Captivating Cuba

Hola, it's Hector here.

I thought I would share with you one very interesting festival I know - The Havana Biennial. This year, the festival will have been going for 25 years now, which I am very happy about. Let me tell you a little bit about why I like it so much.

The Havana Biennial is a festival which gets artists from very different backgrounds to display their works all together. There is such a big range of art, and all artists are welcome. The festival is about contemporary artwork from around the world, and it is about the thoughts of the Cuban people as well as thoughts around the globe.

It is a way for people to speak their minds freely. That is why I find it so special and important. There are projects from places like South America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and the Western countries. So it is really is a global festival.

The artwork is very interesting, and it is great to spend some looking at the displays when you're here in Havana. It is hosted in the colonial buildings of Havana's historical centre, which makes the festival even more historically fascinating. It was held in March and April this year, and more than 200 artists from 40 countries displayed their artwork.

I definitely recommend it for people visiting Havana during the festival time, as there are so many different art forms that there will be something for everyone here.

Hope to see you for Havana's next Biennial,

Hector

posted at: 12:21 | path: /hector | permanent link to this entry | 0 comments

Hi it's Hector! Wow life has been so busy! I think half the world must be coming here for their holidays in Cuba! Last month I went to a wedding! Well really they were already married but had come to Varedero to renew the vows. They were an English couple, John and Alecia and they met on a Cuba holiday eleven years ago and are now married ten years! They are from London and so I met them when they arrive in Havana. They were so excited to be back in Cuba and that everything had been done for them. We organised the hotel, the music, the flowers, and of course the actual service. I always feel like when I organise the wedding or renewal it is so important to make sure they don't have to worry about anything.

Many people choose a rainforest or waterfall setting because here in Cuba there are so many beautiful places to choose from, but John and Alecia wanted to do their ceremony on the beach because they thought it would be much more romantic! So we did them a tailor made Cuba holiday and they didn't have to do anything themselves! (only just to fax their documents some weeks before.) John told me, 'We just wanted to get to the airport in Cuba, travel to our hotel and then let everything else get taken care of!' So I even organised their bus to Varedero to arrive at their beautiful hotel, so they would only need to step out the door and on to the beach to go to their ceremony! I offered them a translator but it was very sweet that they wanted it to be authentic in the local language, and had learnt some words.

I met them for a drink on their second night of their Cuba holiday, the day before they left to go to Varedero. When I spoke to them by phone they seemed lovely and I want to meet them to let them know everything was done. They had experinced so much in just two days in Havana! They been to the Partagas Cigar factory, and had fallen in love with our Capitolio - which some people said is the most beautiful building in Havana. They had also been to a Salsa club, and spent much of the second day in the old town just walking about and learning its history.

We got on so well, they asked if me and my friend would like to come to Varedero for the ceremony! Of course we said yes! We all caught the bus down to Varedero, (in Cuba, travel by bus is easy!) which is only around three hours from Havana. After they went to their hotel, and I went to make sure everything was organised for the ceremony. But in about one hour, I saw John and Alecia out horse riding along the beach! They were so relaxed only a couple of hours before their big moment!

As the evening came, lots of other guests staying in the hotel all gathered to watch as John and Alecia walked down to the beach with a local musician playing softly. It was very beautiful as they said their vows under the Cuban sunset. When the ceremony finished, we all drank some cocktails and went to a salsa bar and danced the night away! It was a wonderful night! John and Alecia stayed for one more week and swam with dolphins and went diving every day. When they got back to Havana, they told me they had their best time ever and that they'd be back on another Cuban holiday to renew their vows again in another ten years! Hope I see them!

posted at: 17:10 | path: /hector | permanent link to this entry | 0 comments

Hola!

What a fun month July is for the people living in Santiago. It is the month of the Carnaval de Santiago de Cuba, one of the best Cuba carnivals. It happens at the end of July (so it's coming up soon!) when Cuba is in the middle of the summer. Because it's so hot, we like to celebrate this carnival late at night, because otherwise we will be boiling watching the parades!

The carnival is very exciting for everyone. The parades are full of people wearing beautiful clothes, and the parades are full of colours. But the festival is not about spending money, and here in Cuba, we can make colourful things using cheap materials.

As the parades go down the street, you will watch a lot of different dances and bright costumes, and the performers will sometimes act out the Cuba history. At the same time you will hear the Chinese bugles, and the different types of Cuba music. With so much great music, many of the people start to dance in the streets.

For a whole two weeks all of Santiago celebrates the patron saint, St Iago. Even during the day, the people celebrate. With DJs playing Cuban songs, and people dancing in the streets, it is a very fun atmosphere. I am very excited for this year's festival, and I will have lot of fun dancing around the town!

Wish me luck with all the festivities!

Hector

posted at: 12:58 | path: /hector | permanent link to this entry | 0 comments

Hola!

Hector here! I've just returned from a trip visiting the Escambray in Cuba where I spent some time trekking around the Sierra del Escambray Mountains. I took the moderate trek for people in good physical conditions and it made me realise that I may need to do more sports as the walk was very hard on me. Maybe next time I will do the gentle walk which is better for little legs and people that want to go slowly and see some of the natural animals and coffee plantations in this place.

There are many walks in the Escambray but the walk I choose was located near to the city of Trinidad and called 'El Cubano'. The route is also very popular with people that like to come to Cuba to spot our brightly coloured birds, but there was no time for that with me!

In the morning I walked around the trails spotting many clear streams and ponds which our guide let us do swimming in after lunch. All the people on the trip had brought their swimming outfits and it was very refreshing after a long hike to cool down our body in the streams before we walked a higher way up the mountains.

When we reached halfway we visited a stable and drove a horse up the rest of the mountain. My horse was very fast and kept trying to get to the front of the line which was a little bit worrying for me, but luckily the guides stopped him from going too fast.

My trip to the Escambray ended once we had reached the restaurant at the end of the trail, which is famous for its Pez Gato, which I think is called cat fish in England. The fish was really tasty and I ate so much that I didn't think I could walk all the way back down the big mountains, or even get back on my crazy horse! But the guide picked us up in one of the big trucks of Trinidad. I was so tired from all the walking and my big meal that I even fell asleep in the back, but don't tell anyone!

Adios until later,

Hector

posted at: 11:42 | path: /hector | permanent link to this entry | 0 comments

¡Hola!

It's me, Hector, again. I'm very excited today, because in a few days it will be the start of the Cubadisco XIII! It's from May 16 until May 24, so that is eight whole days of musical celebrations.

I better explain to you a bit about what the Cubadisco is. It is not a disco if that is what you are now thinking. It is a celebration of music, with an award ceremony and many different music events.

Image from creative commons, Flickr, by La Esquina del Son

Last year the Cubadisco was great, but this year I think it will be very special. Each year a different country is honoured, and this year it is Puerto Rico that will be the guest of honour. There are so many good composers to honour, like Rafael Hernandez, Tite Cure Alonso and Daniel Santos. And the Puerto Rican music is so great to listen and dance to, such as bomba, plena, danza and seis.

Image from creative commons, Flickr, by La Esquina del Son

Each year there are many events in the Cubadisco, where different music artists perform and the crowds enjoy the show. One night that I am particularly excited for is the guitar party, because there will be many prestigious guitarists and lutists at the event.

Here are some of the events I think are very exciting this year:

16 May 2009: Award Ceremony at the Carlos Marx Theatre
17 May 2009: Opening Ceremony at Amadeo Roldian Auditorium
23 May 2009: Gala Tribute to Puerto Rico with a special tribute the Frank Gonzales

Image from creative commons, Flickr, by La Esquina del Son

Well I hope I have inspired you to go next year, or even this year if you can. I know I am very excited for all the events.

Yours in salsa, Hector

posted at: 13:05 | path: /hector | permanent link to this entry | 0 comments