; Héctor Díaz Polanco, R. Dominicana; Antonio Maira, España; Arturo Andrés Roig, Argentina; Roy Brown, Puerto Rico; Al Campbell, EEUU; Luisa Vicioso, R. Dominicana; Carlos Fazio, Uruguay; Luciano Vasapollo, Italia; John Beverley, EEUU; Carlos Varea, España; Víctor Flores Olea, México; Hassan El Ouazanni, Marruecos; Jitendra Sharma, India; José Mulligan, Nicaragua; Beto Almeida, Brasil; Juan Madrid, España; Sonja de Vries, EEUU; Red Ronnie, Italia; Juan Kalvellido, España; Miguel Urbano, Portugal; Nora de Izcue, Perú; Raúl Pérez Torres, Ecuador; Santiago Alba Rico, España; José Steinsleger, México; Setsuko Ono, Japón-EEUU; Susan Willis, EEUU; Vicente Romano, España; Néstor Kohan, Argentina; Pedro de Castro Amaral, Brasil; Angeles Maestro, España; Vicente Battista, Argentina; Stefania Mosca, Venezuela; Clifton Ross, EEUU; Zlatko Krasni, Serbia; Wim Dierckxsens, Costa Rica; Sérgio Saboya, Brasil; Claudio Katz, Argentina; Luciano Alzaga, Argentina; Corium Aharoniam, Uruguay; Donatella Mészáros, Italia; Carol Cross, EEUU; Raly Barrionuevo, Argentina; Kali Akuno, EEUU; Gloria Berrocal, España; Rodolfo Livingston, Argentina; Remy Herrera, Francia; Mano Melo, Brasil; Irene Amador, España; Paul Emile Dupret, Bélgica; Jaime Losada, España; Marcelo Resende, Brasil; Pablo Marcano García, Puerto Rico; Miguel Martín Ayllón, España; José C. Rovira, España; Alvaro Castillo Granada, Colombia, Natalia Toledo, México; Consuelo Sánchez, México; José Heleno Rotta, Brasil; Shirley Pate, EEUU; Gerardo Cerdas Vega, Costa Rica; Carlos Marés, Brasil; Clarisse Chiappini Casthilos, Brasil; Michael S. Smith, EEUU; José Luis Tagliaferro, Argentina-Italia; Claude Marks, EEUU; Iñaki Errazkin, España; Eduardo Ebendinger, Brasil; León Ferrari, Argentina; Guy Bajoit, Bélgica; Lia Sessy, Italia; Ricardo Antunes, Brasil; María Toledano, España; Robert Franck, Bélgica; Verena Graf, Suiza; Eva Björklund, Suecia; Raúl Vallejo, Ecuador; Eduardo Guimarães, Brasil; Aitana Alberti, Argentina-Cuba; Sara Rosemberg, Argentina; Beatriz Bissio, Brasil; Bert de Belder, Bélgica; Jaime Mejía Duque, Colombia; Jane Franklin, EEUU; Alicia Hermida, España; Ana Esther Ceceña, México; Angel Parra, Chile; Branca Eloysa P. Ferreira, Brasil; Dionne Brand, Canadá; Sergio J. Dos Santos França, Brasil; Lêdo Ivo, Brasil; Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua; José Antonio Barroso Toledo, España; Christine Fayart, Bélgica; Caique Botkay, Brasil; Angelica Malinarich-Dorfman, Chile; Manuel Fernández-Cuesta, España; Sidnei Liberal, Brasil; Carlos Takeshi, Brasil; Jean Pestiaux, Bélgica; Aderbal Ashogun, Brasil; Carlos Baron, Chile; Alejandro Moreano, Ecuador; Hans-Otto Dill, Alemania; Carmem Regina de Vargas, Brasil; Richard Becker, EEUU; David Lagmanovich, Argentina; Carmen Vargas, Brasil; Jean Philippe Peemans, Bélgica; Aderbal Moreira Costa, Brasil; Claudia Korol, Argentina; Teodoro Buarque de Hollanda, Brasil; Enrique Dacal, Argentina; Célia Ravero, Brasil; Nico Hirft, Bélgica; Andrea Duffour, Suiza; Ana Tendler, Brasil; Carolina Virguez, Colombia; Terezinha Lameira, Brasil; Juan Carlos Volnovich, Argentina; Clarissa Matheus, Brasil; Hugo Achugar, Uruguay; Michael Steven Smith, EEUU; Nicolas Bardos, Bélgica; Anisio Palhano P. Ferreira, Brasil; Vera Malaguiti, Brasil; Danielle Bleitrach, Francia; Rafael Spregelbud, Argentina; Augusto Boal, Brasil; Bob Stone, EEUU; Pierre Beaudet, Bélgica; Clarisse Mantuano, Brasil; Vivaldo Franco, Brasil; Claufe Rodrigues, Brasil; Alicia Jrapcko, EEUU; Waldir Leite, Brasil; Dácio Malta, Brasil; Anne Waldmann, EEUU; Danon Lacerda, Brasil; Betsy Bowman, EEUU; Denise Fraga, Brasil; Bryan Becker, EEUU; Echaterina Brasileiro, Brasil; Joy Harjo, EEUU; Jorge Fons, México; Emilio Mira y Lopez, Brasil; Fábio Basilone, Brasil; Mary Louise Pratt, EEUU; Andrés Linares, España; Geraldo Moreira, Brasil; Angeles Diez Rodríguez, España; Ana Lydia Vega, Puerto Rico; Susana Fiorito, Argentina; Joseph Mutti, EEUU; Haroldo Costa, Brasil; Margot Pepper, EEUU; Isadora Jinkings, Brasil; Carlos Tena, España; Andrés Ordoñez, México; Ivair Itagiba, Brasil; David Acera Rodríguez, España; Ivana Jinkings, Brasil; Eduardo Hernández Fernández, España; Jalusa Barcelos, Brasil; Iñaki Markiegi, España; Jaqueline da Silva, Brasil; Jorge Lopez Ave, España; Jesús Chediak, Brasil; Justo Carracedo, España; Jean Portante, Luxemburgo; José Vicente Tavares dos Santos, Brasil; José Braga, Brasil; Jussara Freire, Brasil; Miguel Riera Montesinos, España; Leila Jinkings, Brasil; Pepe Mejía, España; Luis Carlos Cseko, Brasil; Alain Ruscio, Francia; Mãe Beata de Yemoja, Brasil; Susana Vellegia, Argentina; Marcello Guimaraes, Brasil; Beatriz Stolowicz, México; Marcellus Machado, Brasil; Horacio Verzi, Uruguay; Elvira Concheiro, México; Mário Augusto Jakobskind, Brasil; Luciano Concheiro, México; Isabel-Clara Simó, España; Xavier Dalfó, España; Michele Victer, Brasil; Monique Lemaitre, México; Miwa Saboya, Brasil; Natalia Toledo, México; Nilo Batista, Brasil; Hane Haga, Noruega; Olny de Freitas, Brasil; Clemente Padín, Uruguay; Raymundo de Oliveira, Brasil; Hernán Rivera Letelier, Chile; Quintín Cabrera, Uruguay; Regina Libonati, Brasil; Douglas Bohórquez, Venezuela; Zezé Sack, Brasil; Catherine Murphy, EEUU; Maximilien Laroche, Haití; Hiber Conteris,Uruguay; Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro, Brasil; Marita Fornaro, Uruguay; Graciela Paraskevaidis, Uruguay; Rafael Aponte Ledée, Puerto Rico; Daisy Zamora, Nicaragua; Mauricio Kartun, Argentina; Cecilia Boal, Brasil; C. K. Otead, Nueva Zelanda; Chiranan Pritpeecha, Tailandia; Gerhard Falkner, Alemania; Quincy Troupe, EEUU; Neshe Yashin, Chipre; Koulsy Lamko, Chad; Nicole Cage Florentiny, Martinica ; Leslee Lee, Perú; Andrés Rivera, Argentina; Juan Cristóbal, Perú; Frèdèric Debuyst, Bélgica; Jean Claude Fritz, Francia; Gérard Fritz, Francia; Jacques Bidet, Bélgica; Milagros Rivera, Puerto Rico; Katalina Montero, EEUU; Luis Fernando Eyerbe, Argentina-Brasil; Daniel Veronese, Argentina; Pat Murphy, EEUU Kendell Hoppolyte, Santa Lucía; Breyten Breytenbach, Sudáfrica; Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir, Islandia; Clara Algranati, Argentina; José Seoane, Argentina; David Franco Monthiel, España
To sign: www.porcuba.org, soberania en porcuba.org
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From cubart2 en listas.cult.cu Thu Aug 17 14:45:43 2006
From: cubart2 en listas.cult.cu (cubart2@listas.cult.cu)
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:45:43 -0400 (CDT)
Subject: [Cubart2] [Cubart] CUBARTE Newsletter
Message-ID: <200608171745.k7HHjh2v018489@portal.cult.cu>
CUBART NEWSLETTER
CUBART Newsletter is a specialized weekly news service from the Portal of Cuban Culture. In our pages you will find the most outstanding aspects from national culture ongoing and its worldwide reflection, as well as opinion sections dealing with themes which today worry intellectuals.
AROUND CUBA
- New Voices Added to the Declaration of Intellectuals around the World
- Cuban Art for the Homeland
- Regional Festival of Amateur Theater Inaugurated
- Intellectuals in Defense of Humanity Converge in Havana
- Community Cultural Award 2006 in Havana
- Recovecos, Theater without Limits
- Engraving with Love and Hope
- ¨Documents of the Cuban Revolution 1959¨, an Important Book
- Alicia Alonso: Cuban Art Indebted to Fidel
- Laura de la Uz at the Varilla´s Bar
- Havana City in Multimedia
- Local Radio Journalists, Hosts and Producers Recognized
- Ready to Host Rockasol National Festival
- Over 560 Films for Coral Awards
CUBA IN THE WORLD
- Pablo Milanés Concert for Fidel
- Jane Bunnett, Guantanamo Blues Project Vol.1
- Buena Fe: The Best of the Cuban Music
- Motorcycle Diaries Stars for Cuba Respect
- Juan Formell and Los Van Van Departure for Japan
- Gerardo Alfonso Presents Album in Germany
CUBARTE PORTAL SUGGESTS YOU
- It Was What It Was
- Aggression Against Identity. Iraq´s Cultural Destruction
- Interview with Brazilian Architect Oscar Niemeyer
- Sergio Corrieri Has No Time for Nostalgia
- To Speak of Valencia, is to Speak of the Seas (Last part)
- Juan Formell Celebrated his 64th Birthday
--------------------------------------------------
New Voices Added to the Declaration of Intellectuals around the World
Havana, (Cubarte).-New voices were added to the declaration of intellectuals around the world, which is demanded by the United States with respect to the sovereignty of Cuba. Up to this time there are 11,226 personalities who have signed the document which was circulated past Monday by renowned artists, thinkers and creators, as it is stated on an Internet page which has been opened specially to collect adhesions.
The document was headed from the very beginning by the Nobel Prize winners Rigoberta Menchú (Guatemala), José Saramago (Portugal), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Desmond Tutu (South Africa), Dario Fo (Italy), Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Argentina), Nadine Gordiner (South Africa).
The document points out that in the face of an increasing threat towards Cuban integrity, the peace and the security in Latin America and the world, the signers proclaim their objective of avoiding at all costs a new aggression.
Among the new signers are the poet Leroi Jones, currently known as Amiri Baraka, the writer Russell Banks, the African-American activist Angela Davis and the Porto Rican actor from Hollywood Benicio del Toro.
The call was also widely accepted in Latin America, where Elma Beatriz Rosado, the widow of the Porto Rican independent leader killed last year by the FBI, Filiberto Ojeda Ríos; the Chilean Volodia Teitelboim; the Mexican poet writer Thelma Nava and the Argentinean narrator Vicente Battista added their signatures.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Cuban Art for the Homeland
Holguin, (Radio Angulo).- In the eve of the 80 birthday of Cuba´s President Filed Castro, a large representation of the country´s actors and actresses, singers, musical groups and dancers went into the stage of Havana´s Jose Marti Anti-imperialist Tribune to sing to the Homeland´s unity.
New Trova singer and composer Amaury Perez read the opening words by intellectuals claiming for a world of peace. Then came a parade of Cuban popular, folk and classical music, poems, dances, words filled with emotions as those by top Cuban actor Enrique Molina who not only wished congratulations to the Commander in Chief, but also called him by the nickname he has been lately given, caguairan -after a very hard and resistant tree, in a clear allusion to Fidel Castro´s speedy recovery and strong health.
There was Buena Vista Social Club star Omara Portuondo singing "La era esta pariendo un corazon" -one of singer and songwriter Silvio Rodriguez´s greatest songs.
And Hoyo Colorado band with its "Di que no" (Say No) denouncing war and recalling us once again that we are responsible for every thing going on in the world, for any happening may become a boomerang, either for good or for bad, that´s why it insists in recalling "Say No, because the child I saw on TV this morning killed by a bullet may have been your kid, Say No," they repeat in their most famous song.
Actor Jose Antonio Rodriguez recited one poem by a Venezuelan poet and said "many hearts were involved in tonight´s concert, because of the high feelings crowning this gala."
This concert was a clear demonstration that Cuban culture is not the stereotype of a mulata singing and dancing rumba; however, the African influence is alive, therefore, songs like Siguaraya was danced by the young faces attending the Gala while the folk singer was making her art on the stage.
The song talks of a tree that´s very sacred for Orisha believers, and that no-one can fell it without permission, and so happens with Fidel that no foreign force would replace him from power without the consent of the Cubans living in the Island, who once and again repeat "Viva Fidel!" (Long Live Fidel!).
The artistic activity became a mosaic of Cuban culture that made the pack of enthusiast people go crazy after so many pieces of real art to remember; that´s why, boleros, rock, guaguanco, and other Cuban rhythms as the son made people dance, one of those great moments came with sonero (son singer), and composer Candido Fabré, and the world famous Sampling vocal sextet.
Fabré sang a song he composed to cheer up Fidel after his health problem and Sampling delighted followers with its deeply lyrical version of "En la Aldea" by Jose Maria Vitier, that´s a highly artistic creation dedicated to the Latin American Homeland, very intentionally included in the Gala after the new winds of regional integration flowing south of Rio Grande.
Artists from different generations and artistic manifestations gave their art and wished Fidel Castro happy birthday because this August 13th he turned 80, something Cubans have been preparing for to wish their historical leader very happy birthday, because he will be guiding this nation as long as Nature or God want.
The presentations rose people from their places and one could see flags from different nations, and hear young and old voices wishing Fidel Castro the best, clapping and holding posters with "Vivas for Fidel and the Cuban Revolution."
This concert proved why all the nations of the world should fight neoliberalism, because, without a doubt, this Third World Art will not survive before the avalanche of the market rules prevailing today, that only cares about profits and not feelings, that same market former The Beatle singer and rhythm guitar player, Paul Mc Cartney says in one of the songs he sang: "Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs."
I am sure, Spanish speakers enjoyed a really artistically conceived concert, and I even dare to say non Spanish speakers too, because it was certainly very moving, an evidence that Cubans are making true art after portraying the reality of a nation that already underwent transition to Democracy after the revolutionary triumph of January the first, 1959.
Because after this radical change, Cubans started to build a new nation under the leadership of their Commander in Chief, that has fostered Latin American integration so as to found that same Homeland Bolivar, Marti, Che Guevara dreamt of and that Fidel has been fighting for.
Congratulations Fidel! Claimed the whole Cuban people.
--------------------------------------------------
Regional Festival of Amateur Theater Inaugurated
Havana, (Granma).- The 1st Latin American and Caribbean Festival of the International Association of Amateur Theater held in the two Havanas from last August 12th to 18th. Twenty four foreign groups integrated by 220 amateur artists from some twenty countries are participating. Cuba is represented by 18 groups, conformed by 224 actors, as it was informed in a press conference.
"Unparalleled" event, according to their sponsors. Its celebration in the two provinces also implies two headquarters, San Antonio de los Baños, venue of the opening and closing ceremonies, and the historical center of the capital, key of the Cuban national life as well as the international tourism; in both cases aiming to stage their plays to the greatest possible audience.
Organizers of the Festival headed by Fernando Rojas, President of the National Council of Houses of Culture, and Zulema Armas, President of the Caribbean Regional Alliance of the IAAT (IAAT-CARA, in English), underlined the characteristics of the groups within this sort of event, "which are made to the pure will of the street theater, of the community, and whose participation also means a support tp Cuba."
"It is not about performings in theater halls, in exclusive stages, but of artists who want to get in direct contact with the people", precised Armas and she explained that those guest companies are the best in Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to work through theater, characteristic quality to the Cuban groups, as well as those coming from most of the provinces.
The presentations of the groups, from which a balance was searched according to its stage work, either for children or adults, include morning and evening sessions in both venues, and alternated with a Latin American Forum named The theater that we make, which debated on matters such as identity, diversity and globalization, and from which a final declaration will be issued August 17th.
Festival in which the presence of countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Bonaire, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and San Vicente and the Grenadines has been announced. It has also served for checking regional contacts with the Cátedra de Teatro Latinoamericano, (Latin American Theater Department), especially for those countries wihing to join it, announced Nisia Agüuero, directive of that institution and Vice-president of the National Council of Houses of Culture.
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Intellectuals in Defense of Humanity Converge in Havana
Havana, (Granma).- The need to move from collective awareness to transformative actions was raised as an imperative of the Network of Networks in Defense of Humanity in a meeting sponsored by that group´s Cuban chapter.
The gathering, held at the Casa de las Americas in Havana, was attended by the Cuban Parliament president, Ricardo Alarcón. Also present were Italian journalist Gianni Mina, Brazilians Marilia and Eduaro Guimaraes and Frei Betto; Puerto Rican Nelson del Castillo and Belgium´ Francois Houtart.
The renowned intellectuals spoke with their Cuban colleagues about experiences related to their work and the prospects for their movement which advocates solidarity campaigns and social and political alternatives.
Looking back at the work undertaken since the movement was founded three years ago in Mexico, Belgium sociologist and theologist Francois Houtart highlighted the importance of structuring alternatives for viable changes, starting with a full understanding of the crisis of the capitalist system.
Mina, internationally known for his revelation about the Italian media, introduced the subject of information as a tool of struggle. He discussed the possibility of offering comments on the most pressing issues on the network’s agenda, such as refuting day-by-day fabrications spread by the mainstream media.
One of the most important battles, in the view of Mina and other renowned Italian intellectuals, is that of prompting the Italian justice system to build a case against the master mind behind the murder of a citizen of his nation, Fabio di Celmo.
The Italian government, he said, should press charges and demand the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles, who has admitted to supplying a mercenary with the resources to sabotage the Havana hotel where Fabio was killed.
Referring to the link between community radios and alternative media, Cuban Parliament president Ricardo Alarcón commented the experience of the Committee for the Defense of Humanity of Rio de Janeiro and its successful mobilizations of various sectors of society.
Alarcón added that Cuban media should be more creative and timely in spreading information which is usually silenced or hidden by the corporate-backed press of other countries.
An emotional moment of the meeting was the dialog between Brazilian Dominic Frail Frei Betto and Cuban Reverend Raul Suarez; they discussed how believers have come to the defense of Cuban sovereignty and have denounced the dangers posed against humanity. "The fact is that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and brothers and sisters in Castro," stressed Betto.
Speaking on behalf of the Cuban Chapter, and making suggests about meetings and actions, were the head of the José Martí Office, Armando Hart; Rubén Zardoya, president of Havana University; and Dr. Aleida Guevara March, medical doctor and daughter of Che Guevara
Casa de las Américas president Roberto Fernandez Retamar stressed that the doors of his institution will always remain open to anyone who champions the ideas of human freedom and dignity.
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Community Cultural Award 2006 in Havana
Havana, (Radio Cadena Habana).-The Community Cultural Award 2006 was handed to La Conga de Bejucal, during a cultural ceremony held at the municipality of Bejucal, located in Havana province.
This musical group is strongly linked to the Charangas de Bejucal, which was one of the three oldest traditional festivities held in Cuba. The award was received by Robelio Perez (Yeyo), one of the most distinguished players of this rhythm during the past decades.
The award was also handed to the artisan Gladyz Diez, from Guines; the musician Adalberto Raveiro, from Bauta; the teacher Antonio Rodriguez, from Mariel; Rafael Rodriguez, founder and principal of Bosque Martiano de Ariguanabo, at San Antonio de los Baños. The Bosque Martiano de Ariguanabo is the only forest of its kind in the country and collects over 50 species mentioned by Cuban National Hero, Jose Marti, in his From Haiti´s Key to Dos Rios´ Expedition Diary.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Recovecos, Theater without Limits
Guantanamo, (Venceremos).- With the aim and the great longings of making theater, ten youngsters decided to join their ideas and to create a group able to perform in any Guantánamo neighborhood. This was the beginning of Recovecos (Sharp bend) in the year 2000. Its name is due to the main objective of its members, to bring a true communiarian theater to the people.
In its early moments, this theatre group was formed by youngsters who neither studied nor worked, and the interest and vocation developed by Leonardo Charlot Bouly, its director, the engine which leaded them to be organized and to dedicate their time to an useful and creative option.
"I like performing arts. In the primary school I performed plays, occasionally I worked as soloist, that´s why I decided to present myself to the Rubén López Sabariego House of Culture with the idea of creating a group and to materialize a community project", he admits.
The great challenge was assisted by María de los Ángeles Fernández (Tata), art instructor who taught him stage space movement and mastery, among other theater abilities.
However, the greatest support and dedication was received from Tomás Jarrosai Quiala, art instructor and advisory of the group, who deeply dedicated his work to integrate these youngsters to the social world, to improve their behavior and to prepare them artistically.
"At the beginning - he said - I proposed them to name the group PDH in honor to Pedro Duarte Hernández, theater instructor already deceased, later I worked on creating an appreciation and performing workshop for instructing them technically. My greatest desire was to see how far they coud get as people and, then, thinking on their artistic development."
Recovecos: Achievements
Really the goal by Charlot Bouly and his nine partners went beyond his own expectations. After 6 years Recovecos proved solids results in its artistic ongoing, endorsed by countless recognitions, and most of its members are university students and are incorporated to cultural development courses, making evident their interest to increase their professional level.
The repertoire includes approximately fourteen plays, both classical as well as contemporary, outstanding among them : Estudio en blanco y negro (Study in Black and White), by Piñeiro, Andoba, by Abraham Rodríguez, Blue Prince (adaptation from a play by Lópe de Vega), an Abdala version, Escena para dos (Stage for two), Éxtasis (Ecstasy), among others.
For the Children’s Day, Recovecos premiered Los horrendos (The horrendous ones), with an argument based upon three very disordered adolescents, who destroy everything around them, and at the end they are able to assume life with greater responsibility and harmony with the people around them.
Recovecos has two working styles: the theater hall assemblies and the street theater, but they prefer the latter: "We like to perform for the every people’s sectors", expressed Charlot Bouly.
The visits to the houses of children without parent’s assistance, twice a month, Tablarte, each second Sunday of every month, at 6 o´clock: in the afternoon, the Nights of humor in the House of Culture and three children shows with clowns, among others, constitute the usual performings of this theatre group.
Teen agers join to Recovecos with the aim to be be form and to acquire a theater knowledge. Many of them have registered in the Schools of Instructors and National Schools of Art, as well as in the Higher Studies Art Institute: "Although we are not professional the experience, the talent and the artistic preparation of the members of our group becomes a learning source for many", assures its director.
"During these 6 years Recovecos allowed me to exploit the technical knowledge of performing arts, which favored my formation as instructor. I intended challenges which I surpassed, for instance, to stage Cuban theater classic plays, and still knowing the boys scarce preparation, I offered them the possibility to direct some plays", admits Jarrosai Quiala.
"Undoubtedly, our lifestyles developed a metamorphosis process. At the beginning we were nothing but a group of boys taken out from the street, but as s went by, we succeeded on linking closer to society by means of the world of e performing and to eliminate all the sequels we carried. Today we are brothers and sisters, and a great family", concludes Charlot Bouly.
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Engraving with Love and Hope
Pinard el Rio, (El Guerrilero).- The fist leans on the bristol board and a thick tip pencil defines the drawing. A house, a river, a flower, a tree, the sun, a man, a boy are delineated by insecure lines.
"Afterward it is inked, then printed and ready. I am a painter, an artist", he says, and as such he signs at the right bottom.
"Noel", he writes, and his mother completes the text: "Project with Love and Hope for Down Syndrome Young People
Just recently, the UNICEF considered that people suffering Down Syndrome were not educable; but the parents from a group of them, together with several Pinar del Rio institutions have joined efforts to demonstrate the opposite.
They began to work in January, 2002, supported by a psychologist of the Center of Mental Health from this province. Jesus Carrete, visual artist, graphic designer and father of Lianna, one of the youths, began to familiarize them with engraving techniques.
They began with the monotype. In his bicycle rack, Carrete loaded Bristol boards, inks, rollers which later became landscapes, portraits, and abstractions. "Generally with many colors, because these attract their attention", he says.
Then their place was changed. "We moved to my parents´ home and then to mine, where there are presses which allow intruding in other engraving modalities."
Delighted with the idea, the UNEAC of the province and the Centro de Intercambio y Referencia sobre Iniciativas Comunitarias, CIERIC (Center of Exchange and Reference on Community Initiatives) have supported him, as well as the Cáritas group, - a charity NGO - which contributed by financing the materials.
Every Friday, and divided in two subgroups, the twelve members of the project meet to keep on training and to give the final touches to some of their creations.
Most are adolescents who attended - or attend - to the Carlos Marx Special School, and that after four years have risen their self-esteem, their motivation, and have developed social and artistic abilities allowing them a more complete integration to the families and to the school group, according to the psychologists,
But they are not the only ones in closing their relationships. Usually also the parents accompany them, and they proof the progress reached by the boys. Art has also been the pretext for integrating their families and for treating complicated topics such as sexuality.
In May 2002, soon after the project have been constituted, they made their first collective exhibition, in the Pedro Junco house of culture. "A very rich exchange started, they could converse with painters, to explain their works to them ", Corallina Hernández, master in Educational Psychology and mother of Lianna remembers.
From then on other 14 exhibitions in diverse venues such as the UNEAC and the Gallery of the Calixto García Hospital, in Havana City Havana, or the Center of Development of Visual Arts and the UPEC, in Pinar del Río have been inaugurated.
Lianna and Noel are the most productive, with more than 60 matrixes each one - engraving is a technique which allows the works reproduction, and therefore the most important thing are the matrixes. All the students have a portfolio with their creations about 300 in total.
Plastic artists who joined the project acknowledge the value of the works; they coincide in that each one of the boys anf girls are profiling their own style, with marked characteristics regarding the layout of the lines, the used colors, the composition, and they even dare to affirm that they could approach to primitivism and surrealism.
"Knowing that these engravings and paintings can be exhibited to the public has become one of the main incentives", Coralline assures. "But it has not been easy to achieve them to be accepted. Their works have consented to be shown, with certain reticence, in some places
"Prejudices still exist on Down and to people mentally delayed people in general. Eliminating these ideas has been another of the achievements of this project."
Up to where do are planning to advance?
The earliest idea was to make them feel happy, and the results have led us to more ambitious goals, for instance, to seek that they productively integrated to society.
"We wished that this could lay down the bases for inserting them within his working life. We aspire that when we would not be together, they do not prostrate themselves in an armchair.
"They could even be economically better as a result of their work, if not individually, at least as a cultural project."
And aren’t ´t you worry about their disability limit the acceptance of their artistic works?
"We know that they are not neither professionals, nor artists. But the basic aspect is the way they are integrating, not as simple spectators, but as human beings, people who contribute and they can even be admired.
"We trust art possibilities as a way of expression, of transformation, of personality growth, and up to now the results have been quite positive", she assures.
"We cannot surrender; the future of our children, and perhaps of other Downs, it can depend on what we are able to make."
Houari interrupts the conversation. His work is in press and he wants me to accompany him to show it. There are textures which only appear after stamping, because of this it is impossible to know exactly which will be the printing final result.
He wears a paint-spotted apron and he is excited. He separates the Bristol board from the matrix. "It is a marine landscape", he says while smiling.
The Downs´ life expectancy is high. Rafael, one of the members of the With Love and Hope Project is 49.
Besides visual arts, they can participate in other artistic manifestations, such as dance, and even to carry out not very complex works. Noel, for instance, worked in the protocol hall of the Captain San Luis Baseball Stadium.
The Syndrome of Down is associated to the 21st chromosome and its least frequent form is the inherited. The specialists assure that a woman can avoid it by taking folic acid during her fertile state and that are analysis able to detect it during the pregnancy. In Cuba measures are taken so that the greatest amount of possible of pregnant women can undergo these.
Translation : Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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¨Documents of the Cuban Revolution 1959¨, an Important Book
Havana, (Granma).- "Documents of the Cuban Revolution 1959", a research paper done by PH.D. and University professors Jose Bell Lara, Delia Luisa Lopez Garcia and Tania Caram Leon, and published by the Ciencias Sociales Publishing House, was presented last August 12th, during the Sabado del Libro´s cultural activity at Palacio del Segundo Cabo, in Old Havana.
This volume, which forms part of a wide research project dealing with the revolutionary measures taken in our nation during the Triumph of the Revolution, gathers laws, presidential decrees, speeches, TV appearances, interviews, diplomatic aide memoires and articles that were published at that time. The documents -compiled in a single book- analyze, explain and interpret, in a clear way, the main events occurred during the first year of the Cuban Revolution.
The book also contains several explanation notes about the links between its different texts, making this important period more understandable to the reader.
Finally, it includes a useful chronology of the main historical facts that took place during 1959.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Alicia Alonso: Cuban Art Indebted to Fidel
Havana (Reuters) – Cuban Prima Ballerina Assoluta and Director of the Cuba’s National Ballet Alicia Alonso still gets excited remembering that day of 1959 when Fidel Castro knocked the door of her house in Havana.
"The first time I saw him he asked me : What do you need to make a good ballet company ?, what do we need in Cuba ?," said Alonso in a fluently English due to her passage for the New York’s Ballet Theatre in the decade of 1940´s.
Thus, from that conversation with the bearded young man just arrived from the Sierra Maestra to overthrow the dictator Fulgencio Batista, the Cuba’s National Ballet, one of the cultural mirrors of the Revolution came up.
For five decades, her choreographies of classics like "Giselle" or "Sleeping Beauty" have been applauded in stages from Moscow to Milan.
"In Cuba, ballet developed, as well as the rest of cultural manifestations, thanks to this system so deeply concerned and committed with arts," pointed out Alicia Alonso, presently blind due to a detachment of the retina.
On the peeled blue walls of her office in an old mansion in Havana, there is a hanged photo of the Argentinean guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara and a little farther another one of her and Pablo Picasso.
"Now, Am I worried for what will happen? No. When a tree grows strong there is nobody who can cut it. Not at all because he has a people defending him," said the Prima Ballerina.
Alonso has the same vitality Fidel showed when he recently spoke standing for nearly five hours in two speeches. Five years older, Alicia Alonso danced until she was alomost 70 years old, but now she walks with some difficulties. She still feels her way directing the rehearsals of the Cuba’s National Ballet and is now preparing a tour around Britain, Egypt and Spain for September.
Cuba´s Prima Ballerina Assoluta loves Fidel. According to those closer to her, they have a special relation and the Cuban President used to surprise her during the presentations.
Alonso, who before the triumph of the Revolution was one of the most fervent admirers of Fidel within the high-life Cuban society, put the classical dance to the reach of common people and workers.
The National Ballet opened its doors to the entire society and democratized an art reserved to the rich-white minorities until then.
At present, there are 4,500 children studying in the country’s dance schools which have ballet companies even in remote cities like Holguín and Camaguey.
Alicia Alonso recalled that during the 1962 Missiles Crisis, she danced for the regiment guarding the Guantánamo Military Bay, in the eastern Cuba, wearing a dark green uniform.
"Fidel is an example of humanity for our country and the entire world. He is brave, smart and very human. And I am not the only one who thinks so," she stressed.
Translation: Ivette Semanat Negret (Cubarte)
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Laura de la Uz at the Varilla´s Bar
Havana, (Habana Radio).- That 1994 were one of those terrible years we have lived, one of those moments that we shall never be able to forget and which widely occupied the memory of Cuban men and women in the most difficult and complex decade within the Cuban contemporary history.
In that year Alberto Pedro presented us with his play Delirio Habanero (Havana Delirium), premiered by the group Teatro Mío (Theater of Mine) headed by him together with his wife, Miriam Lezcano, and it was staged in the Covarrubias Hall, at the National Theater of Cuba.
Twelve years later it returns to the Adolfo Llauradó´s small stage, also one year after the passing away of its author, one of those Cuban theater essential playwrights who knew, to be introduced in the existential conflicts lived by the Cuban people from the late 1970´s, within the quite complex universe of the Cuban society, desirous of getting the substance of the contradictions, of expressing a national identity always under construction, unique and diverse in its plurality, neither with prejudices nor with dogmas.
The solid dramatic architecture present in the work, set up on the imaginary collective, nurtured by its myths, beyond any contingency or circumstance, when selecting from their leading aim two of the top Cuban popular music expressions: the Greatest of the Rhythm, Benny Moré and the unquestionable queen, Celia Cruz, as cell of his proposal and also from his provocation, when inviting us to assume the sacred principle of freedom over all, mesmerized as it was Alberto Pedro for his love to this earth which today is more his, than never before.
The Teatro de la Luna (Theater of the Moon) also assumed the challenge of this restaging, under the directions of Raúl Martin, to deepen, not into in the repertoire which, systematically has been linked with Virgilio Piñera´s poetic, but just for saying, from the substance of an essentially popular culture which assimilates and projects the most ancestral traditions on stage, not betraying its author´s spirit, when giving the responsibility of this restage that is, at the same time, renovation, to three young actors who enjoy an acknowledged professionalism: Laura of the Uz, Amarilys Núñez and Mario Guerra who physically and spiritually prepared to translate its maker´s will, into a participative dialogue with an audience integrated to the setting as the fourth element of the performing.
The wardrobe and the stage conception, as well as lights and music work- expressive resource deciding the pros and cons of this play -, are joined to its design where the actor’s work prevail within a triad where Amarylis should serve as bridge, from her character of Varilla, to her two guests: the Greatest (Mario) and the Queen (Laura) so that the counterpoint among between these two hallucinated beings and, especially, among the myths which take possession of the space just like in a possession act, settles down.
Although the text, mainly in Benny’s parliaments is iterative and setting would be enriched by an edition work supporting the magic of the scene from the most essential synthesis of a poetic environment, the Greatest continually demands the actor who should make an effort to thoroughly penetrate his character, beyond the superficial aspect of his legend.
Laura of the Uz, to whom I follow her steps from many years ago, since that TV serial for teenagers broadcasted by the Cuban TV : ¡Blanco y Negro, No! (White and Black, No!), and later in the two films by the fraternal Fernando Pérez : "Hello, Hemingway", leading role which make her winner of a Coral Award to the young actress, in the Festival of the New Latin American Cinema, and then, already grown-up, since her character´s core, in the 1990´s Best Cuban Film, I mean Madagascar, Laurita returns to Cuba and to our theater completely grown-up, as it is shown and proved in each one of her moments in this Delirio Habanero, which becomes a true delirium when she receives the public’s ovation by her character of Celia, when saying her song, two-voice arranged for the greatest woman of the Cuban music, while in her long tail robe, quite Creole, outstands the Cuban flag within a counterpoint of love and hate, of presence and absence, of a love that she never forgets and she never quits.
Undoubtedly, the Cuban theater has in Laura of the Uz one of its warmest and most vehement actresses, who passionately incorporated, the briefest Queen in her presence and in her stage texts, she is the one who truly becomes the leading role of these delirious applauses.
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Havana City in Multimedia
Havana, (Habana Radio).- The new Multimedia Encyclopedia, Ciudad de La Habana, la identidad de la provincia y sus municipios (Havana City, the identity of the province and its municipalities), recently presented at the José Martí Memorial will allow to everyone, to delve into the roots of the Village of San Cristóbal de La Habana
It is a scientific, serious and very useful research. Among other options you can access to the neighborhood of Lawton, and, just to mention an example, to come closer to aspects of the life of the Lord of the Vanguard, Camilo Cienfuegos, famous patriot of the municipality of Diez de Octubre.
Details on the National Hero of Cuba, José Martí, can not be missed in that digital product while personalities, symbols, institutions, traditions; in brief, almost everything, for not being absolute, pertaining to the Cuban capital can not be missed.
According to Pedro Sáez Montejo, First Secretary of the Communist Party in the capital, this is the love and the sense of belonging to this piece of the Cuban archipelago, and it should come to the people.
Sáez gave the Multimedia Ciudad de La Habana, la identidad de la provincia y sus municipios (Havana City, the identity of the province and its municipalities) to the Unión de Periodistas de Cuba (Guild of Journalists of Cuba) (UPEC) and to the Joven Club de Computación (Young Club of Computing), institutions which, undoubtedly, will take care of its reproduction.
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Local Radio Journalists, Hosts and Producers Recognized
Holguin, (Radio Angulo).- Outstanding radio personalities and producers from the Holguin radio station CMKO were acknowledged during the station’s 70 anniversary celebrations.
The Provincial Assembly, along with the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT), bestowed the Holguin Axe Award to Esther Alonso, widow of Manuel Angulo, CMKO founder.
The Provincial Shield was granted to Ana Irma Sanz, producer and director of several of the stations programs; and to Osvaldo Aguilera, the master radio announcer with 40 years in broadcasting.
Lydia Esther Ochoa and Rigoberto Gonzalez Liminana both received the Aldabon de la Periquera Award for their outstanding work in radio journalism.
Osvaldo Aguilera dedicated the award to Fidel Castro, who will be celebrating his 80th birthday on August 13th, and said: “We will continue at the service of the education and enjoyment of our people, at the service of the Revolution."
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Ready to Host Rockasol National Festival
Cienfuegos, (Juventud Rebelde).— The very first edition of the Rockasol National Festival called for by the Hermanos Saíz Association will take place August 18th-21st in the province of Cienfuegos, “The South’s Pearl”. The festival will constitute one of the most relevant cultural events organized by that association in the year of its 20th anniversary.
The meeting is also an appropriate occasion to close the Ciudad Junto al Mar National Rock Circuit, starting in May in Cienfuegos and ended with performances by groups “Voyage” (Havana) and “Tragedy” (Santiago de Cuba) last Sunday 13th.
In addition to the rock and its great variety of subgenres, the Circuit catered to exponents of rhythms barely promoted in Cuba like those of the “Havana Blues Society”.
The well-known rock groups “Zeus” and “Kill the fish” (Havana) “Médula” and “Albatros” (Pinar del Río), “Azotobacter” (Santa Clara) and “Arrabio” (Sancti Spiritus) and host “Dana”, “Acupuntura”, “Bouquet” and “Fakeless” as well as some others from the rest of provinces have already confirmed their attendance for next edition.
Cienfuegos has always been one of the strongest defenders of the rock movement in Cuba and one of its most recognized venues. That is precisely the bases under which its citizens gained the privilege to host the Rockasol National Festival and witness the rebirth of that musical variant with the appearance of new exponents sharing each edition.
Translation: Ivette Semanat Negret (Cubarte)
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Over 560 Films for Coral Awards
Havana, (Cubasí).- Some 560 films have been registered so far in the competitive section of the 28th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, informed Tuesday sources from the event’s Organizing Committee.
Most of the tapes come from Brazil and Argentina, with over 150 titles each, thus confirming the historical strength of these two cinematographies in the continent.
Organizers have also received works from Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Cuba.
U.S. films mainly come from its Hispanic communities, which traditionally “contribute an interesting look at the immigration universe, with its topics of cultural diversity and preservation of Latin identity”.
The films, that have entered the contest via the Festival’s website, aspire to run off with the Coral Award in the categories of fiction, documentary and animation, among others.
The sources added that the tapes registered so far comprise 278 fiction films, 233 documentaries and animation and experimental works.
Next September 15th, 2006 will be the registration deadline of the 28th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema and the films, scripts or posters can be registered via the event’s website at: http://www.habanafilmfestival.com/inscripcion/ins_pelis_01.php3.
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Pablo Milanés Concert for Fidel
Havana, (PL).- Cuban singer and songwriter Pablo Milanés will dedicate a concert to President Fidel Castro on August 17th at the Mexican capital´s National Auditorium, organizers of the event reported.
Before traveling to Mexico, Pablo, in a message to the Cuban head of State, convalescing from complicated surgery, expressed his commitment to representing him and the island s people "with unity and courage faced with any threat and provocation."
Milanes will sing, accompanied by his daughters Haydee and Suylen, songs from the recent CD ¨Como un Campo de Maiz,¨ (¨As a Corn Field¨), Granma newspaper reports last Friday.
Composer, singer, guitarist and one of the founders of the New Trova Movement along with Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo has one of the best and versatile voices of Cuban music of all times.
As a songwriter, he has made incursions into several genres of Cuban pop music, mainly "son."
Pablo has composed soundtracks, as well as sung in many European, African and American countries.
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Jane Bunnett, Guantanamo Blues Project Vol.1
Do you ever have something, no, even better…you find something, and you just can’t stop using it. The enjoyment you get from this thing is constant, not once do you feel as if it isn’t giving you pleasure. This can be a book, a movie, a person, a song, a whole album, or a bunch of other crap. In my case the one thing that has been constantly in front of me lately is this piece of culture, this piece of life, this piece of…inner peace.
The connection between the Canadian, Jane Bunnett and Larry Cramer, with the different Cuban artists once again, creates a work that can be best described as a true cultural mosaic. Bunnet’s musical companions, coming from some of Cuba’s oldest and most shadowed genre, Changui music, provide some of the most powerful and heartfelt music that can be acquired these days. Historically, this music derives from slaves who escaped from Haiti into Guantanamo Bay to seek refuge from the French. The music itself contains many varied elements, but the most prominent are Spanish guitar structure and the African drum rhythms, but it has also adopted many the Western traits throughout the years (i.e. Jazz, blues, hip-hop). Despite its influences from the West, the music has gone almost unnoticed–similar to the story of its purveyors.
But enough about history, this music is strongly cultural based, giving it a lot of soul, and from a lot of soul comes a lot of blues, and a lot of jazz. If you do pick up this CD, you will definitely be apt to find some of Jane’s other–which I already have.
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Buena Fe: The Best of the Cuban Music
Havana, (Habana Radio).- One of the most praised musical groups within modern Cuban music, having a great influence upon the young people is Buena Fe. This duet, that is accompanied by a guitar and other musical instruments offers the audience a revival spirit. Their songs´ lyrics always express something about current topics of our reality and the world, and their music is a mixture of different rhythms and styles.
These days the young duet has made several performances at Gran Melia Victoria Hotel, in Palma de Mallorca Spanish Island, playing the traditional Cuban sones, that they enrich with pop and rock music, without losing the Caribbean popular rhythm so well-known in the world.
They toured by the cities of Madrid, Seville, Marbella, and Sitges, including the Canary Islands, bringing the potential of the Cuban music and seeding their poetry in the audience, establishing a rich communication with it, even when the language is not the same as in Spain, like it happened during their tour by Russia or England.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Motorcycle Diaries Stars for Cuba Respect
Havana, (PL).- Actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Mexico, and Rodrigo de la Serna, Argentina, main characters of the Oscar-winning film The Motorcycle Diaries expressed their support for the respect of Cuban independence threatened by the US.
Those artists joined the over 400 celebrities from 50 nations, including eight Nobel prizewinners, that called the world to impede an aggression to the island by the government of President George W. Bush.
In a document spread worldwide, cultural celebrities rejected the aggressive interference in US declarations and denounced the interventionist nature of the Washington-boosted Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
Among signers appear Nobel prizewinners Nadine Gordimer, Wole Soyinka, Jose Saramago, Dario Fo, Rigoberta Menchu, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Desmond Tutu and Zhores Alfiorov.
Also signing are musicians Danny Rivera, Puerto Rico; Egberto Gismonti, Brazil, Tom Morello, US; and Manu Chao, France; as well as actors Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, US; Maria Rojo, Mexico, Leticia Spiller, Brazil; and Santiago Garcia, Colombia.
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Juan Formell and Los Van Van Departure for Japan
Havana, (Cubarte).- The Cuban pop musical group Los Van Van started on August 4th a tour of several Asian countries. This is the second time that Japanese people will dance Van Van´s Salsa rhythm, taking advantage of its Tour/06 "Vívela Japón" -Feel it, Japan-. The first time they performed there happened last year, during the summer season.
Over a thousand audience was present at the concert that took place in Tokio last August 5th. Making a full display of their arts and talent, Van Van played several songs, representing different moments of their career; among these, some that reached the popularity during the 80´s, as well as new ones from their CD "Chapeando". For almost two hours Shinkiba´s Studio Coast was all dance.
Right after performing at Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka cities, the Cuban group will be participating at the 10th Caribbean Festival of Salsa music "Isla de Salsa", that will be held at Fukuoka on August 19th and 20th. This event is organized, as well as the tour, by "Tiempo Iberoamericano" Foundation.
"Tiempo Iberoamericano" is a non-lucrative organization aimed at promoting cultural activities among different countries. Its headquarters are at Fukuoka, an important cultural and economic center located at Kyushu Island, where Isla de Salsa´s Caribbean Festival is been celebrated.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Gerardo Alfonso Presents Album in Germany
Berlin, (AIN).- Cuban song-writer Gerardo Alfonso presented his album “Cuarto de siglo”, which includes part of his latest minstrel works, in the German capital.
Beyond the barrier of language and the generalized tendency of youth to prefer pop music, Gerardo Alfonso´s songs, already known by thr Germans, found a very warm reception not only because of the issues it refers to but also because their musical quality closely linked to cultural diversity.
At the age of 47, the artist traveled to Berlin to participate in the ceremonies for the 15th anniversary of “Cuba Sí”, a German organization of solidarity with Cuba. “The last ten years have been a hard battle against the imperialist purpose to dominate Cuba,” he said. All this situation affects the entire society and has also influenced his work as evidenced in this album, recorded during his live concert in the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center in Havana last year.
Translation: Ivette Semanat Negret (Cubarte)
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From cubart2 en listas.cult.cu Thu Aug 24 15:00:14 2006
From: cubart2 en listas.cult.cu (cubart2@listas.cult.cu)
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:00:14 -0400 (CDT)
Subject: [Cubart2] [Cubart] CUBARTE Newsletter
Message-ID: <200608241800.k7OI0Eem016726@portal.cult.cu>
CUBART NEWSLETTER
CUBART Newsletter is a specialized weekly news service from the Portal of Cuban Culture. In our pages you will find the most outstanding aspects from national culture ongoing and its worldwide reflection, as well as opinion sections dealing with themes which today worry intellectuals.
AROUND CUBA
- Text of the Declaration of San Antonio de los Baños
- He Deserves an Epic Poem
- First Exhibition of the José Martí Brigade
- Media Facilities ready for NAM Summit
- Cuban Writer Wins the 2006 Julio Cortazar Award.
- Angá, a Prince
- Niemeyer Donated Sculpture to Cuba
- A Tribute in Cuba for Superstar Musician Arsenio Rodríguez
- A New Space for Community
- New Cuban Book on Political Assassinations
- Exhibit by Cuban Painters Fúster and Rodolfo Martínez
- Lorca and Spain
- Cuba and Japan Boost Cultural Project
- Broken Gods: a New Cuban Film
- A Point to Culture in Pinar del Río Mountains
- Casa de las Américas Award 2007
CUBA IN THE WORLD
- Omara Captivated Carlos Vives
- Cuban Actor Awarded in Switzerland
- British Playwright: Respect Cuba
- Cuban Radio and Television President Arrives in China
- Tom Morello: A Genius Defends Cuba
- The Book El juicio del Moncada to Be Launched in Argentina
- Cuba Among the Countries Which Will Assist the Movie Festival in Bolivia
CUBARTE PORTAL SUGGESTS YOU
- Hart: Fidel is the Best Disciple of Marti
- Moments, a Photo Exhibition with Images of Fidel
- A Tribute from Titón to Lezama Lima
- Bullfighting and Culture
- Amateur International Theatre Invaded Havana
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Text of the Declaration of San Antonio de los Baños
Text of the Declaration of San Antonio de los Baños, adopted by the participants of the I Latin American and Caribbean Festival of Amateur Theatre:
To share experiences always drive the people to know new ways.
To enjoy together in these days of styles of work, ages, languages and occupations with a deep expressions of popular roots from the theatre have made possible to carry out the dreams of unity and the future compromise that we are endorsing today.
When we do theatre, we reveal truth, face contemporary conflicts, but also, not less important, of the cultural heritage from any space: a closed building, a street, a square, with the citizen that perform a simple work, or with the professional, it is a common fact where we are all equal.
In the way to the conscience of identities, in that vocation to service of the theatre man is the socializing nature of its own art. When we carry about our own cultures and made the dialogue, we are creating an antidote against the suffocation that is provoked by the cultural annexation of our peoples.
This Festival is our sign of encounters in front of methods that are trying to mutilate our cultures and threat us with a unidirectional language. Lets then, make unique the will of strengthening our identities and among all of them, let’s make only one Latin America and the Caribbean.
Let’s demand a just respect to the defense of our historical and cultural memory. The prosperity that we recognize means justice, the right to peace, the enjoyment of the inter culturally to express ourselves, confront and grow together.
Let’s demand the definitive cessation of the war, of every war that unjustly prevail the death, destruction and disappearance of the cultural heritages that will never be recovered.
Lets demand the total elimination of the torture, the aggression to the physical integrity of innocent people, the arbitrary detention without a proper legal process that violate the least demands of the human dignity.
Let’s unite our voices and our dreams to defend from here the sovereignty of the Cuban people, permanently threaten. The plans to attack Cuba, to destroy their social conquest, are also plans to eliminate the legitimate aspirations of the peoples.
Heroic are and will be the efforts to have a dialogue and the hope for a better World and to give significance to our lives.
Lets this unity declaration be a denunciation action of those from this part of the world who believe in the authenticity of the human being, in his capacity of always growing in favor of the others and by this make himself big, in front of the pretended superiority of those who want to drown our voices.
Let’s unite ourselves in one single force to defend the transparency and the right of the peoples to their independence.
Lets the theatre that we are doing be in today’s stage, in the need one!
Translation: Karen Lopez (Cubarte)
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He Deserves an Epic Poem
Havana, (Granma).- It is curious, even strange that Carilda Oliver Labra has not written again on Fidel after her unforgettable Canto (Chant) on the convulse 1957. And in her case I do not believe that it was due to lack of words. It is respect.
"Simply I could not", she humbly says to admit later that it also happens to her with other great personality " I have neither been able to write on Che Guevara, whom I find a man of overwhelming moral strength. They are true lasting symbols", she underlined.
"Fidel has many facets, he is very complete and diverse, he deserves a whole epic poem to himself.
Current Fidel, she added, is the same, but different, he is the same one but another. "What happens to me is not due to a lack of inspiration, it is possibly a lot of inspiration", she expressed.
In a meeting with provincial journalists and intellectuals, held last week, Carilda narrated passages on how Chant to Fidel was born and other scarcely-known details about the history of that epic work.
"Fidel represents the people’s expectation and all Cubans unity", she commented.
The Chant to Fidel is a poem which makes her deeply happy, a poem inspired by the love to the Homeland, she acknowledges.
"To forge it was like a blow of blood, and above all a blow of the soul. I thought that I will get life for sending it to the Sierra, but, by the way, I loved very much my life, but I attempted it and I am happy."
In the adventure of taking it to the Sierra she was assisted by a hairdresser friend, member of the July 26th Movement, who in turn looked for someone trustable to assume the challenge of carrying it, hidden in his boots´ soles. Anyway, she makes clear that the details of how it arrived to the Sierra are still ignored. It is one of the many mysteries of the Chant, she said.
The Chant to Fidel was published by first time in El Imparcial newspaper, the very day of January 1959, when the revolutionary leader arrived to the city of Matanzas.
Fifty years of this unique fact will take place in March 2007 singular fact they are completed, and before the insistence of friends, Carilda declares: "it is impossible to attempt a new Chant, Fidel surpasses my intelligence."
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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First Exhibition of the José Martí Brigade
Havana, (Granma).- A selection of visual arts works, wardrobe designs and marionettes, made by the José Martí Brigade art instructors and their workshop creation students conform the exhibition ¨For a Quixote¨, recently inaugurated in the House of Culture of the Plaza de la Revolución municipality.
The representative sample from all over the country, expressed Lissett Atmeller, president of the Brigade, symbolizes a worthy example of the duality of this profession, in which personal creation pleasure mixes with the teaching of art languages in each manifestation.
This exhibition, the first of the José Martí Brigade, will tour along all the Cuban Schools of Art Instructors in October, celebrating the Day of the Cuban National Culture.
Julio Martínez, first secretary of the National Committee of the Young Communist League, (UJC), and Fernando Rojas , president of the National Council of Houses of Culture, attended the inauguration.
Translation : Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Media Facilities ready for NAM Summit
Havana, (PL).- Journalists covering the 14th Non-Aligned Countries Movement (NAM) Summit, September 11th-16th in Havana, will have all technical facilities to do their work.
According to the organizing committee, there will be 100 computers with Internet access, plug-ins with WiFi for personal computers, telephone lines and international fax service, internal-circuit televisions and international cable TV.
The press will also be able to receive signals from the meeting at their work premises, as well as attending news conferences.
For those interested in updated information on arrangements for this important summit, the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry has opened a website available at www.cubanoal.cu
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Cuban Writer Wins the 2006 Julio Cortazar Award.
Havana, (PL).- The Cuban writer Jorge Angel Pérez won with his story En una estrofa de agua (In a verse of water), the 2006 Julio Cortazar Iber- American Award.
The members of the jury recognize of the work “its precise sense of and at the same time the audacious genre, his expressive dominance and the high quality achieve in the construction of the atmosphere, the environment and the characters”.
They also considered the “artistic solution of a metaphor that includes the coded story and highlights by opposition the evident story of a contemporary story”.
The jury awarded a first Mention to Un asiento en Camanues (A seat in Camanues) by the Spanish Fernando Ruiz Paños.
Rapunzel by Alberton Garrandes, Aves Grises (Grey Birds) by Gustavo Sabas del Pino, Siempre en Domingo (Always on Sunday) by Hugo Luis Sanchez and Memorial de Judas (Judas Memorial) by Ernesto Castillo from Cuba were distinguished with mentions.
The members of the jury, the distinguished intellectuals Francisco López Sacha, Margarita Mateo Palmer and Alejandro Alvarez Bernal, stated that their work was very difficult “due to the great participation of Spanish and Latin-American writers of high quality”.
The award ceremony will be held on August 28th at the Dulce Maria Loynaz cultural center of this city, remembering the birth date of the Argentinean writer.
The competition created by the initiative of the prestigious writer and editor Ugne Karvelis, is sponsored by the Instituto Cubano del Libro (Cuban Book Institute), the Casa de las Americas (House of the Americas), and the ALIA Foundation.
In correspondence with the growing international prestige of the competition, this year was received 411 works from 18 countries from the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Translation: Karen Lopez (Cubarte)
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Angá, a Prince
Havana, (Granma).-Behind the conga drums, he was a Prince. On the stage, on a recording studio, together with a great orchestra or in the middle of an informal volley, he was always a Prince, with hid quick hands and his open mind and the blood of his ancestors warming his arteries and the most incredible sounds nurturing his innovative thought.
“The kings are: Chano, Tata… we would be nothing without them, but we wouldn’t do anything good if we imitated them. From Cuba we have a world before us in percussion,” he told me on the days when together with Tata Güines, and assisted by the genious of Orlando Valle, Maraca, Pasaporte (Passport) the album which would revolutionize on his own way the discography of the country during the nineties, was just a project.
This world before us will now carry on without Miguel Díaz, Angá, but it will still take into account the legacy he left behind. Death surprised the exceptional percussionist from San Juan y Martínez in Barcelona on the early morning of last Wednesday.
He was 45 years old and he was at the summit of his career. He had just premiered this August on the Catalan capital city the Angá Fusion Brasil MPB Jazz Cubano band, with the collaboration of the Brazilian guitar player Danilo Pinheiro. Earlier, also on this summer, he had performed masterly classes on the South Pyrenees Festival and he had reached an agreement with the famous Spanish piano player Chano Domínguez to incorporate him to what he called the new flamenco sound.
Last year he presented one of his most expensive projects: the album Echu Mingua, from the record label World Circuit. “This album could only be conceived in Havana,” he said at that time surrounded by guests of honor such as Baba Sissoko, DJ Nasty, Chucho Valdés and Magic Malik. Echu Mingua was a trip from the past to the future, from tradition to experimentation. Without a doubt, it was a work of maturity that crowned his ideas and trips around the different music of the world, with the Afro-Cuban jazz as its starting point and conceptual base.
If we were to point out Angá’s main lesson, we would have to talk about his eagerness for integration. That interest for studying other experiences and to critically assimilate them into his musical heritage increased with his belonging to the Opus 13 band, his enriching and extraordinary stay in Irakere, stimulated by Chucho, his work with the North Americans Steve Coleman and Roy Hargrove, his participations with Orishas, Omar Sosa, Afrocuban All Stars and Buenavista Social Club.
I resist myself from thinking about Angá in sorrowful terms. I am certain that when he can rest, on the next few hours on his birth land, the Prince of the conga drums will fill the air of the Island with music.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Niemeyer Donated Sculpture to Cuba
Havana, (World Date Service).- The prestigious Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer announced in Brasilia that he donated one of his works to Cuba, which is currently in the installation process in Havana and that represents the government of the United States in a dragon shape in front of a group of men who carry a flag.
“It is almost ready”, said Niemeyer to the press at the Brazilian capital city. “I received a telegram from Havana. It was my friend Ricardo Ventura. He is in Cuba working in the installation of the sculpture that I gave it as a gift to Fidel and that is being installed in a new square in under construction in that capital city”, said the artist.
The newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo added in its edition last Monday that the work of Niemeyer shows “the figure of a dragon that represents Bush’s empire, threatening the Cuban people that, with a flag in its hand, bravely, repel it”.
The architect, of 98 years old and resident of Rio de Janeiro, highlighted that “not only the fulfillment of a dream of mine of seeing one of my sculptures in Cuba. With a bigger satisfaction I felt that in this moment of expectative that the Cubans are living, the life in the country maintains calmed and the government is dedicated to the problems of their people that is so threatened and without fear”.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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A Tribute in Cuba for Superstar Musician Arsenio Rodríguez
Havana (PL).- The Cuban director and composer Arsenio Rodríguez, one of the geniuses of Cuban popular music and the responsible of Latin Jazz, will have a tribute held in his name on occasion of his 95th birth.
The musical promoter company Ignacio Piñeiro informed in a communiqué to Prensa Latina that with the aim of presenting the program of acts for such a special date, there will be a press conference called: First Journey Arsenio Rodríguez in Memoriam.
Arsenio Rodríguez (Guira de Macurijes, 1911, Los Angeles, 1972) belongs to the Olympus of the great popular creators from the island together with Benny Moré, Miguel Matamoros, Ignacio Piñeiro, Juan Formell and Chucho Valdés, among others.
The blind genius, as he is called by the conga musician Tata Guines, who played in his band, didn’t just stood out as a director and instrumentalist, but also as a great author of memorable pieces such as La vida es un sueño (Life is a dream), Bruca Maniguá and Fuego en el 23 (Fire on the 23).
His print has left a mark on every generation of current musicians that like the band Jóvenes clásicos del Son (Classical young people from the Son) are playing his work on the country.
The great Chico O’Farrill told the excellent Walfredo de los Reyes about Arsenio: “The blind man is our Count Basie.”
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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A New Space for Community
Pinar del Rio, ( DPC P.Río).- After some time trying the theater group for children Titirivida from Pinar del Rio has its usual venue.
Its openning took place on recent days with the presentation by the theatrical group of the play El caballito blanco (The little white horse), an adaptation of the homonymous story written by Onelio Jorge Cardiso, the Biggest Storyteller.
The venue will be the video hall which lies on the area known as the Reparto Raúl Sánchez (Raúl Sánchez Neighbourhood) on the outskirts of the city of Pinar del Río province.
Acoprding to Luciano Beirán, director of the theatrical group, the idea is that the new space should serve as a venue not just for rehersals and presentations, but it should also be used as a cultural center for the community. With that in mind, everyday should be caracterized with a different artistic or literary manifestation.
In such a way, people will be able to assist to a literary gathering, a concert or a theatrical presentation.
Titirivida apeared in Pinar del Río, on April 16th, 1994, after the union of four actors who formed part of the Caballito Blanco (Little White Horse) group and who had common artistic interests and aesthethics affiliation. Since then, their stagings have been characterized by the search of a particular poetry, starting from the music by Noel Gorgoy, its composer, the creative and functional staging designs which allow them for the movility and the simplicity of itinerant stages, with agile, funny and educational messages. It is made up by two first level actors (one of them is a musician) and two actresses. They have participated on national and international festivals, as it has made international missions to Mexico, Germany and Spain. Among their active repertoire are plays such as Titrivida1, El Cangrejito Volador (The flying little crab), Titirimagia, Los tres pichones (The three pigeons) and El Caballito Enano (The dwarf horse).
The staging they are currently playing El Caballito Blanco (The Little White Horse) was made from a previous presentation from the same name twenty years ago. In such a moment as it is right now, the artistic direction is in charge of Luciano Beirán and Carlos Piñeiro and the original music by Noel Gorgoy.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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New Cuban Book on Political Assassinations
Havana, (PL).- A book entitled "Fidel, Kennedy, and Chavez, an Inconclusive Story of Political Assassination" was presented in this capital, about assassination as an option used by the US diplomacy.
The work by Fabian Escalante, Cuban retired General, who was counterintelligence service chief in the Island, summoned many people to the presentation ceremony last Friday, at the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists (UNEAC).
Thewriter shows in the book that over 600 plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and the attempts of physically eliminating Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have a common origin in the United States.
Escalante warns that this practice has not concluded yet, and continues as an essential tool for the CIA and the US government against the processes they do not like.
This writer has the ability to lead the reader step by step through the mazes created by the intelligence service of the most powerful country in the world, with the objective of protecting assassins.
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Exhibit by Cuban Painters Fúster and Rodolfo Martínez
Havana, (PL).- Cuban artists José Rodríguez Fúster and Rodolfo Martínez opened a multi exhibit in La Acacia Art Gallery located in the municipality of La Habana Vieja and described as a great “pictorial nation”.
La Acacia, cultural center catering to the very best of the island’s contemporary fine arts, is located next to the Sciences Academy, once-National Capitol, and also adjoining the Federico García Lorca Great Theater. This time it opens its doors to the work of these artists which stands as young and mature at the same time.
Fúster, is the original ceramist perfectly combining colors, shapes and movements. Rodolfo is a self-taught artist which great talent was enriched with the experience provided by outstanding figures such as Manuel Mendive, Roberto Fabelo and Pedro Pablo Oliva.
In a press conference Fúster referred to his recent exhibits in Strasbourg and the favorable reception of his creations stamped in the savage surface of cloths.
He talked about the way he works everyday at his house in the locality of Jaimanitas, west Havana, and about how his work goes beyond individual goals to be fruitful within an important communitarian project named after that locality.
"I am not interested in making money but in having my works at the houses of neighbors and friends" he said with a smiling face.
Rodolfo Martínez explained his realistic work based on photography and showed different sights of Havana he has amplified through an evident mastery of technique.
The young artist shares space with a sample by Spanish Segura Ezquerro, contemporary of Eduardo Abela, Amelia Peláez, Marcelo Pogolotti and Carlos Enríquez, which provides a combination of urban images and others marked by alternative visions.
Martínez says to feel proud of becoming a sort of chronicler of books and other aids painters and sculptors would need to present visitors with a piece of their art.
"I love that task because it is also part of dialectics in the entire career of a painter," he stressed
Translation: Ivette Semanat Negret (Cubarte)
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Lorca and Spain
Havana, (Juventud Rebelde).- Last August 19th, the Arte y Literatura Cuban Publishing House launched an Anthology of poems dedicated to the Republic of Spain. This cultural activity took place at 11 a.m. (local time), during the social gathering El Sabado del Libro, at El Palacio del Segundo Cabo.
The book entitled La espiga derramada -The Spilled Spike- is a selection of poems by Spanish, Chilean, Cuban, Argentinan, Peruvian and Mexican writers who got together to demand the freedom of the Spanish people that fought against the fascist regime.
The book comes true the dream of Cuban National Poet Nicolas Guillen, who, by the end of 1982, expressed his wish about writing an anthology in Cuba that talked about the Spanish Civil War.
This issue contains excerpts by Peruvian writer Cesar Vallejo; the Spanish Rafael Alberti, Miguel Hernandez, Luis Cernuda, Vicente Aleixandre and Antonio Machado; the Chilean Pablo Neruda, and the Cuban poet Nicolas Guillen. The selection, the introduction and the notes were made by Waldo Leyva.
That same day the Vigia Publishing House, located in Matanzas, also launched Poeta en Nueva York -A poet in New York-, by Federico García Lorca. The introduction was made by Laura Ruiz and the designs by Rolando Estevez.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Cuba and Japan Boost Cultural Project
Havana, (AIN).- Cuba and Japan signed an agreement last Monday to promote studies on the Caribbean island in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and cosmonautics.
The accord, which includes donations by Japan to further cultural projects in Cuba, will be implemented by Japan´s Official Development Assistance Program, Cuba´s Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation (MINVEC) and the Havana Historian´s Office.
The aid project, operating out of the Historian´s Office under the name of Improvement of Planetary Equipment, will include the creation of the Science and Technology Cultural Center.
Japan´s Ambassador to Havana Tatsuaki Iwata and MINVEC Minister Marta Lomas penned the accord which foresees the inauguration of the cultural center to promote the study of science by students and the general public.
The Havana historian Eusebio Leal said the cultural scientific center will be named after the former Cuban Science, Technology and Environment Minister Rosa Elena Simeon, who passed away in 2004.
Japan will make donations to the center, which are to include planetary projectors of stars, constellations and meteorites plus a library with five volumes of DVD-format graphics.
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Broken Gods: a New Cuban Film
Havana, (Cubasí).- Latest Cuban filmic productions voice vehemently the will of experienced and first-timer directors to tackle openly Cuba’s contemporaneous reality without sweetening it.
The new film co-auspiced by the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC) and the Culture Ministry features very well known radio and TV director Ernesto Daranas now serving as scriptwriter and director of Los dioses rotos (Broken gods).
The film sits in these days with production of photography by Rigoberto Senarega and art direction by experienced Eric Grass; multi-awarded for his work in Pon tu pensamiento en mí and a decisive element in El Benny.
The starring is headed by young actress Silvia Aguila, who co-stared with Perugorría in Amor vertical but this time partners with the TV actor Carlos Ever Fonseca and new performer Ania Bu. Also in the casting are among other notable figures; Héctor Eduardo, Isabel Santos, Patricio Word, Amarilys Núñez and Mario Limonta.
Again the plot gives a look inside Havana’s world of pimps and santería through the curious eyes of a young woman that in dismay finds out its complexities thus experiencing situations that give the creeps.
The film’s ad states it is not based on the so-much-treated folkloric issues on Palo Monte and Regla de Ocha and other Afro-Cuban religious practices but on searching and exploring the Cuban fields of ethics and moral, where values of human behaviourism face contradictions leading viewers to think of this melodrama spiced with humour steeping into suspense.
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A Point to Culture in Pinar del Río Mountains
Pinar del Rio, (AIN).- The public library of Las Terrazas (The Terraces) community outstands for its favorable impact in its lifestyle. This library is one of those more than 80 mountain cultural institutions in Pinar del Río province.
After a triennium of its opening, the 50% of the residents of the vicinity, located in areas of the Sierra del Rosario biosphere, the first one in showing that category in Cuba, is officially subscribed to the center.
The library counts with more than a thousand 500 titles and above the three thousand copies of all literature type, besides a wide collection in digital support, and at the same time it also offers services having more community reach.
Services include: consultations in the reading room, able to receive 30 users, book loans, sales. The place also offers local for lectures on prioritized thematics on health, art and environmental care.
The Center is named after Héctor Sagué, paying a tribute to one of the precursors of the terraceo technique which identifies this emblematic establishment, for the man-environment symbiosis, in an evergreen forest area, housing of more than 100 bird species.
Seven percent of the Cubans live in the mountains, hills more and more reached by culture, as making evident the aim of the Pinar del Rio province of achieving a cultural development levels within the mountain range, scattered along 12 of the 14 territorial municipalities.
Such aim contributes to the whole, systematic and widespread formation of each mountain citizen and it will be achieved starting from the art instructor school graduation, where youngsters from the most remote places study, close to those from the city.
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Casa de las Américas Award 2007
Havana, (Casa de las Amèricas).- The Casa de las Américas calls for the year 2007 the 48th edition of its Literary Award. On this occasion there will be unpublished pieces competing on the genres of novels, theater, testimony literature and essays with an artistic-literary topic. There will also be competing authors from Brazil with fiction books (novels, stories, poetry) written in Portuguese and published on that language during the two-year period of 2005-2006
Hispanic-American authors and essayists of any nationality to compete this year should follow the following
RULES
1. Unpublished pieces in Spanish can be sent on the genres of novels, theater, testimonial literature and essays with an artistic-literary topic. Those pieces which have been printed in less than halve of its length are still considered to be unpublished.
2. Latin American born authors or those who have become naturalized in Latin America are able to participate. Authors of any other nationality are also allowed to compete for the essay award, as long as they present a book about Latin America or the Caribbean, written in Spanish.
3. The authors should send three typed copies with double space and numbered. There should be no more than 500 pages per work.
4. No author is allowed to send more than one book per genre, nor to participate with a work which is undergoing its impression, even if it is still unpublished, or a piece of work which has already received any kind of national or international award or is still competing for any other award, while the Casa de las Américas Award is still undecided. It is also forbidden to participate in any genre in which the same author had already received this Award, in any one of the last four editions.
5. There will be a unique and undividable award given for each genre or category, which consists of 3000 dollars or its equivalent on the corresponding national currency, and the publication of the work by the Casa de las Américas. Mentions will be awarded if the jury thinks them necessary, and they don’t imply any kind of retribution nor editorial compromise through the Casa de las Américas.
6. The pieces of work should be signed by its authors, who should point out in which genres they wish to participate. The literary pseudonym is allowed, but on this case is essential that it is accompanied of its identification. The authors should send their respective bibliographic index cards.
7. The Casa de las Américas reserves itself the publication right of what will be considered the first edition of the awarded pieces of work, up to a maximum of 10000 copies, even if it is a co-edition or co-edited reprints. Such a right includes not just obvious economic reasons but also all of the graphic characteristics, and other aspects of the so mentioned first edition.
8. The work should be sent to the Casa de las Américas (3ra y G, El Vedado, La Habana 10400, Cuba), or to any Cuban embassy, before October 31st, 2006.
9 . The juries will come together in Havana in January 2007.
10. The Casa de las Américas will not return the original pieces of work which were sent to them.
11. The failure to comply with any of these rules would lead to the invalidation of the given Award.
The Casa de las Américas announces that once again, it will hand out three honorific awards. Those Awards (José Lezama Lima, in poetry; José María Arguedas, in fiction and Ezequiel Martínez Estrada, in essays) will be conferreds to important work written by an author of our America, whose first Spanish edition was on the year 2005. In the case of the essay books, the books about Latin American and Caribbean topics, published in Spanish, will also be taken into account, no matter the nationality of its authors. The competing pieces, instead of being sent by the authors, will be exclusively nominated by a nomination Committee created for that effect.
CASA DE LAS AMERICAS AWARDS 2006
POETRY: A bordo del arca (On board the chest), by Arturo Corcuera (Peru)
SHORT STORY: Dichosos los que lloran (Happy those who cry), by Ángel Santiesteban (Cuba)
HISTORIC AND SOCIAL ESSAY: Del otro lado del espejo. La sexualidad en la construcción de la nación cubana (The ther side of the mirror. Sexuality in the constitution of the Cuban nation), by Abel Sierra Madero (Cuba)
BRAZILIAN LITERATURE: Pisando fora da própria sombra. A escravidão por dívida no Brasil contemporâneo (essay), by Ricardo Rezende Figueira
CARIBBEAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH OR CREOLE: Suspended Sentences (short story), by Mark McWatt (Guyana)
POETRY AWARD JOSÉ LEZAMA LIMA: Inri, by Raúl Zurita (Chile)
FICTION AWARD JOSÉ MARÍA ARGUEDAS: La mosca soldado (The soldier fly), by Marcio Veloz Maggiolo (The Dominican Republic)
ESSAY AWARD EZEQUIEL MARTÍNEZ ESTRADA: La universidad en el siglo XXI. Para una reforma democrática y emancipadora de la universidad (University on the 21st Century. For a democratic and emancipating reform of university), by Boaventura de Sousa Santos (Portugal)
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Omara Captivated Carlos Vives
Colombia (DPA).-The Cuban singer Omara Portuondo captivated with her feeling the interpreter of folk songs Carlos Vives on a concert made on the Colombian capital city, where she delighted the public with boleros, sones, chachachas, sonnets and themes from her last production Flor de Amor (Love Flower), which were all full of melody.
The presentation made last week by the singer of the legendary Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club was praised by the local press, which qualified the concert as unforgettable, where the “vibration of the voice of the artist went inside the body through every pore.”
According to the newspaper from Bogota El Tiempo, Portuondo demonstrated that “in order to make a good concert, there is no need of washers: just voice, good musicians and feelings.”
The Cuban artist, who is 75 years old, shared the stage with Vives, and the sang together the bolero, Me estás haciendo falta (I am needing you) and the Colombian popular song La pollera colorá (The red skirt).
Portuondo presented herself with a long orange dress; she sang for two hours themes of her new production as well as classical pieces such as Guantanamera, Los zafiros, and Dos gardenias, before she finished with Lágrimas negras.
The band was made up by the Brazilian guitar player Swami Jr. and Jorge Chicoy, the trumpet player Robertico García, Chaing Liang playing the bongo and the conga, Andrés Coayo playing the kettledrum, Emilio Morales playing the piano, Alejandro Fabián playing the double bass and Osiris Valdés playing the violin, who accompanied the Cuban legend on her presentation on the Andean country.
Likewise, the young Colombian singer Victoria Sur participated on the presentation on the Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Theater, exhibiting the modern music style of bambuco ácido (acid bambuco).
Portuando became famous in Havana while singing jazz with her sister Haydey with a style known by the Cubans as filin.
She belonged to the Cuarteto Las D´Aida and to the Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club, with which she presented herself in Europe and the United States. On the year 2004, she produced Flor de Amor (Love Flower), for which she was nominated for the Grammy Awards.
Translation : Karen López (Cubarte)
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Cuban Actor Awarded in Switzerland
Havana, (PL).- Cuban actor Renny Arozarena, playing the main role in the film "El Benny" dedicated to the outstanding Cuban musician Benny More, won the Boccalino Prize conferred by the critics at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.
Sources related to the jury cited by the Cuban Institute of Arts and the Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC) attributed the decision to the "color, passion and breath he gave to a legend of the musical history."
In the film Arozarena plays Bartolome Maximiliano Moré (1919-1963), a composer, singer and orchestra director considered the greatest of Cuban popular singer despite its condition of a self-taught musician.
"El Benny", one of the 13 Latin American contestant films in Locarno stood with the prize over the 150 presented by the region.
According to the critics, the film assumed the difficult challenge to be an autobiographical testimony, a musical production and a mirror of the Cuban history of 1950´ at the same time.
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British Playwright: Respect Cuba
Havana, (PL).- British playwright Harold Pinter became the ninth Nobel prize-winner to express support for Cuba.
The 2005 literature Nobel laureate joined more than 9,200 Intellectuals from all over the world who have condemned threats from representatives of the George W. Bush administration on the need to interfere in Cuba s internal affairs.
The British poet and author called to prevent a new aggression against Cuba at all cost.
The intellectuals stance was taken after statements by White House Spokesman Tony Snow, who said that Washington is ready and anxious to grant humanitarian and economic aid, and any kind of assistance, to the Cuban people.
The declaration "The Sovereignty of Cuba Must Be Respected", released in Havana , was also signed by Nobel laureates Nadine Gordimer, Jose Saramago, Wole Soyinka, Dario Fo, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchu, Desmond Tutu and Zhores Alfiorov.
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Cuban Radio and Television President Arrives in China
Beijing, (PL).- The President from the Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión (Cuban Radio and Television Institute) (ICRT in Spanish), Ernesto López, arrived to this capital city on a visit destined to widen the collaboration with China on those areas of the diffusion.
As it has been know from the Cuban diplomacy, the ICRT President will held conversations with the minister of the State Radio, Cinema and Television Administration (AERCT), Wang Talhua and other Chinese authorities.
Ernesto López will be also holding interviews with other employees; he will visit the provincial radio and television installations from Henán and Guangdong and he will learn about the technical advances on this sector of the Asian giant.
It is also foreseeable a trip through the city of Fuoshán, close to the city of Guangzhou (the old Canton), which was the pioneer on this country for digital television and has accumulated a vast experience in this field.
In this same way, the president from the ICRT will look through the agreements between the two countries and the preparative for the beginning of the shooting of a television series which consists of fifty episodes about Chinese emigration towards Cuba.
On this joint production the International Center for the Arts and Culture from China will take part. The Cuban radio and television delegation will held a meeting with its directives.
A special moment in this visit will be the inauguration of the transmission in China of the signal of the channel Cubavision Internacional, with which it will become the first Asian country where Cuban television will be available through a satellite.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Tom Morello: A Genius Defends Cuba
Havana, (PL).- Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello was among the first 400 intellectuals and artists, including nine Nobel Prize laureates, who signed a declaration demanding respect for Cuba´s sovereignty and condemning annexationist statements by the George W. Bush government.
The former guitarist of Rage Against the Machine was born in New York in 1964, but grew up in Libertyville, the United States.
His mother, Mary, founded the anti-censorship group Parents for Rock and Rap. His father fought with the Mau Mau guerrillas led by Jomo Kenyatta against British rule and for Kenya´s independence.
When asked about the dawn of his political awareness, the US musician said: "Well, the second you have brown skin and you walk out on an interracial playground, your political education begins".
Tom Morello is again in Cuba as part of a movement that has brought together more than 11,000 prominent intellectuals, religious figures and humanists who demand respect for Cuba´s sovereignty.
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The Book El juicio del Moncada to Be Launched in Argentina
Havana, (PL).- The classical journalism book El juicio del Moncada (The Moncada trial), by the Cuban writer and reporter Marta Rojas, about the first fight of the leader Fidel Castro, will be launched in Argentina on August 30th, by the author herself.
The venue of the launching will be the Osvaldo Pugliese Room, from the Cultural Cooperation Center on the popular avenue Corrientes of the Argentinean capital city, said the Prensa Latina promoter Daniel Aranda.
The volume, from the Editorial Espartaco, is a must read document for the study of the Cuban Revolution because it includes the Fidel Castro´s denounce to the Batista dictatorship during the trial that followed after the assault to the Moncada encampment, on July 26th, 1953.
During the process, the at the time young lawyer stated the disastrous Cuban economical and social situation at the time and he presented an advanced program to finish such things, first on a Latin American country committed to achieving their second independence.
Marta Rojas, who was born on the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, belonged to the correspondent body of the En Cuba Section from the Bohemia Magazine, from which she made the El juicio del Moncada (The Moncada trial), which was censored at the beginning.
After the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, Rojas worked on the Trabajo Magazine and on the newspapers Revolución and Granma, where she worked as a reporter and with management positions.
She was also a war correspondent in South Viet Nam during the United States aggression and a scriptwriter from Los refugiados de la Cueva del Muerto (The refugees from the Cave of the Dead), the only full-length film from the legendary documentary maker Santiago Alvarez.
The writer won the Casa de las Americas Award for Testimonies for El que debe vivir (He who must live) (1978), and she has published the novels El columpio del rey Spencer (King Spencer’s swing) (1993) and Santa Lujuria (Saint Lechery) (1998, a finalist from the Rómulo Gallegos Award), among other work.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Cuba Among the Countries Which Will Assist the Movie Festival in Bolivia
Bolivia, (El Nuevo Diario). - Argentina, Chile and Mexico with five movies the first country and four movies the last two ones, are the countries with the greatest representation on the audio-visual contest of the eighth Ibero-American Movie Festival from Santa Cruz. The annual meeting will be held from August 17th to August 26th, with much to see and learn from Latin America through the stories that are told on the big screen, veteran movie makers as well as novels.
Applying for the trophies, for example, are a piece by the Brazilian Ruy Guerra, considered as one of the most important producers in the continent. In the same way, the Cuban Humberto Solás, who will also accompany his movie and receive a tribute.
And among the young ones, the Bolivian Martín Boulocq (25) will be measured against the former ones with his proposal of Opera Prima, “The most beautiful and my best years,” among other ones from his generation.
But if we are talking about appreciating movies, the parallel program foresees screening from the Chilean Patricio Guzmán with the documentary Salvador Allende; from Solás with movies such as Miel para Oshún (Honey for Oshun). Likewise, El Aura (The Aura) and Nueve reinas (Nine queens) by Fabian Bielinski.
The opening act of the Festival will include a surprising presence which will highlight the day. The organization decided not to identify yet this Latin American performing figure, because the confirmation on his part is not yet given, it will depend on its time.
The Festival will reiterate this time the PIDCA – a business table and cinematographic capacitation – on its eighth version. Likewise, the second version of the National Petrobras Script Award ($US 3.500) and the first of the Short Movie Project Contests (US 5.000), equally supported by the oil company that in total contributes with 15 thousand dollars to the Festival ($US 6.500 for logistics).
Eighth version: from August 17th until 26th.
The venue: The Rooms at the Cine Center will welcome the eighth Ibero-American Movie Festival.
The price of the tickets: There will be a general value of Bs 16, as the access to every movie from the entire program of the Festival.
The opening ceremony was last Thursday 17 with a brief act and the projection of the movie El Aura (The Aura) by Fabian Bielinski, one of the guests of honor of the festival.
The Jury: Up to the date it is made up by the Chilean movie maker Gonzalo Justiniano (Amnesia/ B-Happy) and the Bolivian narrator Juan Claudio Lechin (La gula del picaflor). To whom another person will be added.
Tributes: For a lifetime achievement to the Cuban Humberto Solás, who will arrive to accompany the festival. Likewise, there will be a posthumous tribute to the recently deceased Fabian Bielinski.
What can be seen:
The movies that are competing: There are 21 audio-visual productions that are competing on the eighth Ibero-American Movie Festival from Santa Cruz. They are from nine countries.
The menu ARGENTINA: El custodio (The guardian) (Rodrigo Moreno), Martín Fierro (Gerardo vallejo), Una estrella y dos cafés (A star and two coffees) (Alberto Lecchi), Nordeste (Northeast) (Juan Diego Solanas), Géminis (Gemini) (Albertina Carri). BOLIVIA: Lo más bonito y mis mejores años (The most beautiful and my best years) (Martín Boulocq). BRAZIL: La mala hora (The bad hour) (Ruy Guerra). COLOMBIA: Apocalipsur (Apocalypse) (Javier Mejía), Juana tenía el pelo de oro (Juana had golden hair) (Pacho Bottia). CUBA: Barrio Cuba (Humberto Solás). CHILE: Horcón: al sur de ninguna parte (Wooden post : to the south of nowhere) (Rodrigo Gonzalves), La sagrada familia (The sacred family) (Sebastián Campos), La cama (The bed) (Matías Bize), Paréntesis (Parenthesis) (Francisca Schweitzer and Pablo Solis). MEXICO: Las buen rostro (The good faces) (Busi Cortés), Mezcal (Mescal) (Ignacio Ortiz), Festivbercine (Gabriel Retes), Parejas (Couples) (Enrique Arroyo). VENEZUELA: 1888, el extraordinario viaje de Santa Isabel (1888, the extraordinary trip from the Santa Isabel) (Alfredo Anzola), Maroa (Solveig Hoogensteijn), El caracazo (Román Chalbaud). They will be all competing for the Tatu Tumpa award.
¿Quién mató a la llamita blanca? (Who killed the little white llama?): The program of the festival and the people from Santa Cruz are privileged with a Bolivian premiere. It is ¿Quién mató a la llamita blanca? (Who killed the little white llama?), directed by Rodrigo Bellott, made by La Fabrica, produced by no less than Donald Ranvaud, the usual European guest from the Santa Cruz festival, and performed by acting stars such as Pablo Fernández (below), Cacho Mendieta, Alejandra Lanza, Lorena Suggier, among others. It will be on August 23rd.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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From cubart2 en listas.cult.cu Thu Aug 31 16:37:42 2006
From: cubart2 en listas.cult.cu (cubart2@listas.cult.cu)
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:37:42 -0400 (CDT)
Subject: [Cubart2] [Cubart] CUBARTE Newsletter
Message-ID: <200608311937.k7VJbgZU036471@portal.cult.cu>
CUBART NEWSLETTER
CUBART Newsletter is a specialized weekly news service from the Portal of Cuban Culture. In our pages you will find the most outstanding aspects from national culture ongoing and its worldwide reflection, as well as opinion sections dealing with themes which today worry intellectuals.
AROUND CUBA
- Cuban Writers and Artists Renew Commitment to Justice
- Photo Exhibit on Fidel in Havana
- Roig in Our Memory
- A Tribute for the Musician Benny Moré
- Reasons to Celebrate the 495th Anniversary of Villa Baracoa
- 5th Culture and Development Congress : In Defense of Cultural Diversity.
- Cuban National Library Presents Book on Egypt During Napoleon Empire
- 500 Journalists Have Applied To Cover The Non -Aligned Movement Summit
- Archeological Finding on Havana City
- Center of International Collaboration for Culture Just Created
- Alicia Alonso in An Exclusive
- Three Cuban Theater Greats on Stage
- Popular Stars Will Meet to Honor Cuban Percusionist
- Hip Hop Festival in Baracoa
CUBA IN THE WORLD
- Cuban Poet Awarded in Macedonia
- Miriam Makeba Sends Message to Cuban Leader
- Cuban TV Transmissions Reach China
- England, Spain and Egypt on the Itinerary of the Cuban Ballet Company
- Silvio Rodríguez Performs in Pontevedra
- John Beverley: US Aggression on Cuba would be Criminal
- Cuban Visual Arts and Films in Brasilia
- Cuban Virtuoso Wins Over Guitar Lovers in Peru
- Culture Mission to Start Pilot Postgraduate Course in January
CUBARTE PORTAL SUGGESTS YOU
- ISA: Three Letters that Multiply
- Caricatures of Democracy
- Alejandro Hartmann Matos: about the Foundation of the Baracoa Village
- Daranas: A Crusade Opposite to Banalty
- Secular Coral Modality Successfully Retaken in Cuba
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Cuban Writers and Artists Renew Commitment to Justice
Havana, (Granma).- A renewed commitment with dignity and justice was the center of a message from Cuban authors and artists as they celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) in Havana.
The message addressed to President Fidel Castro was read by UNEAC president, poet Carlos Marti.
"Your dreams of humanity and social justice and the opening that embodied the idea of founding the UNEAC gave our work the dignity it deserved, as we joined together to use art and literature to defend our traditional ethical and esthetic values and to create a Cuban and international culture supported by our profoundly radical and humanist revolution."
The highpoint of the anniversary celebration was when a diploma, especially designed by national award winning artist Jose Gomez Fresquet, that recognizes Fidel as the founder of the revolutionary organization of writers and artists, was handed to Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada for delivery to the Commander.
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Photo Exhibit on Fidel in Havana
Havana, (PL).- A photo exhibit on Cuban President Fidel Castro, including works by 50 of the best photographers from Cuba, the United States and Europe, was inaugurated in this capital.
The exhibition, entitled "Canto a la Vida" (Song to Life), consists of more than 80 photos by Cuban and foreign photographers who captured the most relevant moments in the life of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, who turned 80 on August 13th.
Among artists who are exhibiting their works are Alberto Korda (Cuba), Andrew St. George, Burt Glinn and Robert Taber (United States), Candido Mayo (Spain-Mexico), Enrique Meneses and R. del Valle-Rico (Spain), Ernesto Bazan (Italy), Felix Cordero (Puerto Rico) and Sven Creusmann (Germany).
The exhibit, on display at the International Press Center (CPI), was inaugurated by Tubal Paez, president of the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC), and attended by a hundred special guests.
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Roig in Our Memory
Havana, (Habana Radio).- 117 years after the birth of Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring (1889-1964), historians, museum workers and intellectuals from Havana evoked the illustrious Cuban in an act organized traditionally by the Office of the Historian of the City. Regarding this tribute, Eusebio Leal expressed that Roig’s life and work is a picture of the clear profile of a man who did everything within his reach to preserve the spiritual and material heritage of the Cuban people.
Likewise, the current Historian of the City made a reference to the person who was a reporter, researcher, lecturer and the author of a multiple work reflected on written media and on the publications of the Office of the Historian of the City, founded by him in 1938. “A tenacious anti-imperialist, Roig saw clearly into the neo-colonial dependency all the problems of the Republican Cuba and he firmly believed that one of his most efficient remedies was the virtue and the knowledge by the newer generations of the thoughts of the founding fathers of the nation, exceptionally represented on the thoughts of José Martí.
Roig de Leuchsenring was the founder of several institutions such as the Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the City), Sociedad Cubana de Estudios Históricos e Internacionales (the Cuban Society for the Historical and International Studies), the Junta Nacional de Arqueología (National Archeology Board and the Monument), Comisión de Monumentos, Edificios y Lugares Históricos y Artísticos Habaneros (Buildings and Historical and Artistic Sites from Havana Commission). His articles appeared in important journals of the time, under the pseudonyms Cristóbal de La Habana, Juan Matusalén Junior, El Curioso Parlanchín (The Curious Chatty) and Unoquelosabe (Onewhoknows), among others.
The traditional tribute organized by the Office of the Historian was preceded this year by one of the tours of the summer project Rutas y Andares para descubrir en Familia (Routes and Walks to discover whith the whole family) project, dedicated to the illustrious Cuban historian. Specialists and museum workers guided the visitors through some of the places where Roig left his print. Likewise, the magazine, Opus Habana, publishes its usual articles, collected in a book published recently by Ediciones La Memoria from the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Center and Ediciones Boloña from the Office of the Historian.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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A Tribute for the Musician Benny Moré
Havana, (Radio Rebelde).- A tribute for the Bárbaro del Ritmo (The Great Man from the Rhythm) Benny Moré was prepared by the institutions of Cuban culture in Santa Isabel de las Lajas; his birth town, on the province of Cienfuegos, to the south of the central part of Cuba.
The Sonero Mayor (Greatest Son Singer) would have been 87 years old last August 24th, if his body had survived the illness which left him dead in 1963, and the family, the friends, the admirers and the children who are being born payed him tribute on that day.
The peregrination towards the cemetery began at nine in the morning headed by the Municipal Band, and at the foot of the tomb, the local artists played something together with the cousin Simeón Moré.
“I want to become a sonero too” is the name of the children’s event which was celebrated on the House of Culture and where the child Yasdiel Águila Sosa, the winner of the Cuban TV show Cantándole al Sol (Singing to the Sun) performed.
And there are of course the traditional makuta, on the Casinos of the Congos or the San Antonio ones, where Benny used to practice with the drum. They performed rituals in each one of the three doors, they moved around the Cuban flag and between drinks and candles the bodies moving with the rhythm of folkloric dances.
There had to be as well the traditional canchánchara, on the Museum, the drink made out of rum and honey that was preferred by the person who sang so much to every beautiful spot that there is on the soil: Cienfuegos, Varadero, Santiago de Cuba, Manzanillo, Santa Isabel de las Lajas.
The hat from the movie El Benny
By the way, on the Museum, they are showing the life and work from Benny Moré in three rooms. The piano, the walking stick, the hat, the wrist watch, the golden disc of the song Se te cayó el tabaco (You lost your tobacco), the mouthpiece and the guitar and there is also the copy of the hat from the movie El Benny, which has just been donated by the leading actor Ronny Arozarena.
And there you can read about the glamour of the Bárbaro del Ritmo on the best stages from Havana, the United States, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Panama, where he knew glory while he lived.
The sound came out from his insides and by searching horizons from Santa Isabel de las Lajas, without receiving any kind of instruction in a musical academy. When he was just 16 he began on the great cities.
So he entered the band leaded by Miguel Matamoros and he recorded on the RCA Victor with the Orchestra from Mariano Mercerón.
He managed to found with 34 years the Banda Gigante and fame always accompanied the mulatto with the hat and the walking stick
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Reasons to Celebrate the 495th Anniversary of Villa Baracoa
Guantanamo, (DPC Guantanamo).-Among the Cuban cities, Baracoa, though small, will always be the first city settled by the Spanish Conqueror. It was registered on September 28th, 1838 in the shield by Spanish Queen Maria Cristina de Hasburgo y Lorena.
The original is found at the office of Alejandro Hartmann, the city Historian and director of Matachin Museum, a cultural institution that also keeps an emblem´s replica, carved in precious wood from the Baracoan mounts by local sculptor Quintiliano Joa.
Granting this honor to the most important second city of Guantanamo´s eastern province has its own reasons: Baracoa, founded on August 15th, 1511 by Diego Velazquez was the first village and capital of Cuba, episcopal venue of the conquest and second Spanish settlement in America, preceded only by Natividad, a fortress located in Santo Domingo.
Natividad was built on December 25th, 1492, which coincided with the last night of the Santa María, the flagship of the Italian Admiral Cristóbal Colon.
The official celebration of this historical event occurred in 1996, which highlights the approach between two cultures in this region.
The Hispanic and religious influences extended to the rest of the Insular from this territory, host of the first mass celebrated by Fray Bartolome de las Casas, with the presence of the Cross of the Parra, a symbol of the rising process of the evangelism. This fact is still kept at the parish of the Village.
Velazquez designates Baracoa the capital of the island recently conquered, due to its proximity to La Española, seat of the Viceroy, of the regions discovered by the intrepid Admiral of Genoa, or the pioneering government established by the metropolis in America.
From the First-born, the Advanced undertakes the foundation of new villages, exploiting the Indians and submitting them to the conquerors, using the system of virtual slavery, an euphemism of protectorate.
At La Primada, the Spanish found the greater resistance to the occupation and dominion, and they had to fight, for the first time, against the stone axes, the macanas (wooden weapons ) and arrows of the natives, that were hoisted with the swords, shotguns, spears and metal shields of the Europeans.
The geographic isolation diminished its leadership as a capital, when the city was moved to Santiago of Cuba, located at the same distance of La Espanola but having a better protected port and conditions to communicate with the outside.
This fact took place between 1514 and 1516, when the foundation of the remaining villages was almost finished.
The measure left Baracoans under their own account, something that privateers and pirates took advantage of. They took refuge in the city and its environs, after not resisting the stimulus of the village´s privileged location, its small bay -surrounded by an exuberant vegetation and abundant rivers-, and its proximity to the Bahamas Old Channel.
The situation worsened with the Oreja de Jenkis´ War between Spain and England, which forced to create a defensive system integrated by La Punta, Matachín and Seboruco´s fortresses, and the courage of its inhabitants. All this had much to do with the permanence of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Villa at the same place where it was founded 495 years ago.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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5th Culture and Development Congress : In Defense of Cultural Diversity.
Havana, (Cubarte).- On this planet set back by globalization the voices of those excluded start to be heard. To passive cultural consumism, opposes participatory will on the recognition of different diversities. It seems as if corporate transnationals imposes, without other alternatives, the unidirectional message through the domain of information and the very powerful cultural industries with the establishment of life models and the conquest of the fertile creation born on the popular imaginary. A new expression of violence, the homogenizing current threatens to drown cultural diversity and to erase the face of the nations and of the many sectors who live in them.
And, nonetheless, the resistance starts to take its shape. The autochthonous people demand the right to preserve their languages and their way of lives. The descendants of the Africans claim their identity profile and its place in society. The women and the homosexuals struggle to brake up with the discriminatory barriers. The effects of neo-liberalism lead to the recovery of a solidarity feeling in the neighborhood, while the south enters the north with the uncontrollable strength of migrations.
In those circunstances, culture becomes a reason for resistance and participative will. That emerging reality requieres for study, debate, analysis and reflection to configure a tempered diagnostics to the needs of contemporarity. It is not about designing another unique discourse, but it is about discovering the true dynamic on the multiplicity of our voices, born on different spheres, with contrasting and complementary practices : the academic exercise and the experience of our scarce cultural industries, the words of those excluded, of those who bear autochthonous cultures and of the base organizations for popular education. Today, to defend cultural diversity is equal to contributing to preserving the future of humanity.
The Culture and Development Congress, called from June 11th to 14th 2007, offers the space for this debate which can not be postponed and which will be hosted on the Conventions Palace in Havana, Cuba.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Cuban National Library Presents Book on Egypt During Napoleon Empire
Havana, (World Data Service).- The Cuban National Library has found 41 documents belonging to one of the 20 original volumes of the collection entitled "A description of Egypt", published in France between 1809 and 1822. The book is based on the researches made by French experts at a request of Napoleon Bonaparte, while staying in Egypt during the occupation of this country by the emperor´s soldiers.
"The finding includes five volumes of the series, which ¨though very well kept¨, they were separated from the patrimonial collection of our library, an institution that keeps more than four million documents, among which we find books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, photos, diagrams, maps, sketches, etc¨ -declared Eliades Acosta, director of Jose Marti National Library to the local newspaper Juventud Rebelde.
Opened to the public since July 18th, at El Reino de este Mundo´s gallery, the exhibition "The Big Egypt: Center of Civilizations", shows engravings “of an enormous cultural and historical value and very expensive within the international market”, as well as diplomas in English and Spanish about that country, a philatelic collection and original Egyptian papyruses that were granted for this occasion by the Embassy of Cairo in Havana.
Considered a world rareness, these engravings reflect faithfully the Egypt perceived by Napoleón when he invaded the territory in 1798... “As we walked along the gallery, the Egyptian Ambassador, was telling me, while watching each engrave: "This column that you see in this picture, does not longer exist; this part of the temple is not already like that; this architectural element that we don´t have any more is now found at the Museum of the Louvre in Paris; and this piece of art is exhibited at the British Museum, in London; that room, so well painted, has been demolished, and that base you can so clearly see , was plundered " - revealed Acosta to the newspaper.
The five volumes rescued by the Cuban National Library are attributed to the private collection of Cuban sugar tycoon Julio Lobo Olavarria. At the time they were found they were very deteriorated, eaten by insects, spoiled, blurry, damaged, opaque and dirty", added the local newspaper Juventud Rebelde.
"In all Latin America there isn´t a complete collection of the 20 original volumes. We have done a real and valuable finding", pointed out the director of the National Library.
The edition has a thousand copies that includes engravings, maps, planes and explanatory notes made by more than 500 archaeologists, architects, mathematicians, land-surveyors, mathematicians, linguists, chemists and designers, to whom Napoleon Bonaparte entrusted in situ The description of Egypt.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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500 Journalists Have Applied To Cover The Non -Aligned Movement Summit
Havana, (Juventud Rebelde).- Over 500 Cuban and foreign journalists have presented their application requests to cover the 14th Non-Aligned Movement Summit -in Spanish MNOAL- which will take place from September 11th-16th, in Havana.
In declarations to the AIN -the Cuban National News Agency- Jose Luis Ponce Caraballo, director of the International Press Center, stated that this figure tends to increase during the next days.
Jose Luis pointed out that out of the 500 journalists, 104 are foreigners coming from 36 countries, who are permanently accredited in the Island; and 200 are from Cuba.
He also highlighted that they have received up to the present 250 requests from foreign nations. This is the second Summit that takes place in Havana; the first one was held in September, 1979 and had a similar attendance.
The Forum Press Room, located at Miramar´s business center, will count with 200 computers with access to Internet, and more than 300 positions to connect from personal computers. There will also be telephone, fax, photocopies and scanners services, as well as TV transmissions from the Palacio de las Convenciones of Havana -venue of this event-, and from other places that will cover some of the meeting activities.
We expect an attendance of several delegations from 116 countries belonging to the Non-Aligned Movement. Cuba already presented before the Non-Aligned Movement´s Coordinating Bureau, in New York, the Final Declaration project of the meeting, and sent to the states´ members, the Political Declaration project to be evaluated. This latter was accompanied by a letter of Cuban Chancellor Felipe Pérez Roque.
Among the documents Cuba will submit to the Summit´s consideration are: A Strategic Plan for the Cuban presidency during the period 2006-2009, a Resolution on the South-South cooperation, and a Methodological Document based on the procedures for the better functioning of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera(Cubarte)
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Archeological Finding on Havana City
Havana, (Tribuna).- The former Marquess Palace from Prado Ameno has become an important archeological site from the Historical Center of the city, because on the building which lies in O´ Reilly No. 273 a diversity of objects that constitute important elements to reconstruct historical passages relative to the inhabitants of the mansion and their successors have been found.
During the excavations made on the latrine of the building there were found pieces dated from the 18th Century and the beginning of the 19th Century, among which are highlighted those related to the domestic life, such as dishes of china gem, Mexican majolica, fragments of glasses and ordinary ceramics.
For four years, between 1997 and 2000 a team from the Archeological Office, made up by specialists on the field and on geophysics prospecting, restorers of mural paintings, a historian, curators, restorer of pieces concentrated their efforts to this new archeological site.
The pieces found on the latrine, as well as the other objects found on the well were put together on an exhibition which has aroused a lot of interest on the Museum of Archeology, which can be found on the Tacon street close to the corner of Mercaders in Old Havana.
Translation : Karen López (Cubarte)
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Center of International Collaboration for Culture Just Created
Havana, (Cubarte).- Culture has been prioritized by the Cuban State by making important investments which have made possible to develop a wide system of cultural institutions benefiting the whole people. To support the development of this system it is convenient to use the possibilities offered by the international cooperation for the complementary financing of cultural projects of social reach and interest for the System of Culture.
The Centro de Coordinación para la Colaboración Internacional a la Cultura Cubana, (Centre of Coordination for the International Collaboration with the Cuban Culture), joint institution to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba, and methodologically linked to the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration was officially settled in July 10th, 2006. Among its main functions are:
• To propose and to carry out the policy aimed to the collecting funds and cooperation.
• To coordinate, to advise, to support and to control the different actions of the Ministry, Institutes, Councils and Institutions and Provincial Directions of Culture in order to collect funds aimed to cultural projects.
• To keep links with potential donors from different countries, as well as with non Governmental Organizations and specific fooereign natural and juridical persons.
• To channel the punctual character foreign donations independently received from the financing of the specific projects.
• To the effects of the Cooperation Agencies of those countries which can establish collaboration links with the CENTRE, this will carry out the same functions that they are attributed to Cooperation Offices at international level.
To contact us:
Luis Felipe Vázquez Vázquez - Director (lfvv en cubarte.cult.cu)
15th Street No. 604 between B and C, El Vedado, Ciudad Habana
C/P: 10 400
Phones: (53 - 7) 832 6011 / 832 3571 ext. 108
Translation: Frank Martínez Hraste (Cubarte)
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Alicia Alonso in An Exclusive
Havana, (Tribuna).- An intense creative work is doing the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, one of the top figures of the world dance and director of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC, after its initials in Spanish), who gives first news to the readers of this web page in a dialogue with secrets not yet revealed.
How would you characterize the tour that the National Ballet will effect from September 1st until the next October 14th?
It is about three countries that have different references of our work, from there the differences in the repertoires that we will present. At the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London will be two programs: The magic of dance, a display of styles and languages from representative scenes of emblematic titles of our repertoire and Don Quijote, a very know ballet with great expressive force, starting from Spanish airs.
“We will also present The magic of Egypt, at the Opera Theatre in Cairo as well as at the Opera in Alexandria, at the Palau de las Artes Altas in Barcelona and at the Villa Marta, in Jerez de la Frontera”.
“But at the Albéniz in Madrid, where we have a public that knows our aesthetic we will perform two great classics: Giselle and Swam Lake, in both cases in choreographies that I have created from the original versions and a concert program, made by myself, with Verbum, the bedroom scene from Romeo and Juliette, Umbral and The magic flute”.
World premieres at the 20th Festival.
Which will be your world premiere at the 20th International Ballet Festival in Havana?
I would like to clarify that there will be many world premieres, not only created by myself, but also by other creators, both Cuban and from Spain, France, Canada and Germany. Regarding my staging, I can tell you that the first one will be with music from Mozart and will be part of the opening gala, dedicated to the 250 anniversary of the birth day of the great musician.
“Another of my works that will be presented at the Festival is Desnuda luz (Naked light), dedicated to the first dancer Carla Fraccie, performed by Carla and first figures of the National Ballet of Cuba, with the designs of Ricardo Reymena”.
“A very complex piece to create it on stage has been Cuadros de una exposición (Paintings of an exhibition) inspired in the work of Modest Mussorgsky, with twelve paintings of the same number of, very famous painters, who offers an idea of the Cuban plastic arts”.
“It was a necessary, very strict selection, in order to catch the differences in the languiages, styles, lines and colors, in pieces especially conceivable for this exhibition by Roberto Fabelo, Nelson Domínguez, Zaida del Río, Alfredo Sosabravo, Cosme Proenza, Arturo Montoto, Iliana Mulet, Alicia Leal, Angel Ramírez, William Hernández and Gólgota”.
“The curtain has been created by Alfredo Sosa Bravo and the wardrobe it is an original idea of the painter and designer Ricardo Reymena. Together with the premiere of this work will be opened an exhibition at the La Acacia gallery with the originals created by the artists for this choreography”.
“To every one of them corresponds the twelve scenes that conform the ballet, whose stories start form the images painted in the walls that get alive in the stage through the steps and gestures born from the music of Mussorgsky. I hope that together with this complicity of the different arts; raise that wonderful magic between the artists and the public”.
Translation: Karen López (Cubarte)
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Three Cuban Theater Greats on Stage
Havana, (Cubasí).- Outstanding actress Hilda Oates, the immortal María Antonia of Cuban theater, returned to the stage with the premiere of the monologue "Las lamentaciones de Obba Yurú", original play title by Eugenio Hernández Espinosa, renowned playwright and director of the Teatro Caribeño group. The piece constitutes a chant to the tireless force of love.
The play was only presented August 26th and 27th at the Covarrubias Hall of the National in Havana. Hernández Espinosa himself was also charged with staging and artistic direction of the piece.
The premiere enabled again the work on stage of three indispensable names from contemporary Cuban stage: Hilda Oates, Eugenio Hernández Espinosa –both National Theater Prizewinners– and Santiago Alfonso –National Dance Prizewinner–, who’s now in charge of the choreographic direction of the show. Since the 1960s, they united in the premiere of Eugenio’s play “María Antonia”, then directed by the unforgettable Roberto Blanco and turned into a classic of our theater.
"Las lamentaciones de Obba Yurú", “Segismundo” Award winning piece for Best Text at the Monologue Festival in 1999, is based on the Afro-Cuban legend of Obba and Changó and recreates the endless cycle between youth and old age.
Symbol of love in the Yoruba Pantheon, Obba establishes herself in this piece as the black Penelope that knows to suffer with dignity and is able to overcome her tragedy to insert herself into the world and to claim for peace.
Dancers from the Grupo Experimental de Danzas y Espectáculos (Experimental Group of Dances and Shows), directed by maestro Santiago Alfonso, represented the staging of “Ochún or Changó”.
Symbols of the African root of our culture are now recreated in this new premiere of the Teatro Caribeño, which made possible the reencounter on stage of three greats from the all-time Cuban performing arts.So, these shows of the monologue “Las lamentaciones de Obba Yurú” will become for sure a theater master class.
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Popular Stars Will Meet to Honor Cuban Percusionist
Havana, (PL).- Pianist Roberto Carcassés, musical director Iván del Prado, guitarists Yusa and Elmer Ferrer and rumba group Clave y Guaguancó are among the popular stars that will honor Cuban percusionist Rui Lopez-Nussa.
Lopez-Nussa, one of the most important "drummers" of the island of all times and author of a relevant book on percussion, edited by the General Society of Spanish Authors (SGAE), will celebrate next September 1st, 30 years of his rough artistic life.
For this reason and on the same date, the artists above mentioned will meet at the theatre Auditorium Amadeo Roldán to pay tribute this great music teacher of the Island.
Rui Lopez-Nussa, son of the deceased Cuban polygraph Leonel Lopez - Nussa, is part of the artists´ family in which stands out his brother, the jazz player Hernán, as well as his children Rui and Harold, the latter winner at an important Swiss piano contest.
Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)
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Hip Hop Festival in Baracoa
Baracoa, (DPC Guantánamo).- Sponsored by the Culture Municipal Direction, the local People’s Power, the Communist Youth Union, the Hermanos Saíz Association and the Matachín Museum, the Hip Hop Festival annually held in the province of Guantánamo (RAPSODIA) took place August 24th-26th.
This festival was first held in Baracoa in 2003 thanks to an idea of the local Hermanos Saíz Association and due to the importance of the genre within our national culture, its relation with the Cuban traditions and identity as well as the social prevention commitment the movement encloses. All those elements have been endorsed by the social recognition the event has gained.
As part of the process carried out by the Cuban Revolution intended to make culture accessible to everyone, RAPSODIA constitutes a new opportunity for cultural promotion through the exhibit of the artistic talent by the Municipal Movement of Amateur Artists with creations reflecting our own roots and daily issues. The festival awakened public interest on a genre that makes use of people’s slang to offer the very best of Cuba’s cultural expressions.
The festival intends to show an artistic product that despite its amateur character is endorsed by a high quality. Besides, the interchange among neighboring groups served to deepen knowledge on the genre.
RAPSODIA, was precisely the space to show the commendable work carried out by institutions like the Matachín Museum, the Cecilio Gómez Lambert Municipal Culture Center in coordination with the local Hermanos Saíz Association and particularly that of the rap groups, which in addition to bet on a new way to promote cultural values served to measure quality and talent of young exponents in the region.
Thus, other artistic manifestations like dance and fine arts provided by graduates from the School of Art Instructors mixed to enrich the festival’s proposals. Similarly they had the opportunity to participate in the spaces intended to boost analysis and reflection on the development of the movement and genre in the country.
This festival acted as an agglutinating space for amateur and acclaimed rap groups, as a mirror for the social prevention tasks under which the local Movement of Rappers bases its work, showing its very first achievements through the incorporation of more than 90 percent of those young people to the useful and active life.
Objectives
1. Strengthen and increase social preventions tasks encouraged by the Hermanos Saíz Association (mainly within the Movement of Rappers)
2. Encourage exchange with foreign groups and thus contribute to increasing the genre´s quality in the locality as well as show the development reached by the Movement of Amateur Artists.
3. Promote the artistic values and talent regarding the genre throughout the locality.
4. Release the revolutionary and national character marking the seriousness of the work carried out by the Hermanos Saíz Association and the rap groups in the locality.
Translation: Ivette Semanat Negret (Cubarte)
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Cuban Poet Awarded in Macedonia
Skopje, (PL).- Cuban poet and essayist Nancy Morejon was awarded the International Golden Crown in Poetry in Macedonia, conferred for a work perfectly combining African and Spanish elements marking her country´s cultural identity.
Considered one of the island´s most outstanding writers, Nancy Morejon received the award during the international event held in that country and attended by 70 poets from 12 nations.
Translator and expert on the literature of Nicolas Guillen, with whom she worked closely, her poetry illustrates deep features of the Cuban identity.
She stands as the second woman deserving this recognition; conferred on the Serbian writer Desanka Maksimovic in 1988, and US Willian S. Merwin in 2005.