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Carnaval de Santiago de Cuba: July 21-29, 2015

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Santiago de Cuba:500 years of history

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EDITORIALCuba Absolutely is joining LaHabana.com. As we gradually move to our new home, the digital destination, we will continue to showcase the best in Cuban culture, life-style, sport, travel and much more

To our loyal readers to date: thanks for your continued support! We hope you will soon be joined by many more. Together we will explore Cuba through the eyes of the best writers, photographers and filmmakers, both Cuban and international, who live, work, travel and play in Cuba. We do this through beautiful pictures, great videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips.

For our first issue together we have gone on a road trip east from Havana, around 760km to be precise to the steamy, sultry and very Caribbean city of Santiago de Cuba. The cradle of the Revolution has had a makeover so good for its 500th Birthday to be celebrated on July 25, 2015 that even the most devout Habaneros may forgive us this month for dedicating this issue to the city.

To understand the importance to Cuba of Santiago de Cuba we quote the Cuban poet, Waldo Leyva:

Apart from the anniversary, this month also features an article on the Anniversary of the attack on Moncada barrack which really kick started the Revolution all those years ago as well as well as pieces on Cubas best Carnival, held in the city from July 21-29 and the Caribe Festival del Fuego. If you need an excuse to make the trip you can always sign up for the business forum, Cuba-Caribe Frum that takes place from July 15-17 in Santiago.

We will be back to Havana for next months issue but in the meantime head east and enjoy the party.

Abrazos! The LaHabana.com Team

Santiago de Cuba by Ana Lorena

Si encuentras alguna piedra / que no haya sido lanzada contra el enemigo / si descubres una calle por donde no haya pasado / nunca un hroe / [] / puedes decir entonces que Santiago no existe

Should you ever find some stone that has never been hurled against the enemy, should you ever find any street over which no hero has walkedthen and only then can you say that Santiago does not exist

SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Santiago de Cuba: 500 years young p6Santiago de Cuba: 500 years of history p9Baseball in Santiago de Cuba p11

EVENTS Carnival de Santiago de Cuba: July 21-29, 2015 p13July 26:Anniversary of the attack on Moncada Barracks p15Fiesta del Fuego, July 2015 p18

HIGHLIGHTS Parque Cespedes: Heart & Soul of Santiago de Cuba p20The Sanctuary at El Cobre p23Castillo San Pedro de la Roca p26Casa de la Trova p27

Visual Arts p32 Photography p33 Dance p34 Music p35 Cinema p42 - Theatre p43

Features - Restaurants - Bars & Clubs - Live Music - Hotels - Private Accommodation p52HAVANA GUIDE

JULY 2015

Santiago de Cuba port. photo Alex Mene

HAVANA LISTINGS

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Until we started celebrating the half-millennium of the founding of first seven towns in Cuba, we seemed to have been living under the illusion of knowing the order in which they were established: Nuestra Seora de la Asuncin de Baracoa (1511), San Salvador del Bayamo (1513), Santsima Trinidad (1514), Sancti Spritus (1514), San Cristbal de La Habana (1514), Santa Mara del Puerto Prncipe (1515) and Santiago de Cuba (1515). It is said that the eighth town, La Sabana, later called El Cayo or San Juan de los Remedios del Cayo, came into being on some unrecorded date in the first half of the sixteenth century, although quite a bit later than the first seven.

With such an avalanche of 500th anniversaries, changes have been made to the order: Puerto Principe, which today is called Camagey, held its festivities before Sancti Spritus did, Havana postponed theirs until 2019 to coincide with the 500th year of its present-day site, and Remedios celebrated before Santiago did. The key factor in all this seems to be that, except Baracoa, all the other towns have moved from their original locations and some of them decided to celebrate the dates of their original settlements, though hardly no traces of them remain.

And so Santiago de Cuba closes the cycle of this binge and we will have to wait four more years until Eusebio Leal surprises us with the apotheosis of Havana.

We get the feeling that the residents of Santiago are going to go all out this July, and rightly so. Santiago is one of the most beautiful cities in Cuba and everyone who visits it delights in the truly unique personality it possesses, defined by its gorgeous physical settingsituated on several terraces, bordered by the Caribbean and backed by the highest mountains on the Islandthe warmth of its extroverted and courteous inhabitants, and the manifestations of popular culture that have generally managed to maintain their original nature, oblivious to any deformations that could be imposed by the market.

Founded in 1515 by Governor Diego Velzquezbecause of the name it received, it is presumed that the date was July 25, the feast day of St. James the Apostle (Santiago in Spanish)the town rapidly assumed the mantle of capital of Cuba. In 1522, it received the denomination of city but because of the greater importance of Havana, largely given its proximity to Veracruz in Mexico, being the gateway to the New World, and the discovery of the Gulf Stream that made traffic between the Americas and Europe easier, Santiago lost its position as capital to the city of Havana in the mid-sixteenth century. With alternating periods of prosperity, invigorated by the exploitation of the gold and copper mines, contraband and the arrival of French fugitives from Haiti who at the start of the nineteenth century impetuously began developing coffee plantations, the region made it into the middle of that century

Santiago de Cuba: 500 years youngby Victoria Alcal

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in rather unsustainable conditions because of the downfall of the coffee and sugar barons. This is one of the reasons why the inhabitants of Santiago became famous for considerably filling the ranks of independence fighters, like Antonio Maceo, Flor Crombet, Guillermo Moncada (Guillermn) and Quintn Bandera.

Santiago was also notably present in the insurrectional struggle which began in 1953 against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. For all its contributions to these glorious enterprises, in 1983 the city received the official distinction of being called Hero of the Republic of Cuba, the only city to receive the title until the present day. The poet Waldo Leyva, born in Villa Clara but a son of Santiago deep in his heart, would declare in one of his verses: Si encuentras alguna piedra / que no haya sido lanzada contra el enemigo / si descubres una calle por donde no haya pasado / nunca un hroe / [] / puedes decir entonces que Santiago no existe [Should you ever find some stone that has never been hurled against the enemy, should you ever find any street over which no hero has walkedthen and only then can you say that Santiago does not exist].

Whoever decides to join Santiagueros in the celebration of the 500 years of the existence of the city will encounter a renewed town that has worked long and hard to erase the

devastating effect of Hurricane Sandy that hit Cuba, particularly Santiago, three years ago. They will also proudly exhibit the founding areas around Cspedes Park (formerly, Plaza de Armas), flanked by Diego Velzquez old headquarters, which is one of the most ancient buildings of its kind in the Americas; the cathedral, which was built and then rebuilt to replace the original that collapsed in an earthquake, and which acquired its Neo-Renaissance appearance around the year 1922; the former city hall, today the Palacio de Gobierno Municipal, built in the 1950s according to Neoclassical precepts; the eclectic Casa Granda Hotel; and the bank, which is typical of the Modern Movement in architecture.

This coexistence of styles is a distinctive feature of a city that is proud of its splendid fortress San Pedro de la Roca Castle and the Archeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba, both declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites; of the sloping and crowded streets; of the cemetery where the remains of Jos Mart, Apostle of the Independence of Cuba, and Carlos Manuel de Cspedes, Cubas Founding Father, repose; of the modern Heredia Theatre; of the former Moncada Barracks that were attacked by Fidel Castro and a group of young patriots and which now house a school complex named Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio; of the Bacardi Museum, the Casa de la Trova, the Alamedaand, especially, the

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Santuario de Nuestra Seora de la Caridad del Cobre (The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre), dedicated to the Patroness of Cuba, at the nearby town of El Cobre and a required pilgrimage site.

Santiago is dubbed la tierra caliente [the hot land], but dont be worried. Your body quickly gets used to the heat as you wander the streets. And you can always be refreshed by the wares of the lemonade-vendors with their juices and other drinks, or stop by the several ice cream parlors. Santiagueros have their own formula: first drink a glass of rum, listen to the cry of the Chinese cornet and then gently and rhythmically move those feet as you join any one of a number of congas that start rolling through the streets for no reason whatsoever, at any time of the day or night. It is an excellent formula for celebrating the 500th birthday of this kid that refuses to get old.

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Santiago de Cuba:500 years of history

by Ricardo Alberto Prez

Somebody once asked me how I would define Santiago de Cuba. Not wanting to answer with a glib phrase, I examined my own personal experience with the city and ended up saying: Its a city thats hard to conquer.

Later on I thought that my words were rather contradictory because I have always found Santiago to be incredibly friendly. Nonetheless, it appears that subconsciously I was referring to two specific matters: the first is associated with its geography, the high temperatures, the scorching sun that seems to mercilessly penetrate deeper than the layers of skin. The second reason was always a premonition that on any of the many visits I had made I would begin to discover, and which is connected to a more private and secretive city that is hidden behind the one we can perceive with our eyes.

I am certainly convinced though that Santiago de Cuba has a unique soul that has been created by and has grown up under the influence of an accumulation of memories and this immediately infects all who come into contact with the city.

It is July 2015 and Santiago de Cuba is getting ready to celebrate five hundred years since it was founded. The founders were headed by Diego Velazquez but many other actors participated in

this event, such as Hernn Corts, Bartolom de las Casas, Antn de Alaminos and Bernal Daz del Castillo, all of whom played an important role in the conquest of the entire American continent. Besides being Cubas first capital, for a long time Santiago also represented the departure point for other places in the Caribbean and on the American continent, transforming itself into the base for fresh conquests.

As a child I used to hear (and I think this is true) that things happen in Santiago in a completely different way than in Havana. In the street, people come up to you as if they knew you all your life. Strangers talk to each other in a manner that is quite uncommon in other parts of Cuba.

When I was only about eight or nine years old, my parents decided to fulfill a vow to the Nuestra Seora de la Caridad del Cobre Sanctuary a few kilometers away from Santiago. Just my luck, it was Carnival time. My parents took me to see a festivity that was unlike any other I had known in Havana. The experience was so powerful and genuine that the images recorded in my brain have never been erased despite all the years that have gone by since then. Its as if the city is seasoned with too much pepper: nothing can extinguish that intensity and fire.

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That night full of happy delights was the first time I had seen a conga. Its rhythms seep into your very marrow and it affects the most impermeable of individuals. I identify this as my first contact with the profound city in whose veins many of our most beautiful forms of expression have been synthesized and from whence they erupt.

When you talk about the Santiago congas, you are talking about a culminating moment in Cuban identity, a point where the feelings of a people are laid out naked and transparent like nowhere else. In this Heroic City (as is is also known given its active involvement in Cuban independence wars) congas are born in the neighborhoods and they spread everywhere with the breath of their inhabitants..

This scenario, which I, like many other Cubans and foreigners, have learned to recognize as an essential place, has become what it is today from processesoften painful and even violentcontained in these five centuries that are soon going to be the object of celebrations.

The people of Santiago are the product of mestizaje or interbreeding, derived from diverse origins including the native peoples who were almost wiped out by the Conquistadors, the Spanish colonizers, and the African slaves, members of the Lucumi, Congo, Mino, Carabali, Mandinga and other ethnic groups. Surrounded by this exuberant nature where the Sierra Maestra Mountains form a striking background, different cultures, ethnic groups and religions have come together. And so the people, their culture, their customs and habits, their architecture have come to be formed.

Santiago de Cuba with its Morro Fortress, its splendid bay, Enramadas and Padre Pico Streets, the Casa de la Trova, Cubas first cathedral, Cspedes Park and so many other emblematic sites, and especially with the capacity its people have for welcoming all visitors, is getting ready to commemorate five centuries of existence.

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Baseball in Santiago de Cuba by Victoria Alcal

A friend from Brazil said to me once, Cubans cant stand more than sixty seconds without talking about baseball, to which I replied, and you Brazilians cant stand more than thirty seconds without talking about soccer.

However, I do have to admit that baseball is in the blood of most Cubans. We become involved with the game at a very young agealmost as soon as we are able to take our first stepsand it ends up being an essential part of our lives. This is why all Cuban cities and provinces dream of having a great baseball team and therefore put a lot of effort into this. And Santiago de Cuba and its people have numerous reasons to be proud of theirs. Historically, they are the third most-winning team in the National Series with eight championships to their name.

In this Caribbean island, theres no rivalry between two baseball teams that is more intense than the one between the Santiago de Cuba Avispas (Wasps) and the Havana Industriales, to the point that the games between the two teams have been labeled The Classic of Cuban Baseball. When these two teams face each other, both are willing to sweat blood not to give the other the satisfaction of winning. Its a matter of honor. The games are intense with managers questioning umpires calls, players being aggressive, feelings running high. And all these things come together to make up a great show that pleases the fans of both teams.

For years, baseball peas (fan clubs) have been proliferating both in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Their most heated arguments are generally engaged into by supporters of the Industriales and the Avispas. And as it turns out, the wasp, known for its painful sting, was chosen as the Santiago team mascot by the people of the Hero Cityas Santiago de Cuba is also referred to. This has led to a love-hate relationship in which all fans support their idols while acknowledging the quality of their opponents.

Now, to be able to understand what baseball means for the people of Santiago de Cuba, the best thing you can do is talk to them. Whether young or old, they will diligently search their memories and recall numerous feats achieved by Santiaguero baseball players through history. Pitcher Manuel Alarcn, one of Cubas great baseball heroes, is remembered fondly by many and is usually at the top of their list. A few years ago, he was scheduled to face the Industriales in a game for the National Championship and, before the game had even started, he told the people of Santiago to get ready to celebrate their victory. And he was true to his promise.

It is an honor to speak about these undaunted players, a constellation of stars that include another pitcher, Braudilio Vinent, whom I had the privilege of meeting at the Latinoamericano Park back when I was a teenager. Vinent is considered

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by many the best pitcher in post-1959 baseball. His numbers were as astonishing as his fastball, which gained him the nickname of The Meteorite from La Maya.

Supporting their team whether theyre playing at home, at the Guillermn Moncada Park, or in another province, the people of Santiago de Cuba will never forget the roster that shined in the 1990s. With names such as Orestes Kindeln (cleanup hitter for both the Santiago and the Cuba teams, holding the record for more homeruns in the National Series), second baseman Antonio Pacheco (usually referred to as a Captains Captain, holding the record for most hits in the National Series) and third baseman and slugger Gabriel Pierre, they came to be known as The Steamroller, instilling fear in the hearts of their opponents.

And yes, an Industriales-vs-Avispas final is quite a show, but it pales beside the victory celebration that takes place after the ninth inning when Santiago de Cuba has managed to nail down the win. Santiagueros from all ages gather in central areas of Santiago de Cuba to share the joy of being champions and honor their heroes as the team members parade around the city in the back of a truck accompanied by musicians. Parties here are intense and are usually longer than in any other part of Cuba.

It is true that todaydue to a number of reasonsthe Santiago de Cuba Avispas are not what they used to be, but we have to acknowledge that they have not lost an ounce of their characteristic enthusiasm and fighting spirit. Todays roster includes names such as veteran Reutilio Hurtado, who stands out thanks to his discipline and perseverance; pitcher Alberto Bicet; the young and talented Luis Yander La O; and outfielder Alexei Bell, the last two part of the Cuba Team roster.

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July 21-29, 2015Santiago de Cuba

photo by Alex Mene

Carnaval de Santiago de CubaThe origins of the Santiago Carnival go back to the end of the seventeenth century when processions would wind their way through the city streets celebrating the feast day of Santiago (St. James in English), the Patron Saint of the city. During the colonial period, the Spanish authorities granted permission to the black slaves to have their festivities on the Epiphany, putting on their typical music and dances. At the end of the nineteenth century the festivities were extended to the months of June and July in order to celebrate the patron saint days for St. John (June 24), St. Christina (July 24), St. James (July 25), St. Anne (July 26) and St. Peter (June 29). At the beginning of the twentieth century, parading comparsas would represent the different neighborhoods; this tradition is still alive, just like the dances held in the main areas of the city.

The carnivals have always given the people of Santiago a means to release tension, to put aside their worries and dance to the rhythm of conga music. This year, like every year, locals and visitors will keep up the tradition and pour onto the streets in what is considered the most colorful carnival in Cuba. This is one of the most important cultural events in the city: many of its participants spend the whole year preparing their routines for the event. And dont worry, its a family event. The

entire family will either participate in the parade or at least help make costumes or embellish floats. One way or another, everyone will do their bit.

Carnival highlights include comparsas (neighborhood dance groups whose choreographies are generally related to Caribbean traditions and the daily life of the people of Santiago) and the processions of decorated floats that will parade, as usual, mainly down Avenida Garzn, where a jury will choose the best. The conga lines are perhaps the most popular element of the carnival, but they are meant to join, not watch.

Right at the end of the procession, mamarrachos (characters in flamboyant, colorful costumes), muecones (huge papier mache figures) and enmascarados (men and women wearing elaborate masks), accompanied by parranderos who with their drums, congas, rattles, catchy choruses and cornetas chinas liven up the eventif that is even possible. Inserted into carnivals as early as 1916, the corneta china, or Chinese horn, was introduced in Cuba by Chinese immigrants, adding another layer to the festivities.

In recent years, the festivity has extended to other open areas in the city where live music with son, salsa, merengue as well as rock, pop, and disco

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will be played by the most popular bands of the moment. Free of all commercialization, the Santiago Carnival is truly an opportunity to celebrate this nations unique history and culture in a riot of rhythms, drumming and color.

Although many Cuban towns hold their own carnivals, none attracts the crowds of the Santiago Carnival, so dont miss out as the whole city moves to the rhythm of conga lines, the sound of the corneta china, drums, congas and French drums as well as pots and pans turned into unconventional percussion instruments, which lead dancing crowds down the steep roads of Santiago de Cuba.

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On July 26, 1953, a group of young men and two women led by Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba while another group attacked the Carlos Manuel de Cspedes Barracks in the city of Bayamo. Although this was a defeat for the revolutionaries, this event paved the way for the insurrection against Batista. It was the small engine that ignited the big engine of the Revolution.

How many countries commemorate a military defeat as their national holiday? Cuba does. In fact, it celebrates the ill-fated events that took place on July 26, 1953 with three days off.

The events began one year earlier in May 1952 when a group of young people grouped around Abel and Haydee Santamara, Melba Hernndez and Fidel Castro began meeting in an apartment building in Havana to discuss their discontent with the disruption of the constitutional order imposed by the military coup launched by the dictator Fulgencio Batista. All legal channels exhausted, plans were made to start the armed struggle and fight the de facto government. Working with people across the country, they began to obtain uniforms, guns and ammunition to attack the Moncada Barracks and other strategic targets.

photo by Alex Mene

July 26: Anniversary of the attackon Moncada Barracksby Victoria Alcal

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At 4:00 am on Sunday, July 26, 129 men and two women left the Siboney farm. The plan was to have the main body of the inexperienced troops (around 90 men) led by Fidel Castro advance to the army facility; the two women (Melba Hernndez and Haydee Santamara) and other fighters led by Abel Santamara would take over the hospital; and the group of around 35 men led by Raul Castro would seize the Palace of Justice. The last two groups were able to achieve their goal, but the group led by Fidel lost the element of surpriseafter reaching one of the posts, an unexpected patrol that was doing the rounds because of the carnival came across them. The guards alerted the troops and a battle ensued outside the garrison.

Given the disadvantage of the assailants, many were captured alive and killed. The group that tried to gain the foothills of the Sierra Maestra was captured several days later.

The assailants and Fidel Castro were held for trial. Fidel Castro assumed his own defense and he gave a four-hour speech on October 16 that was published under the title History Will Absolve Me, which was his concluding sentence. Although

A year later, those who were to participate in the assault traveled to Santiago de Cuba, which was celebrating its traditional summer carnival. The date was chosen so that the authorities would not suspect the young people who by train, bus and 17 cars were coming into the city with the apparent purpose of enjoying themselves during the festivities. The leaders of the attack were hoping that the relaxed atmosphere, the distance from the capital, the surprise factor, and the nearby mountains of the Sierra Maestra would help them achieve their goal.

Upon their arrival in Santiago, the revolutionaries gathered together at the small Siboney farm located near the city. During early morning, the guns hidden inside a well were distributed. Then, the details of the attack, which had been kept in the utmost secrecy by the leaders, were giventhey were going to attack the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cspedes Barracks and take over two strategic places, the Saturnino Lora Hospital and the Palace of Justice. The objectives: to disarm the enemy and summon the people to take armed revolutionary action that would lead to the overthrow of Batista.

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Since 1959, Cuba has commemorated July 26 with rallies and speeches. In 1976, July 25, 26 and 27 were made holidays. As a verse of a song by a popular Cuban band says, The 26th is the happiest day in history.

sentenced to terms of up to 15 years, many of the survivors relocated to Mexico after having been granted an amnesty and released from prison in 1955. In Mexico, they continued their plans to form a disciplined guerrilla force to overthrow the dictator Batista and returned to Cuba on the Granma yacht in December 1956 to begin the guerrilla struggle that culminated in the victory of 1959.

About the Cuartel Moncada

The first barracks on this site were built by the Spanish in 1859. Originally named Nuevo Presidio, it served as the prison for the Department of Santiago de Cuba. Shortly after, a larger barracks was built and named Reina Mercedes after Queen Mercedes, wife of Alfonso XII. The military construction changed its name to Cuartel Moncada (after Guillermn Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence) in February, 1909. An unexplained fire on December 11, 1937, destroyed the old barracks and the House of Representatives extended a credit for 100,000 pesos for its reconstruction.

After the triumph of the Revolution, on January 28, 1960, anniversary of the birth of Cubas National Hero, Jos Mart, the barracks was converted into a school and called Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio. One of the buildings was turned into the Museo Histrico 26 de Julio, which tells the history of Cuba from the Spanish conquest to the present, on July, 1967.

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Santiago de CubaFIESTA DEL FUEGOANDITS

The Cuban city that best reminds us of how we are not just Latin Americans but also Caribbean peoples is Santiago de Cuba. This is where vigor and bright colors permeate the atmosphere, tinting everything from the natural beauty right to the inhabitants customs. The city has its own unique pace. It is inhabited by unique sounds. There is no better time to enjoy all this than the annual summer Caribbean Festival called Fiesta del Fuego, an extraordinary mixture of cultures, beliefs and traditions that aims at harmonizing the identities of the peoples of the region beyond geographic and linguistic diversity.

The man who inspired this festival (which will be celebrating its 35 edition in 2015) and is in charge of running it is the prestigious Santiaguero intellectual Joel James. As the head of the Casa del Caribe, James has devoted a great part of his time and energy to each new edition of the festival so that it will sparkle with the magic provided by visitors and the fervor of the hosts.

Some years back I had the honor of being a guest at the celebration. Six intense days that practically left no time for sleep due to the huge number of events going on and especially because

of the euphoria that flooded the city and infected everyone there.

It is a tradition that the Festival del Caribe begins with the Desfile de la Serpiente, or the Serpent Parade. Both locals and visitors seem to enter into a kind of collective trance as they move at conga pace from Plaza de Marte to Parque Cspedes, displaying the spiritual richness of the men and women of the Caribbean, in a colorful display of contagious rhythm.

At each event, the Festival del Caribe has become more overwhelming with a variety of creative manifestations taking over center stage and interacting with each other. Dance groups, for example, that owe a lot to profound religious processes, bear the signs that they have not yet been sullied over the years and they bring a tremendous load of energy and authenticity to the event. Peasant folklore also joins this popular cultural exhibition.

One of the ceremonies that is most enjoyed at this convocation of Caribbean peoples is the Homenaje al Cimarrn [Homage to the Runaway Slaves]. It acknowledges the slave rebellion that took place

by Ricardo Alberto Prez

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in the town of El Cobre. The monument to el Cimarrn, work of the Santiago sculptor Alberto Lescay, is near the Basilica of Our lady of Charity; at this site, a ceremony takes place that pays tribute to the spiritual transcendence of those African slaves who defended their identity under the most terrible circumstances of oppression, mistreatment and death.

The El Caribe que nos une International Colloquium (The Caribbean Sea that Unites Us All) focuses on issues related to the preservation, development and dissemination of Caribbean cultural diversity, as well as actions that can contribute to the unity of the region and promote a cultural exchange with the rest of America and the world.

The Quema del Diablo (The Burning of the Demon) marks the end of the festival when all of its participants head to the seaside and there burn the Great Demon, which symbolizes all bad things. After it is burned, it is believed that the way is paved for next years meeting.

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Parque CSPedeSheart and soul of Santiago de Cuba

by Luca Lamadrid

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When the town of Santiago de Cuba was founded on July 25, 1515, a small area of land was left empty following the regulations of the Spanish Crown on building cities in the New World. This empty lot was surrounded by rudimentary buildings that held the Town Hall, the Governors House, the church and the homes of the citys principal Spanish families.

Soon, the empty lot became Plaza de la Catedral, and since its founding in the 16th century, it was successively called Plaza de Armas, Plaza Mayor, Plaza Principal, Plaza de la Constitucin, Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de Isabel II. The square received its present name, Plaza Carlos Manuel de Cspedes (although it is most commonly known as Parque Cspedes) in the early 20th century and the bronze bust of Carlos Manuel de Cspedes, the Father of the Nation, was placed in 1953.

Throughout time, it has been the most important political, religious, administrative and social site in the city. One of Santiago de Cubas most important and long-standing traditions takes place here. The Fiesta de la Bandera, or Festivity of the Flag, held on December 31, is a one-of-a-kind festivity in Cuba and the world, for that matter. The flag is raised and the way it flies in the wind is said to forebode the fate of the people of Santiago for the coming year.

The face of the picturesque plaza has changed many times, whether by the hand of pirates, governors or the forces of nature, but it continues to be the major gathering spot for Santiagueros and non-Santiagueros alike, any time, night or day.

Limited by Aguilera, San Pedro, Heredia and Santo Toms Streets, the plaza is surrounded by emblematic buildings, such as the Town Hall, the Home of Diego Velzquez, the Cathedral, the former San Carlos Club and the Casa Granda Hotela treasure trove of Colonial, Eclectic, Rationalist, Neoclassical and Modern architecture.

The Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall, on the northern side of the square, was originally built in 1516 and occupied by the Spanish Conquistador Hernn Corts. It was partly destroyed by an earthquake and reconstructed successively. The present neoclassical building was built in the 1950s based on a design from 1783. It was from its central balcony that Fidel Castro addressed the people of Santiago on January 1, 1959. It was his first speech following Batistas flight from Cuba.

On the west side of the park is the 16th-century Casa de Diego Velzquez, today the Museo de Ambiente Histrico Colonial Cubano. Built in 1515 for Cubas first governor, this is the oldest house still standing in Cuba and arguably the oldest in Latin America.

photos by Ana Lorena

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The top floor was the living quarters while the ground floor served as a trading house and gold foundry. The Andalusian-style faade with fine, wooden lattice windows and a wonderfully carved cedar ceiling was extensively restored in the 1960s after a fire. The museum depicts the varied styles and eras of colonial life seen through furnishings and decorations from the 16th to 19th centuries. Some splendid pieces of French, British, Spanish and Cuban furniture; Spanish ceramics, carved chests and French porcelain, as well as dressers with inlaid designs are on display.

The former San Carlos Club on the squares eastern side is considered the most important exponent of eclectic architecture in Santiago. Built from 1908-1912, it has been home to several institutions, becoming the Municipal Culture House and the Esteban Salas Concert Hall in the 1980s. Today, it is undergoing extensive restoration and will become home to the Decorative Arts Museum and the Cuban Fund of Cultural Property in July 2015.

The Catedral de Nuestra Seora de la Asuncin was destroyed by fire only a few years after its construction in 1524. The buildings that replaced the original church were later subjected to all types of calamities from pirate attacks to hurricanes and earthquakes. The Cathedral of Santiago de Cuba holds the record for being the building that has been reconstructed and remodeled the most in the city. The fourth building was consecrated in

1813 and was given the title of Minor Basilica and declared National Monument in 1958. The church you see today combines the surviving 19th-century features with changes made in the 1920s. Meticulously restored, the interior is a magnificent mixture of intricate ceiling frescoes, hand-carved choir stalls and an altar honoring the venerated Virgen de la Caridad. It is believed that the first colonial governor, Diego Velzquez, was buried here although his remains have never been found.

The Casa Granda Hotel is one of Santiagos most notable buildings and was described by Graham Greene, who used to stay here in the late 1950s, in his book Our Man in Havana. The Cuban Railroad Company commissioned the design of this lavish Eclectic building to architect Carlos Segrera and it took the Cuban construction company Amigos & Hermanos only six months to finish the hotel, which was officially inaugurated on January 10, 1914.

The Casa Granda Hotel has four floors with majestic, although sober Eclectic faades. The vanes and balustrade decorations on the second and third floors are perfectly symmetrical, while the fourth floor has a larger number of ornamental elements, with windows that feature semicircular arches. The Roof Garden on the fifth floor offers a stunning view of the city. The hotel was completely refurbished between 1993 and 1995, and is today part of Santiagos cultural and historical heritage.

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EL COBRE

The Sanctuary at

by Ricardo Alberto Prezphoto by Alex Mene

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One of the factors that undoubtedly has enabled us Cubans to overcome ordeals and difficult periods in our national history is the relationship we have built with faith. Beliefs sometimes seem to define much of our nature and often surpass the field of religion to become a strong cultural mark. In this regard, it would be impossible not to mention and place in the center of Cuban life the Virgen de la Caridad del CobreOur lady of Charity. The Catholic Church is well aware that while some people venerate the Marian image of Our Lady of Charity, others worship Oshun, the Orisha of love and money, the river Goddess, while still others manage to worship both the Christian virgin and the goddess of the Yoruba religion syncretized in one.

The patroness of Cuba has been present for over four centuries in the individual and collective destinies of countless generations of Cubans who have venerated her in the most picturesque ways imaginable. The story itself of how the image that is now venerated at the shrine of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba has helped reinforce the combination of mysticism with myth:

Legend has it that in 1613 a statue of the Virgin was discovered by three fishermen who had gone out to the Bay of Nipe for salt. They got caught up in a violent storm and thought they were about to die when they spotted a figurine. When they retrieved it from the water, they were surprise to see that it was completely dry. The small image, which was carved in wood, carried the Baby Jesus in her arms and was fastened to a small board that read: I am the Virgin of Charity.

Photos by Ana Lorena

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Whatever its origin, it is clear that this was not a cult imposed by any authority. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Virgin of Charity prevailed over all of the other images brought by the Spanish. Evenduring the wars of independence of the second half of the 19th century, the mambises, the Cuban guerrillas, carried with them the image of the Virgin of Charity in every battle. In 1915, the veterans of the wars of independence wrote to Pope Benedict XV asking the Virgin to be declared the Patron Saint of Cuba and in 1916, the Supreme Pontiff declared September 8 the Feast Day of the Virgin of Charity and Patron Saint of Cuba.

The image was initially deposited at the Bajaragua Ranch, then at Real de Minas, near Santiago de Cuba, and finally, in 1648, in a chapel that was built in the same place where the Sanctuary rises today, and which opened on September 8, 1927 after the first sanctuary collapsed in 1906.

Access to the Sanctuary is through an outside staircase flanked by a wall with lamps. The statute of the Virgin is made of gold and can be seen from anywhere in the main nave. The movable altar is made of marble and solid silver, and is decorated with items of great value.

Downstairs from the chapel where the Virgin is kept is the Capilla de los Milagros (literally, Chapel of Miracles), a small room that holds from the humblest of offerings to precious jewels and votive offerings of gold and precious stones; from sports trophies to military decorations, including the Nobel Prize medal for Literature awarded to Ernest Hemingway, who personally placed it at the feet of the Patron Saint of Cuba.

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The Castillo San Pedro de la Roca, or Castillo del Morro Fortress, is located on a promontory at the entrance of the bay of the city of Santiago de Cuba. Its strategic location made it the principal defense position of the city against pirate attacks, which had previously and successfully plundered the city back in 1554.

Designed by Italian military engineer Giovanni Battista Antonelli (also known as Juan Battista Antonelli, who also designed La Punta and El Morro forts in Havana), construction works began in 1638 during the government of Pedro de la Roca, from whom the fortress gets its name. Construction works took 62 years to be completed due to financial constraints.

Due to several earthquakes that occurred in Santiago between 1675 and 1692, the fortress, which was built intermittently, was damaged and reconstruction was carried out for two years. From 1738 to 1749, however, the citadel was enlarged and several platforms completed. The fortress was again damaged by earthquake activity between 1757 and 1766.

After pirate activity diminished, part of the fortress was converted into a prison, while the rest remained serving as a military base. On July 3, 1898, the Castillo San Pedro de la Roca witnessed the Battle of Santiago de Cuba between the Spanish fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera and an American fleet during the Spanish-Cuban-

American War. This historical event ended the colonial rule of Spain in America.

For years the fort was abandoned, until restoration works began in 1962 led by Dr. Francisco Prat Puig. The museum that was opened within the fortress on July 23, 1978 contains five exhibition halls: Pirate Activity in the Caribbean, Construction of the Fortress, the Development of the Defense System in Colonial Times, the Castillo del Morro as a Prison, and the Naval Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Its collection includes 16th- to 19th-century firearms and bladed weapons, pistols and artillery pieces, as well as other items of historical value.

The fortress is considered a jewel of military architecture in the Caribbean and has two architectural styles: Medieval, seen in the thickness of the walls, the tightly sealed rooms, few openings and vaulted ceilings, among other features; and the Renaissance, visible mainly in the facade which is sunken and flattened, symmetrical stone blocks the drawbridge and the dry moat. The latter has a frieze that is decorated in the Moorish style.

The Castillo San Pedro de la Roca Fortress was declared a National Monument in early 1979, and in December 6 of that same year, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The reasons cited by the Commission during its 21st Session held in Naples, Italy, are that it is the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture.

Castillo San Pedro de la Roca

Photo by Ana Lorena

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SANTIAGO DE CUBAS CASA DE LA TROVA

Casa de la TrovaHeredia 206 -210 e/ San Flix y San Pedro, Santiago de Cuba

Open 11am-3pm & 8:30-11pm, Tue-Sun

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by Victoria Alcal

With a population of nearly half a million inhabitants, this city has one unique peculiarity. Its streets always allow you to see things from above or from below, depending on the point where you are standing, which will always be on a slope. Its bay is the impressive background that usually dominates the photos taken by visitors to the city, or it simply remains in their memories as a symbol of welcome. Spanish explorers Hernn CortsSantiago de Cubas first mayorand Pnfilo de Narvaez both set sail from this bay to conquer new territories in Mexico.

The town center is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Maestra Mountains, which makes for an exceptional sight. Santiago was Cubas first capital city from 1515 to 1556. Today it is recognized as Ciudad Hroe (Hero City) since its streets were once the setting of many actions of the countrys revolutionary struggles, from the independence wars of the 19th century to the more recent Revolution under Fidel Castro, which began with the assault on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953.

Many important cultural processes have developed in Santiago de Cuba, having contributed significantly to the formation of the Cuban

national identity. This is a city where events take on a spontaneous and original character unlike any other region in the island. The musical genres of son, traditional trova and bolero, plus other rhythms peppered with Afro and Haitian influences that have enriched the Cuban musical scene, were born here. Its colorful carnival, with comparsas (neighborhood dance groups), conga lines and decorated floats parading down the streets, is proof that Santiago is one of the liveliest cities in Cuba. Although many people sit in the grandstand or booths to watch the parade, most follow behind the congas dancing to the rhythm of the Chinese cornet and the rgano oriental, trademarks of Santiagos carnival festivities.

Walking down Heredia St, you come across the Casa de la Trova. The townhouse marked with No. 208, which boasts balconies reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter, was the former home of Rafael Pascual Salcedo de las Cuevas, eminent musician born on October 23, 1844. .

Today, Casa de la Trova is the towns principal music venue, with performances all day and night long paying tribute to the countless musicianslike Sindo Garay, Miguelito Cun, Compay Segundo, Mara Teresa Vera, Matamoros Trio, and many

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otherswho nurtured the soul of the city. Perhaps the most outstanding figure of all is Pepe Snchez, born in 1856, who is considered the founder of this musical vein and the composer who wrote the first bolero titled Tristeza.

Old and young trovadores strum their guitars sharing their joys and sorrows converted into memorable songs at the internationally known Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba. So much so, that on January 14, 2000, Sir Paul McCartney made an unexpected visit to this temple of Cuban traditional music.

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Rescued from the anonymity that plagues contemporary Cuban architects, the name of Santiago-born Jos Antonio Choy shines like a beacon. Along with his wife and colleague Julia Len he has been responsible for some of the most respected building in recent decades in Cuba.

After graduating from the School of Architecture in Havana, Choy returned to his hometown of Santiago to undertake some important projects, among them the executive flights terminal (1987) and the railroad station (1989), the latter finalist work in the first Mies van der Rohe Award for Latin America. In both buildings, he established a subtle dialogue with their milieu without falling into the facile temptation of succumbing to the Neo-styles. He also worked as urban planner and architect for the citys Plaza de la Revolucin together with sculptors Alberto Lescay and Guarionex Ferrer, but there is no doubt that the principal achievement of the Choy-Len partnership is the Meli Santiago de Cuba Hotel (1991).

Although at first quite a few Santiagueros rejected the new 19-floor building, maybe because they were expecting something more traditional or more in tune with the supposed glamour they were used to seeing in films and magazines, the nickname they gave the hotel, the mill, unwittingly

put the spotlight on one of its merits: interpreting the traditional codes of industrial and vernacular architecture in the region from a contemporary point of view. With the passing of time, the Meli Santiago became something like the Eiffel Tower, which, received at first with reservations and even open rejection, finally became the symbol of Paris. Today the hotel designed by Choy and Len is an essential point of reference in the city, just like the Morro Castle or Cspedes Park. Many tourists look to it so that they can orient themselves and find their bearings.

Another remarkable project was the Che Guevara Studies Center in Nuevo Vedado: We bypassed other routes that led to an exaggeration of architectural forms. We tried to make this a clean, serene building, sparsely using expressive elements. Some have categorized this as a minimalist work but we believe that we have provided a highly personal interpretation of the person and philosophy of Che.

The annex building to the Parque Central Hotel (2006) is another striking project, which they respectfully and boldly resolved the complicated insertion of a building, which although not blending with the other structures, was not stridently modernistic, into a traditional Old Havana block

Jos Antonio Choy: an architect of Santiago and Cuba by Victoria Alcal

Choy-Len still have a number of dreams to fulfill such as the future library for the Casa de las Amricas, winner of the institutions competition in 2001, and a hotel to be built on the desolate corner of Prado and Malecnwhich plays with the meaningful proximity of the sea in its translucent and curved faadeincluded in Backstage Architecture 2012, which gathered the 57 most important projects of the year worldwide to be presented at the 13th Venice Biennale of Architectural.

As if all that were not enough, Choy, who chairs the City, Architecture and Heritage Commission of the Writers and Artists Union of Cuba (UNEAC), is a scholar in his field, a tireless promoter of architecture as the cultural expression of a specific time and place. He he has defended the importance that the criteria of professional architects should have before decision makers in a variety of public forums. Respected by his contemporaries and considered a paradigm by the younger generations of architects, not only for his talent but for his uprightness and courage, the greatest legacy Jos Antonio Choy leaves Cuban culture may very well be the act of teaching by example, thanks to which he has stopped being the lone avant-gardist as his colleague Roberto Segre once described him.

Anexo Hotel Parque Central Banco Financiero Internacional

Proyecto Hotel Prado y Malecn

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VISUAL ARTSCasa de Asia

OPENS JULY 7 Asia en la plstica cubana contempornea is made up by works based on customs, traditions and the ethnographic universe of Asian countries.

Galera Galiano

THROUGH JULY 26

Espejismos. Artist Ral Castro Camacho (Memo) invites viewers to discover the images that are hidden beneath his white paintings.

Casa Juan Gualberto Gmez

OPENS JULY 8 Palante en verano, a show of works by caricaturists from and contributors to the comic newspaper Palante showcasing personal caricatures, white, black, erotic humor and political satire, among others, reflecting national and international events.

Galera Habana

OPENS JULY 10

Pintura fresca. Group show of works by Yunier Hernndez, Niels Reyes, Agustn Hernndez Carlos, Frank Martnez, Roldn Lauzn, Darwin Estacio, Antoine Mena and

Palacio del Segundo Cabo

THROUGH JULY 31

Naturalezas del Art Nouveau, traveling show sponsored by the Rseau Art Nouveau Network, in charge of documenting, researching and protecting Art Nouveau heritage worldwide.

Edificio de Arte Cubano.Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28

Pintura is the Toms Snchez show including 12 never-before shown canvases, mainly in large formats, where he combines natural landscapes with garbage dumps. This is a significant direction taken by this Cuban painter who has not had a show in 30 years at Bellas Artes.

Tramas, by Gustavo Prez Monzn who showed at the historic Volumen I which marked a milestone in Cuban art of the 1980s, reveals 76 impressive drawings and installations.

THROUGH AUGUST 24

El mapa del silencio, a show by the former Carpintero Alexandre Arrechea was especially planned for being shown at Bellas Artes; it includes two large format watercolors, video-projection, a wall-hanging and a mural measuring 25 meters on the wall of the gallery. Curator Corina Matamoros tells us that it states what hasnt yet been said, even though it is obvious.

THROUGH AUGUST 31

Ping-pong cuadrcula, Wilfredo Prietos show has both large and small format works where the artista insists on using day-to-day objects in order to communicate new meanings.

THROUGH JULY 22

Edificio de Arte Universal.Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

THROUGH AUGUST 16

Ruidos salvajes show with over 90 pieces (from 1960-2015) from the permanent collection of The Bronx Museum, which focus on identity, city life and community.

Los ardientes, by Sergio Hernndez, one of the most important visual artists in Mexico, reveals his mastery of painting and the graphic arts, manifestations he shares with sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and drawing, and his taste for intense colors.

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6

Factora Habana

THROUGHOUT JULY

Entropa. Ren Francisco Rodrguez exhibits imaginative artefacts built from set squares, or triangles.

The Mission, by Roco Garca, is a story made up by large paintings that give proof of the artists narrative ability and her mastery at creating environments and disturbing characters.

Deconstruccin del horizonte, by Carlos Montes de Oca, includes fragments from old ICAIC Newsreels, which complement the installation.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

OPENS JULY 6

La ltima frontera. Placed on the railings of the old fortress, 50 large photographs discover the natural wonders hidden beneath the sea.

Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht

THROUGH JULY 26

Adolfo Izquierdo exhibits photos taken on the work carried pout by the Danza Contempornea de Cuba company.

Expocuba. Pabelln de la Cultura

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1

Miradas reveladoras. An approach to different moments of the Cuban Revolution through the work carried out by a group of excellent photographers that captured those moments: Alberto Daz Gutirrez (Korda), Ral Corrales, Osvaldo and Roberto Salas, Liborio Noval, Ernesto Fernndez, Jos Agraz, Perfecto Romero and Luis Pierce.

Castillo de la Real Fuerza

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DANCE

Blancanieves y los siete enanitosSala Avellaneda. Teatro NacionalJuly 4, 5pmGraduation gala of the vocational workshop of the Department of Dance of the National Ballet of Cuba, with choreography by Marln Moreno and a group of teachers, of the famous story of Snow White, and music from the films soundtrack. The ballet will be performed by the students who will be graduating this year, dancers from the National Ballet of Cuba and the Elementary School of Ballet, and a selection of members of the Dance Department.

As Somos in concertCentro Hispano-Americano de CulturaJuly 18, 5pmShow by the As Somos dance company and guests.

FlamencoTeatro MellaJuly 24 & 25, 8:30pm; Jult 26, 5pmFlamenco dance show with the excellent Irene Rodrguez and Company.

Verano flamencoCentro Hispano-Americano de CulturaJuly 28Augist 1, 1:30-4:30pmSpanish Dance Workshop for students 7 to 29 years old, conducted by the Irene Rodrguez Dance Company. Enrollment is now open by calling 7866 0775 / 7866 0776

Photo Alex Mene

Photo Y. del Monte

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CONTEMPORARY FUSION

MUSIC

The contemporary fusion and electronic music scene has expanded recently as new bars and clubs have opened party promoters have organized events in parks and public spaces. Good live music venues include Bertolt Brecht (Wed: Interactivo, Sunday: Dj-vu) and El Sauce (check out the Sunday afternoon Mquina de la Melancola) as well as the newly opened Fbrica de Arte Cubano which has concerts most nights Thursday through Sunday as well as impromptu smaller performances inside.

Club Habana PartyPhoto Alex Mene

In Havanas burgeoning entertainment district along First Avenue from the Karl Marx theatre to the aquarium you are spoilt for choice with the always popular Don Cangreco featuring good live music (Kelvis Ochoas and David Torrens alternate Fridays), Las Piedras (insanely busy from 3am) and El Palio and Melem barboth featuring different singers and acts in smaller more intimate venues.

Barbaram Pepitos Bar

SUNDAYS

5 pmDiscoteca Onda Retro

Caf Cantante, Teatro Nacional

WEDNESDAYS

5pmQva Libre

Caf Concert El Sauce

SUNDAYS

5 pmLa Mquina de la Melancola, with Frank Delgado and Luis Alberto Garca

Gato Tuerto

SATURDAYS

10 pmTenor Bernardo Lichiln and DJ Eddy Snchez

Club Turf

JUEVES

8 pmDjoy

Le Select

SUNDAYS

5 pmLos ngeles

Submarino Amarillo

SATURDAYS

2 pmVieja Escuela, country, blues & rocknroll

Tercera y 8

MONDAYS

11 pmBaby Lores

Havana Hard Rock

EVERY OTHER FRIDAY

Soul Train, a show of soul music

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MUSICCONCERT

Johnny Ventura and Elan Morales in concertKarl Marx Theater, July 10 & 11, 20158:00 pmJohnny Ventura, the famous Dominican singer and band leader of merengue music, will join forces with Cuban singer Elan Morales in a concert at the Karl Marx Theater in Havana.

A fan of Cuban music since he was small, Ventura will be visiting the island for the first time to take part in the 35th Caribbean Festival Fiesta del Fuego to be held in Santiago de Cuba from July 2-9, 2015.

Isaac Delgado andhis bandTribuna AntimperialistaOn the MalecnSunday, July 5, 9pmDont miss2-9, 2015.

Grand concert to kick off the summer!

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SALSA / TIMBA Casa de la Msica de Miramar

MONDAYS

Photo by Alex Mene

Jardines del 1830

FRIDAYS

10 pm

Azcar Negra

Casa de la Msica Habana

MONDAYS 11 pm Havana ShowWEDNESDAYS 11 pm Adalberto lvarez y su Son

Piano Bar Tun Tun

THURSDAYS 11 pm NG La Banda

Tercera y 8

WEDNESDAYS

11 pmAlain Daniel

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS 11 pm NG La Banda

SATURDAYS 5 pm Manana Club

11 pm Havana Show

11 pm Sur Caribe

THURSDAYS 5 pm Manolito Simonet FRIDAYS 5 pm El Nio y La Verdad

11 pm NG La BandaSUNDAYS 5 pm Bamboleo

Piano Bar Habaneciendo

WEDNESDAYS 5 pm Osan del Monte THURSDAYS 11 pm Kye 2

Le Select

FRIDAYS

5 pm

Grupo Moncada and their project Rueda de Casino

Saln Rojo del Hotel Capri

SUNDAYS AND SUNDAYS

11 pm

Juan Guillermo

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Caf Jazz MiramarShows: 11 pm - 2am

This new jazz club has quickly established itself as one of the very best places to hear some of Cubas best musicians jamming. Forget about smoke filled lounges, this is clean, brighttake the fags outside. While it is difficult to get the exact schedule and in any case expect a high level of improvisation when it is good it is very good. A full house is something of a mixed house since on occasion you will feel like holding up your own silence please sign! Nonetheless it gets the thumbs up from us.

UNEAC

JUNE 11

5 pmPea La Esquina del Jazz hosted by showman Bobby Carcasss.

Asociacin Cubana de Derechos de Autor Musical

JUNE 18

6 pmAlexis Bosch (pianist) and Proyecto Jazz Cubano.

Jazz Caf Shows: 10:30pm - 2amMellow, sophisticated and freezing due to extreme air conditioning, the Jazz Caf is not only an excellent place to hear some of Cubas top jazz musicians, but the open-plan design also provides for a good bar atmosphere if you want to chat. Less intimate than La Zorra y el Cuervo located opposite Melia Cohiba Hotel.

MUSICJAZZ

Jardines del teatro Mella

JUNE 30

5pmZule Guerra (singer & composer) and Blues DHavana

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BOLERO, FOLKLORE, SON & TROVA

Casa de la Cultura Comunitaria Mirta Aguirre

JULY 26

5 pmGet-together with trovador Ireno Garca.

Asociacin Yoruba de Cuba El Jelengue de Areto

MONDAYS

5 pmSon del Nene

Hotel Telgrafo

FRIDAYS

9:30 pmIvette Cepeda.

Casa de la Cultura de Plaza

JULY 11

7 pmPea with Marta Campos.

Casa Memorial Salvador Allende

JULY 24

5 pmPea La Juntamenta, with trovador ngel Quintero.

Hurn Azul, UNEAC

SATURDAYS

9 pmBolero Night

SUNDAYS

4 pmLos Ibellis (Folkloric group)

Barbaram Pepitos Bar

SATURDAYS

10pmYaima Sez

Pabelln Cuba

FRIDAYS

4 pmPea Tres Tazas with trovador Silvio Alejandro

MUSIC

Caf Concert El Sauce

JUNE 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 8 pm

Charly Salgado and guest

Centro Cultural Habaneciendo

SUNDAYS

3pmFilin with Fausto Durn and guests

TUESDAYS

5 pmConjunto Chappottn

WEDNESDAYS

5 pmTrovando, a meeting with good trova.

FRIDAYS

5 pmRumberos de Cuba

Casa de la Msica Habana

SUNDAYS

5 pmYoruba Andabo

Casa del Alba

JULY 3

5 pmEduardo Sosa

JULY 16

6 pmPea El Canto de Todos, with Vicente Feli SATURDAY

4 pmPea Participo with trovador Juan Carlos Prez

Fresa y Chocolate

TUESDAYS

5pmTrova hosted by Richard Luis and Eric Mndez

Centro Iberoamericano de la Dcima

JULY 4

3 pmDuo Ad Libitum

Caf Teatro Bertolt Brecht

JUNE 27

4 pmRafael Espn and guests

THURSDAYS

10:30pmFernando Becquer

JULY 26

5 pmEl Jardn de la Gorda with trovadors from every generation.

Caf Cantante, Teatro Nacional

THURSDAYS

5pmElan Morales

SATURDAYS

5pmWaldo Mendoza

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Baslica Menor de San Francisco de Ass

JULY 4

6 pmConcert with music by Wagner with the performance of soprano Johana Simn, who accompanied by the pianist Krank Paredes will sing Wesendonck-Lieder and arias from Lohengrin, Tannhuser, Walkyria and Tristan and Isolde.

JULY 11

6 pmPerformance by the Lecuona trio (Lianne Vega on the piano, Alejandro Martnez on the cello and Alberto Rosas, flute and director).

JULY 18 AND 23

6/2 pm

Concerts by the Camerata Romeu, conducted by Zenaida Romeu.

Casa del ALBA Cultural

JULY 3

5 pmConcert by the Mariana de Gonitch Singing Academy.

Concert by the Nueva Camerata Wind Ensemble conducted by Haskell Armenteros.JULY 5

5 pm

Photo Y. del Monte

Teatro Mart

SATURDAYS

4 pmConcerts by chamber soloists and ensembles.

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Casa de las Amricas

JULY 2

7 pmEspacio Sonoro, dedicated to electroacoustic music by composers Juan Blanco (Cuba), Horacio Vaggione (Argentina), Alfredo del Mnaco (Venezuela), Antonio Russek (Mexico), Javier lvarez (Mexico), Alejandro Jos (Dominican Republic) and Reginaldo Carvalho (Brazil).

JULY 3

6 pmPercuba Ensemble, conducted by Damarik Favier, will perform contemporary works composed for this peculiar instrumental format.

Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura

JULY 11

5 pmConcert by Nuestro Tiempo ensemble, conducted by Enrique Prez Mesa.

JULY 17

7 pmPerformance by the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington, D.C., one of the oldest LGTB choral organizations in the United States.

Casa Victor Hugo

JULY 11

5 pmConcert by guitarist Mabel Gonzlez.

Musical gathering with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina and his Calis Duo.JULY 13

4 pm

Oratorio San Felipe Neri

JULY 2

7 pmPerformance by Javier Zalba (saxophone) and Alejandro Calzadilla (clarinet) along with the Orquesta de Cmara de La Habana, conducted by Daiana Garca.

JULY 11

4 pmConcert Contemporneos de Cuba y Amrica, with first violist Anolan Gonzlez, accompanied on the piano by Beatriz Batista and soprano Laura Ulloa, and guest string quintet, who will perform pieces composed especially for the Anolan Gonzlez as well as classical compositions from the Latin American repertouire of composers Jorge Lpez Marn, Roberto Valera, Alfredo Diez Nieto, Juan Piera, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alejandro Martnez, Guido Lpez-Gaviln, Astor Piazzolla and Rafael Hernndez.

JULY 13-18

10 amConociendo a Mozart (Getting to Know Mozart), summer workshops for adolescents

JULY 18

11 amConcert by the Ventus Habana wind quintet, accompanied by the Schola Cantorum Coralina chorus, conducted by Wilmia Verrier.

Sala Covarrubias. Teatro Nacional

JULY 25

8:30pmConcert Un palco en la pera: arias, duos, scenes and overtures from operas of all time, with Milagros de los ngeles, Alioska Jimnez, Kirenia Corzo, Laura de Mare, Yiln Sartorio, Anisley Martnez, Dayana Lorente, Cristina Rodrguez, Dayami Prez, Marcos Lima, Hctor Rodrguez, Ramn Centeno, Jorge Temprano and Lesby Bautista.JULY 26

6 pm

Sala Gonzalo Roig. Palacio del Teatro Lrico Nacional

JULY 26

5 pmCuerda Dominical, with guitarist Luis Manuel Molina.

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CINEMA

PROGRAM

THU, JULY 2 5PM:

(Shorts) Behind the Screen, 1916, The Floorwalker, 1917, The Fireman, 1916

8PM: (Shorts) By the Sea, 1915, The Immigrant, 1917, A Night in the Show, 1915

Organized by the Cuban Institute of Film Art and Industry (ICAIC) and the Cinematheque of Cuba, along with several other cultural institutions, the Chaplin Festival took off on July 1 with the presence of Oona Chaplin, granddaughter of Charles Chaplin.

Besides the screening of short and feature films by Chaplin, the festival includesfor the first time in the American continentan exhibition of objects and materials that belonged to the English comedian, from the collection of Paddy McDonald, one of the most important collectors on Chaplin memorabilia. The exhibition will occupy the galleries of the Charles Chaplin cinema, the ICAIC Cultural Center and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Cuban Art Building).

To close the festival, the National Symphony Orchestra will give a concert at the Sala Covarrubias of the Teatro Nacional on July 12, 5pm. The program includes This Is My Song and Smile by Chaplin, along with works by his favorite composers, including Leonard Bernstein.

FRI, JULY 3 5PM:

(Shorts) The Adventurer, 1917) Easy Street, 1917, The Cure, 1917

8PM: (Shorts) The Kid, 1921, The Immigrant, 1917, Behind the Screen, 1916

SAT, JULY 4 5PM:

(Shorts) The Pilgrim, 1923, A Night in the Show, 1915, His New Job, 1915

8PM: Tillies Punctured Romance, 1914 / Mack Sennett

SUN JULY 5 5PM:

A Woman of Paris, 1923

8PM: The Gold Rush, 1925

TUE, JULY 7 5PM:

The Circus, 1928

8PM: City Lights, 1931

WED, JULY 8 5PM:

Modern Times, 1935

8PM: The Great Dictator, 1940

Note: The films will be shown at Cine 23 y 12 & Cine Chaplin.

For more information, call 7833-6906 and 7831-1101, respectively

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Decamern Teatro El Pblico / Production: Carlos DazFri & Sat 8:30pm; Sun 5pm Teatro TriannSeveral stories from Giovanni Boccaccios The Decameron are put onstage with more than a hint at Cuba today. Those who expect nudity galore from Carlos Daz are in for a surprise.

THEATRE

MecnicaArgos Teatro / Production: Carlos CeldrnFri & Sat 8:30pm; Sun 5pm, Argos TeatroPlay written by award-winning Abel Gonzlez Melo, which based on Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House, turns the conflict around while it deals with an aspect of that is scarcely dealt with on the Cuban stage: the world of the nouveau riche.

Muertecita de miedoThrough July 18. Tues, Wed, & Thurs, 8:30pm Sala Adolfo LlauradOne-man show with Ernesto Gonzlez Umpierre (El Flacommico).

La octava puertaTeatro del Caballero / Production: Jos Antonio AlonsoFridays & Saturdays, 8:30pm; Sundays, 5pmSala Adolfo Llaurad According to Jose Antonio Alonso, in this play there is a convergence of several characters that an actor left in his home when he moved to Spain. They become the actors very essence: a petulant transvestite who represses him, a rough peasant, an experimentalist who has spent all his life experimenting and has become twisted, and an unfinished Oedipus Rex, who in addition to being blind, there is a blackout in Havana and he wants to go to Thebes with a blinThey become the actors very essence: a petulant transvestite who represses him, a rough peasant, an experimentalist who has spent all his life experimenting and has become twisted, and an unfinished Oedipus Rex, who in addition to being blind, there is a blackout in Havana and he wants to go to Thebes with a blind destination. These are four conflicts that we Cubans have and which are present anywhere in the world.

La oveja negra dando leaGrupos La Oveja Negra & La Lea del HumorJuly 10-11, 8:30pm; July 12, 5pm Teatro Karl MarxComedy show by two of the most popular groups within the genre.

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FOR KIDS

La muchachita del marGrupo RetablosJuly 16 & 17, 5pmTeatro Nacional de GuiolFree adaptation of the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

Mowgli, el mordido por los lobosTeatro La ProaSaturdays & Sundays, 11pmSala Adolfo LlauradWith a structure that is very close to the story, this puppet show, based on Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book, is a call to overcome the difficulties of life.

Caras blancasTeatro TuyoJuly 17, 11am; July 18 & 19, 11am & 5pmTeatro Nacional de GuiolShow by Teatro Tuyo, directed by Ernesto Parra.

Los payasos olvidados y enamoradosTeatro PapaloteJuly 31, 5pmTeatro Nacional de GuiolWritten and directed by Ren Fernndez, this is the love story of two clowns, in which the protagonists, who become involved in complex but fun situations, dance, sing and act in a play of theater within the theater.

El to Coyote y el to ConejoGrupo de teatro El ArcaFridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 3pmTeatro de tteres El ArcaAlong with puppeteer and actor Adalett Perez, Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Coyote play pranks in Mrs. Federicas orchard until, with the help of the audience, they discover that you have to respect what is not yours. The show ends with Cotorrita Alegra puppet

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EVENTS IN HAVANA

Cuballet 2015July 6-31 Centro ProdanzaUnder the guidance of the teacher and choreographer Laura Alonso, and directed by choreographer Alberto Mendez, creator of anthological pieces of Cuban ballet, such as Tarde en la siesta, the event will address the peculiarities of the Cuban school of ballet through special courses for students and teachers. The program includes classes in ballet, pointe work, adagio, repertoire, physical efficiency, modern dance, Spanish dance, Cuban dances, acting and makeup. The Laura Alonso Ballet, along with the international participants, will stage the original version of Marius Petipas Don Quixote.

Trapeze, balancing on cylinders, fabrics, ribbons, net and aerial hoop, and tightrope walking are some of the acts of traditional and contemporary circus that will characterize this years festival. Among the participating artists, the Moscow-based Rosgoscirk will return this year with a juggling act starring Diana Stepanova; Russia will also bring Ekaterina Malysheva and Andrei Petrov in aerial silk, while Italy will be represented by Lucas Marrocchi performing on the pole. From Germany, the Academy of Acrobatic Arts will present numbers on the fixed trapeze and hula hoop. Cuban performers Jorge Perezoff and Zoima

Circuba 2015 July 8-13, Karl Marx Theater, Carpa Trompoloco, Cabaret Copa Room

Vzquez, who now live in Spain, will exhibit traditional juggling with hoops. The opening gala will be held at the Karl Marx Theatre on Wednesday 8, 9pm. The Copa Room of the Riviera Hotel will host performances from July 10-12. Meanwhile, the competition will take place at the recently renovated Trompoloco big tent.

III Festival Nacional Creciendo en el Hip HopJulyHavana The Cuban Rap Agency and the Cuban Institute of Music have organized this festival in which Cuban children and teenagers have the opportunity to discover their talents in the stylistic elements of the subculture of rapping, Djing, breakdancing and graffiti writing.

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EVENTS IN HAVANA

AM-PM Amrica por su MsicaJuly 18-23 Fbrica de Arte CubanoMusicians and agents from the continent will be meeting in Havana during the first edition of this encounter that will deal with the sound scene in Cuba and Latin America. The event includes 16 mini concerts, from Cuban trova to jazz, with performances by Harold Lpez-Nussa, Yissy y Banda Ancha, Kelvis Ochoa, Sntesis and David Blanco, just to name a few.

Feria de Arte en La RampaOpens July 10Pabelln CubaAs is customary every summer since the year 2000, the Art at La Rampa Crafts Fair opens its door at the Pabelln Cuba, emblematic building of 1960s Cuban architecture, with an attractive offer that includes the sale of serigraphs, footwear, clothing, costume jewelry, fans, household goods, furniture, ornaments, and much more. Fashion shows, concerts and activities for the kiddies will also take place during the Fair.

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EVENTS IN HAVANA

Rutas y Andares 2015The successful, traditional summer tours organized by the City Historians Office since 2001 bring the rich cultural heritage of Havana closer to its people and visitors. This years tours are also focused on family participation.

Tickets on sale at Museo de la Ciudad, Museo de Arte Colonial, Convento de San Francisco de Ass, Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart, and Maqueta del Centro Histrico, Mon-Sun, 9am-5pm. For detailed information, call 7866 4035 / 7864 4336-37 (ext. 107) at the Centro de Informacin Cultural, Oficios # 8 e/ Obispo y Obrapa, La Habana Vieja.

Rutas (Routes)Art in Ethnographic MuseumsVisit to collections of visual and decorative arts, with an ethnographic view of the manners and customs of Arab, African, Asian and American nations.

Tues, July 14/28, Aug 11, 10am

Casa Benito Jurez, Casa Oswaldo Guayasamn & Casa Simn Bolvar

Tues, July 21, Aug 4/18, 10am

Casa de Asia, Casa de frica & Casa de los rabes

The Animal WorldAnimals as constituents of drugs in antiquity and symbolism in pharmacy; celestial zodiac fauna and Cuban fish speciesTues, July 14, Aug 4/18, 10am

Planetario & Aqvarivm

Tues, July 21, Aug 11, 10am

Museo de la Farmacia Habanera & Farmacia Taquechel

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Coffee Route: a culture from the palateIts origin in African, introduction in Europe and arrival in Cuba (from colonial time to the present used as theme in Cuban contemporary art)Tues, 10am

Museo de la Ciudad, de Arte Colonial, Numismtico, Napolenico, Casa de los rabes, Casa de frica & Palacio de Lombillo. Taller de Papel Artesanal and Perfumera Habana 1791, only guided tours

Tues, July 21, 10am

Museo Napolenico

Quinta de los MolinosPlants, animals and the environment

Tuesdays, 10am

JULY 7 Example of heritage management

JULY 14 History of the Quinta de los Molinos

JULY 21 Knowing the trees at the Quinta

JULY 28 Bonsai growing

AUGUST 4 Animals. care and handling

AUGUST 11 Pigeons, care and handling

AUGUST 18 Ornamental plants at the Quinta

Baroque Art Baslica Menor de San Francisco de Ass

Fridays, 10am

JULY 10 The Baroque

JULY 17 Baroque architecture

JULY 31 Baroque painting

AUGUST 7 Baroque sculpture

AUGUST 14 The decorative arts in the Baroque

AUGUST 21 Music in the Baroque

Jos Mart on the road to the liberatorsDedicated to the 120th anniversary of the start of the last stage for Cubas liberation of Spanish colonialism led by Jos Mart and the Cuban Revolutionary Party

Thursdays, 10am

JULY 9 Museo de la Ciudad (Hall of Flags), includes virtual tour of Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart

JULY 16 Casa Juan Gualberto Gmez

JULY 23 Museo Numismtico

Jos Mart on the road to the liberatorsDedicated to the 120th anniversary of the start of the last stage for Cubas liberation of Spanish colonialism led by Jos Mart and the Cuban Revolutionary Party

Thursdays, 10am

JULY 9 Museo de la Ciudad (Hall of Flags), includes virtual tour of Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart

JULY 16 Casa Juan Gualberto Gmez

JULY 23 Museo Numismtico

Alicia Alonso. Orbit of a legendTribute to the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta ton her 95th birthday

Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura, 2pm

JULY 9 Exhibition Giselle and Carmen, documentary Alicia Alonso. rbita de una leyenda

JULY 16 Lecture Carmen and Alonso by Eduardo Heras Len

JULY 23 Lecture You are Giselle by Roberto Mendez

JULY 30 Lecture You are Giselle by Roberto Mendez

AUGUST 6 Guided tour to the Museum of Dance

AUGUST 13 Educational show An encounter with dance by Miguel Cabrera

AUGUST 20 Lecture Eternal dance by Ahmed Pieiro

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Andares (Walks)Walking with the Walkers

Departure: Plaza de Armas or otherwise indicated, 10am

JULY 8 Pogolotti neighborhood. Departure: Calle 51 y 94, Centro Deportivo Jess Menndez, Marianao

JULY 15 Culinary art in Havana

JULY 22 Lithographic art

JULY 29 Clandestine in Havana

AUGUST 5 Image of men. Departure: Plazuela de Compostela, entre Luz y Acosta

AUGUST 12 Soara Habana cartoon story. Departure: Plaza de la Catedral

AUGUST 19 Havanas mural heritage in the Republican era: Hiplito de Caviedes

Walking with ArchitectureDeparture: Plaza de Armas, 10am

JULY 9 Courtyards

JULY 16 Facades

JULY 23 Stained-glass windows

JULY 30 Interior design

AUGUST 6 Architecture in banks

AUGUST 13 Religious architecture

AUGUST 20 Public civil architecture

Walking with Contemporary ArtDeparture: Plaza de Armas, 10am

JULY 10 From paper to celluloid

JULY 17 Design behind closed doors

JULY 31 Multiple originals in visual arts

AUGUST 7 Ceramics

AUGUST 14 Public art site I

AUGUST 21 Public art site II

Open House at the Capitolio BuildingVisit to the restoration project of Havanas Capitolio. Given the characteristics of this work and the safety and protection measures required, the tour will be reserved by telephone at the Centro de Informacin Cultural (7866 4035). The visits will be free of charge.

Virtual walks for the elderly Reservations by telephone or in person at the place where the activity will be held. Free of charge.

Starts at 10am

JULY 6 Quinta de los Molinos: Universal Heritage

JULY 8 Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart: Mart in Dominican Republic

JULY 9, AUG 6

Casa de la Poesa: Egypt, the known and the unknown

JULY 14 Quinta de los Molinos

JULY 15 Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart. Mart in VenezuelaArchivo Histrico de la Oficina del Historiador (Edificio Santo Domingo, Oficios entre Mercaderes y San Ignacio, Tel 7869 7386, exts. 38613, 38614 & 38615) Knowing Cuba from its maps and drawings. A look at the collection of the Historical Archives of the Office of the City Historian.

JULY 16 Fbrica de Arte Cubano: industrial heritage. Reservations at Casa de las Tejas Verdes)

JULY 15 & 30 AUG 10/20

Casa Victor Hugo, the Palace of Versailles

JULY 20 Planetarium: Exploring the solar system

JULY 22 Museo Casa Natal de Jos Mart Mart: song

AUGUST 17 Casa Victor Hugo: Music in 19th-century periodicals (Reservations Tel. 7869 7262, ext. 26205)

AUG 19 & 21 Museo Napolenico: French Architecture and styles in El Vedado

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AROUND CUBAFiesta de la Msica Alternativa Ciudad del Mar Terry Theater, Tropisur, Cubansimo, Centro Cultural Julio Antonio Mella, Jardines de la UNEAC and Plaza de ActosPerformances include 45 bands and soloists, such as Karamba, Qva Libre, Arnaldo Rodrguez y su Talismn, La Charanga Latina, Son del Nene, Yoruba Andabo, Adrin Berazan, Buena Fe, Ernesto & David Blanco, Mayco DAlma, Pedro Luis Ferrer, Will Campa, Tanmy Lpez, Waldo Mendoza, Tania Pantoja and Dayani Gutirrez, who will join the Lucas Project and the Piso 6 and Cuerda viva TV shows. The opening will be held on July 2 at 9pm at the Theater Terry with the concert A golpe de sombrero, featuring Karamba, Qva Libre and Adrin Berazan, who host the project of the same name. Qva Libre, Tania Pantoja and the Lucas Project will perform at the Plaza de Actos at midnight, while Karamba, Will Campa and David Blanco have announced a duel with different music styles and three numbers each at Plaza de Actos, July 5, 11:30pm.

XXXV Festival Internacional del Caribe July 3-9 Santiago de Cuba This meeting of cultures of the Caribbean people will be one of the main celebrations for the half millennium of the founding of the Santiago de Cuba, the Festivals host city since 1984. Dedicated this year to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the festival will feature more than 1,000 guests from 30 countries around the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe, as well as scholars and exponents of Cuban traditional popular culture. Dominicans Johnny Ventura and Maridalia Hernandez, founding member of the 440 band along with Juan Luis Guerra, will be performing at the Heredia Theater on July 4 and 5, respectively. During the event, the Caribbean Carnival Network will be created under the auspices of the Association of Caribbean States to heighten this musical and dance expression so deep-rooted in the region. International Awards Casa del Caribe will be given to Cuban poet Waldo Leyva, to founding members of the Festival del Caribe and to the Junkanoo, an autochthonous music and dance manifestation of the Bahamas. As usual, the Caribbean that Unites Us Colloquium is the principal theoretical activity, which will include a workshop on popular religiosity, a panel of historians who will talk about Cuban towns that are 500 years old, the Almas Nuevas meeting of young artists, the Meeting of Caribbean Poets, the popular and well-liked serpent and fire parades, the Haitian and West Indian parties, and the tribute to slave rebelliousness

II Festival Filtro de Campaa, Bayamo 2015 July 10-17 Bayamo Theater, Bayamo, Granma Province This meeting of performing arts in the eastern region will include notable critics of the Cuban stage, with the participation of specialists from Casa de las Americas, the Tablas Alarcos Magazine and theater and dance groups y from Granma, Holgun, Las Tunas and Camagey Provinces.

CUBANOS - ISLAND PORTRAITS

photographs by Lorenzo DeStefano

THE MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY July 18September 13, 2015

Saturday July 18, 10am12 noon

ARTWALK VENTURA 2015 LAUNCH EVENT

Cuban Breakfast Lecture Guests include Bill Hendricks, Lorenzo DeStefano,

and visiting Cuban artists Pedro Pulido and Victor Pina Tabio

Saturday July 18, 12:30pm5:00pm

Exhibition Opening CUBANOS-ISLAND PORTRAITS

w/ photographer Lorenzo DeStefano

In celebration of Artwalk Ventura 2015, the Museum of Ventura County will showcase 16 black & white photographs by Lorenzo DeStefano, among the hundreds created during his journeys to Cuba. Between 1993 and 1998 DeStefano traversed the islands urban centers as well as its lesser known rural provinces, capturing intimate portraits of its inhabitants. Through his photographs we see fresh glimpses of everyday life, introducing us to people whose faces reaffirm our common humanity.

The Museum of Ventura County 100 E. Main Street, Ventura, Ca. 93001

www.venturamuseum.org / 805 641-1876

July 2015 PAGE 53 contents

El AtelierEXPERIMENTAL FUSION

Interesting dcor, interesting menu.Calle 5 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado

(+53) 7-836-2025

Havanas best places to eat

La Guarida

5

La FontanaINTERNATIONAL

Consistently good food, attentive service. Old school. Calle 46 #305 esq. a 3ra, Miramar

(+53) 7-202-8337

4

San CristbalCUBAN/CREOLE

Deservedly popular.Consistently great food. Kitsch dcor. San Rafael #469 e/ Lealtad y Campanario, Centro Habana

(+53) 7-860-9109

5 SantySUSHI/ORIENTAL

Authentic fishermans shack servicing world-class sushi. Calle 240A #3023 esq. a 3ra C, Jaimanitas

(+53) 5-286-7039

StarbienSPANISH/MEDITERRANEAN

Fabulous food and great service in the heart of Vedado.Calle 29 #205 e/ B

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