“¡Destacada no, vanguardia! Pero eso a mí no me importa para nada.”- me responde mi madre en un correo. Mi mamá ha sido destacada y vanguardia tantas veces que ya otro reconocimiento más en su centro de trabajo no es noticia. Qué noticia puede ser algo que al final no le ha resuelto nada en su vida? […]

“This island is something special. The strangest, most tragic things have happened here. And it will always be that way. The earth, like humankind, has its destiny. And Cuba’s is a mysterious destiny”                                              […]

Documental reciente sobre los actos de repudio y la represión en Cuba.

The Canchanchara was drank by the 19th century Cuban independence fighters. People say Antonio Maceo invented the drink to keep the troops with energy (and tipsy, I suppose), for the fight. Back in the day, fighters used to drink it out of “jicaras”, a bowl made of the Güiro tree (Calabash tree). The real Canchanchara is not […]

Back in the 90’s in Havana, we used to listen to this song over and over… I have been listening to this forgotten band (at least for me)  in the last couple of days, especially after one of my friends reminded me of the musical quality of the songs.

Private business are notably flourishing in Cuba, particularly in the most touristic areas. Places in Convertible Pesos (for tourists or Cubans who somehow can afford them): On my November trip to Cuba I spent some time discovering new places and also wondering how the owners manage to open and to run certain restaurants or bars […]

  1) Para mi asombro y decepción, el reggaeton ha llegado hasta lo más profundo para despertar la creatividad de algunos cubanos. Si no has oído la canción del loco sexual pues ya sabes que tienes que actualizarte. Otra frase que se puede encontrar en los almendrones es “Quimba pa’ que suene!” 2) Este cartel […]

New York Hotel in Havana City is falling apart. The building has been shutdown for several years for restoration purposes and the state of it quickly went from bad to worse. Located on 16 Dragones St. in Old Havana, not too far from the Capitol, the four-story building still stands proud of what it was […]

Sucu Sucu (or Sucu Suco) was born in mid 19th century on Isle of Youth, Cuba. This rhythm, similar to son montuno, was created in a farm called La Tumbita, close to what we know as  Santa Fe town now. When I visited Cuba in November, I brought with me the CD “Mongo Rives y […]

Lo que se suena en Cuba ahora son los tambores de Laritza…