WHAT’S ON VISUAL ARTS
ESPACIO AYÓN Though 28 November / 2009 Convento de San Francisco de Asís, tercer piso Oficios Entre Amargura y Churruca, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 9683 An intense program of activities has been organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of the artist Belkis Ayón (1967-1999). Through 28 Nov Nkame, anthological exhibition (1984-1999) of 83 works by the Belkis Ayón, an engraver of unanimously acknowledged technical virtuosity, who drew from collographs their fullest potential in works in which the theme of Abakuá mythology, its secrets, its mysteries, its ritual ceremonies and, above all, her “cursed” woman, recur over and over again, to encourage a reflection on the recognition of ethnic and gender identification and warn of the evident or surreptitious attempt to weaken them or manipulate them. The exhibition includes photographs which document Belkis’s participation in different events 3-7 Nov Solo exhibition by Orlando Montalván, a graduate of the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, Third Prize at the 7th Mational Meeting of Engraving (2007) and special mention at the 10th La Joven Estampa Prize (2009). 10-14 Nov Solo exhibition by Ángel Madruga, engraver, professor of this art and Assistant Director of the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts. 17-21 Nov Solo exhibition by Octavio Irving, professor at the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, winner at the 9th La Joven Estampa Prize (2007.
ABSTRACTA MINERVA THROUGH JANUARY / 2010 Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Trocadero entre Monserrate y Zulueta, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140, 861 3858, 863 9484 Twenty-nine recent works by the painter Minerva López, described by Moraima Clavijo, Director of the National Museum, as “refined and serene, and at the same time original and disturbing” form this exhibition by an artist who has gone from figuration to abstraction, with a very personal style.
DESPUÉS DEL ARTE THROUGH 15 NOVEMBER / 2009 Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam Empedrado esquina a San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 863 9781 y 861 3419 Sponsored by the Belgian Embassy in Cuba, the M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp and the Wifredo Lam Contemprary Art Centre, this exhibition has gathered works--including painting, photography, installation, video-projection and sculpture--by 36 artists from M HKA’s collection.
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X SALÓN NACIONAL DE ARTE DIGITAL 2-7 November / 2009 Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La HabanaCallejón del Chorro, Plaza de la Catedral, La Habana Vieja. Centro Cultural Cinematográfico ICAIC Calle 23 entre 10 y 12, El Vedado. Centro Cultural Pablo de la Torriente Brau Muralla 63 entre Oficios e Inquisidor, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 5162. Casa Alejandro de Humboldt Oficios esquina a Sol, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 863 9850. Hotel Ambos Mundos Obispo 153 esquina a Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 860 9530. Casa Simón Bolívar Mercaderes 158 entre Obrapía y Lamparilla, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 3988. Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura Malecón 17 entre Prado y Genio, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 860 6282. This Digital Art exhibition continues to offer a space to exhibit and reflect upon a new form of artistic creation which explores the potential that new technologies offer in creating art. The 10th edition will include a competition, an international colloquium and exhibitions by Cuban artists who have participated in the other nine Salons since it was first held in 1999. There will also be exhibitions related to digital photography and graphic design. General Program
SANDÚ DARIÉ THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2008 Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Trocadero entre Monserrate y Zulueta, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140 / 861 3858 / 863 9484 Exhibition of pieces and mock-ups made by the Rumanian-Cuban painter Sandú Darié (1908-1989), from 1946 to 1989, a pioneer of kinetic art in Cuba. The murals at the vestibule of the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana are a sample of his work, which included sculpture, painting, drawing, ceramics, set design and cinema.
LUIS TOMASELLO: LA SUSTANCIA INTRÍNSECA DE LA LUZ THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Galería Latinoamericana, Casa de las Américas Calle 3ra. y G, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706-09 A solo exhibition by the renowned Argentinean artist Luis Tomasello, a master of light and colour, within the actions of the Kinetic Year organized by the Casa de las Américas. The exhibit includes new pieces from the Casa’s art collection.
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ESTACIONES THROUGH 9 NOVEMBER / 2009 Galería Villa Manuela Calle H número 406 entre 17 y 19, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 2391 Thirteen landscape paintings by the artist Luis E. Camejo, on fabric and paper, and in black and white.
EL GRAN HIPNOTIZADOR THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Pinacoteca del Museo de la Ciudad Tacón 1 entre Obispo y O'Reilly, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 5001 The art gallery of the City Museum exhibits woks by the painter Zayda del Río, one of the greats of contemporary Cuban art. The exhibition is presided by a constant motif in her work: the peacock, expression of an exuberant and symbolic personal universe, intimately combined with female figures.
CACA EN EL TALLER THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Taller de serigrafía René Portocarrero Cuba 513, entre Teniente Rey y Muralla, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 3276 / 861 9354 The Club de Amigos del Cartel (CACa) [Friends of the Poster Club] has gathered the best posters by 31 designers for this exhibition. The posters were designed from 2008 to 2009, of different themes and styles.
EL PAN QUE EL DIABLO AMASÓ THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La HabanaCallejón del Chorro, Plaza de la Catedral, La Habana Vieja Exhibition by the Portuguese artist Mario Silva.
ARTE NAIF THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Galería Roberto Diago Muralla 107 esquina a San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 3577 Group exhibition of naive art.
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ENRIQUE GRAU. GRABADOS THROUGH 16 NOVEMBER / 2009 SMuseo Biblioteca Servando Cabrera Moreno Calle Paseo 304 esquina a 13, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 835 2027 y 836 0010 Twenty-six engravings from the collection of the Casa Museo Enrique Grau in Colombia, dating from 1943 to 2002, by the Colombian draughtsman, painter, sculptor, set designer and filmmaker Enrique Grau, one of the most outstanding figures of 20th-century Colombian visual arts.
EN EL NOMBRE DEL HIJO THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales San Ignacio 352 esquina a Teniente Rey, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 5279 / 862 9295 / 862 3533 Retrospective of the artist Juan Suárez Blanco.
CRONOS THROUGH DECEMBER / 2009 Complejo-Galería La Casona Muralla 107 esquina a San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 8544 Group exhibition of painting, installation, photography and drawing.
A VUELO DE NOTICIA II THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Casa de la Prensa Calle 23 esquina a I, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4550 The artist Esteban Machado exhibits his second series of beautifully illustrated kites.
EL ALMA DEL FAUNO EN EL MÁRMOL THROUGH 11 NOVEMBER / 2009 Palacio de Lombillo Empedrado 101, esquina a Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 863 9343 Solo exhibition by the sculptor Yarovi López, who, according to Eusebio Leal, the City Historian of Havana, has faced “the difficult task of turning poetry into a work of art in minute proportions, in which a very small error can change everything.”
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ESTE HOMBRE ES MI AMIGO THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Memorial José Martí Plaza de la Revolución Tel. +(53) 7 882 0906 / 884 0551 Exhibition of the illustrations especially produced by a number of Cuban artists--Vicente Rodríguez Bonachea, Alicia Leal, Rigoberto Mena, Mario García Portela, Joel Jover, Michel Pérez (Pollo), Zaida del Río, Agustín Bejarano, Arturo Montoto, Roberto Diago and many others--for a new Cuban edition of La Edad de Oro, the children’s literary magazine written and published by José Martí 120 years ago.
ÓPTICO ‘70 THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER / 2009 Casa de las Américas Calle 3ra. esquina a G, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706-09 Exhibition of Cuban graphic design displaying optical influence in posters, discs, books, etc., which confirms the strong presence of optical-kinetic trends in Cuba’s domestic graphic design.
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS 2 NOVEMBER / 2009 Casa del Benemérito de las Américas Benito Juárez Obrapía 116, entre Mercaderes y Oficios, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 8166 As is customary, All Souls’ Day, a pre-Hispanic tradition that is very deep-rooted in Mexico, will be observed this year with the altar-tribute to two filmmakers, the Cuban Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and the Mexican Roberto Gavaldón. Two exhibitions will also open for the occasion: Noche de muertos and Art-mortem, which can be visited throughout Novemeber.
CENTRO CULTURAL ANTIGUOS ALMACENES DE DEPÓSITO SAN JOSÉ OPENING, 1ST NOVEMBER / 2009 Avenida del Puerto, La Habana Vieja Sponsored by the City Historian’s Office, this new cultural centre will open on the 1st of November and will be dedicate to the exhibition and sale of craftwork and works of art. The building has a cafeteria, telephone services and an exchange house. Specialized stores and a restaurant should open at a later date.
SENTIR LA HABANA VIEJA STARTS 13 NOVEMBER / 2009 Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena Obispo 59 entre Baratillo y Oficios, La Habana Vieja Teléfono: 862 9037 al 39 The renowned Cuban designer and draughtsman Carlos Alberto Masvidal, National Prize-winner for Design and creator of the HABAGUANEX S.A. tourism image, as well many of the exquisite Boloña editions of the City Historian’s Office, will celebrate his 55th birthday with a sample of his work dedicated to the Old City.
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VISUARTE 2009 19-21 NOVEMBER / 2009 Cienfuegos Seventy-six artists from Cuba, Spain, Sweden, Canada and France will participate in this art event in the southern city of Cienfuegos. Besides the competing works, the Cuban painter and engraver Lesbia Vent Dumois will exhibit a sample of her art.
BEIJING-HAVANA: NUEVA REVOLUCIÓN DEL ARTE CHINO CONTEMPORÁNEO THROUGH 15 JANUARY 2010 / 2009 Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Centro Asturiano (Colección Universal) San Rafael entre Zulueta y Monserrate, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140 / 861 38 58 / 863 9484 Exhibition of traditional and modern Chinese art.
MUSIC XIII FESTIVAL DE MÚSICA CONTEMPORÁNEA DE LA HABANA Last Saturday of the month, 4:00 pm / 2009 Palacio del Segundo Cabo O'Reilly 4, esquina a Tacón, La Habana Vieja Yasuaki Shimizu, composer, tenor saxophone and producer, well-known for his interpretation of music by Bach, has produced several albums with the Saxophonettes, the group of five saxophonists (two baritone, three tenor) that he founded in 2006. His 2007 Pentatonica album with the Saxophonettes is a sample of his exceedingly original music and arrangements of traditional Ethiopian music based on the pentatonic scale. Yasuaki Shimizu has captured the attention and acknowledgement of musicians throughout the world thanks to his masterly interpretations at the sax. From 1985 to 1991 he lived out of London and Paris where he collaborated with a great number of international artists. His most famous work, Cello Suites, is the first ever tenor saxophone interpretation of Bach’s suites. He has chosen extraordinary locations for his recordings, including an underground car park, Buddhism temples, or art museums, among others. Shimizu is also a composer for film and video soundtracks, as well as TV programs, multimedia and dances in collaboration with other artists. Ryota Higashi (baritone saxophone) Graduate of the Tokyo Art University, 2003 Hiroshi Suzuki (baritone saxophone) Graduate of the Tokyo Art University, 2003 Ryoko Egawa (tenor saxophone) Graduate of the Tokyo Art University, 2001 Hirokazu Hayashida (tenor saxophone) Graduate of the Tokyo Art University, 2005 General Program
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PEÑA DE HEYDI IGUALADA Last Saturday of the month, 4:00 pm / 2009 Palacio del Segundo Cabo O'Reilly 4, esquina a Tacón, La Habana Vieja One of the most beautiful voices of the Cuban trova, almost always accompanied by very special guests, covers the best of the Cuban trova repertory of all time.
EL JARDÍN DE LA GORDA Third Sunday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009 Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima Calle A entre 25 y 27, El Vedado Sara González, emblematic voice of the Cuban Nueva Trova, at her monthly gatherings where the audiences can enjoy, in an informal atmosphere, the performances of some of the best Cuban troubadours.
CONCIERTOS DE DIMENSIÓN VERTICAL Sundays, 4:00 pm / 2009 El Sauce Calle 9na. entre 120 y 130, Playa Tel. +(53) 7 204 7061 Dimensión Vertical, one of the oldest Cuban rock bands who insist on reproducing, the same as 40 years ago, hit songs by famous British and US rock bands of the 60s and 70s, make up, together with their middle-aged fans, a sort of Jurassic Park.
PEÑA DE LOS KENTS Sundays, 4:00 pm / 2009 Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Calle Paseo y 39, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651 Los Kents, another “dinosaur” of Cuban rock, play their own hits from the 60s and 70s.
PEÑA DE ENFUSIÓN Every Monday, 5:30 pm / 2009 Patio-bar of the EGREM record label San Miguel 410 entre Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 862 0673 A trova get-together hosted by Enfusión.
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LA BELLA CUBANA Wed 4 and 18, 5:00 pm / 2009 Sala Villena, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53 Dedicated to highlight the presence of women in Cuban music.
PEÑA DE REMBERT DUHARTE Last Friday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009 Jardines del teatro Mella Línea entre A y B, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 830 4987 The young jazz musician Rembert Duharte plays the different forms of Cuban jazz.
NOCHE DE BOLEROS Saturdays, 9:00 pm / 2009 Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53 Lovers of this romantic genre par excellence have the opportunity of meeting and enjoying the performances of the best Cuban boleristas.
PEÑA DE ROCHY Last Thursday of the month, 8:30 pm / 2009 Balneario Universitario El Coral Calle 1ra. esquina a 42, Miramar Performance by Cuban singer Rochy with her group and guests.
CONCIERTO ABIERTO Last Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009 Sala Villena Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551 al 53 Concert and electroacoustic music for soloists and chamber music ensembles, under the direction of Guido López Gavilán.
PEÑA DEL AMBIA Wed 11 and 25, 5:00 pm / 2009 Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53 The best place to go for those seeking to become acquainted with authentic African-Cuban traditions, hosted by the poet Eloy Machado, aka. El Ambia.
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TROVANDO Wednesday, 5:00 pm / 2009 Patio-bar of the EGREM record label San Miguel 410 entre Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 862 0673 A place where troubadours and poets get together for a unique performance in a bohemian atmosphere, combined with the launching and sale of record albums, books and magazines.
PEÑA DE LA TROVA Sunday, 7:30 pm / 2009 Patio de La Casona de Línea Calle Línea entre D y E, El Vedado As a confirmation of the old Cuban saying "The trova is not dead", singers from different generations and different styles get together to sing their songs.
LA TROVA SIN TRABA Wed 4 and 18, 5:00 pm / 2009 Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53 Different generations and styles converge in a natural combination of traditional, new and very new trova.
HOMBRES VERDES Third Friday of the month, 9:00 pm / 2009 Pabellón Cuba 23 y M, El Vedado A gathering for electroacoustic music sponsored by the organization of young Cuban creators: Asociación Hermanos Saíz.
LUCIA DE LAMMERMOOR 29 November, 5:00 pm / 2009 Gran Teatro de La Habana Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077-79 First produced in 1835, Lucia de Lammermoor, the tragic opera by Gaetano Donizetti, based on a novel by Walter Scott, has been part of the repertory of the most famous theatre companies in the world for over a century and a half. Cuba’s Teatro Lírico Nacional will perform this drama with accompaniment of the National Symphony Orchestra during the Week of Italian Culture.
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FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE COROS 26-30 November / 2009 Sala de Concierto Dolores, Santiago de Cuba An intensive programme of concerts in theatres, schools, factories, hospitals and public squares characterizes this International Chorus Festival during which audiences can enjoy the best of the repertoires of choral music. Due to its relevance, the festival’s venue, Santiago de Cuba, has received the name of Choral City.
CONCURSO DE JÓVENES JAZZISTAS JO JAZZ 26-29 November / 2009 Teatro Amadeo Roldán Calzada y D, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4521-22 Jo Jazz (Joven Jazz or Young Jazz), created by five-time Grammy winner Chucho Valdés in 1998, is a competition for young jazz singers and composers from 16 to 30 years of age. A special bonus for the winners is the chance to cut an album with Chucho.
LA CORTE DE FARAÓN 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31 October; Thu, Fri and Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5:00 pm / 2009 Gran Teatro de La Habana Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077 al 79 The well-liked operetta The Court of the Pharaoh by the Spanish composer Vicente Lleó will be performed by the Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba.
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE MÚSICA POPULAR BENY MORÉ 13-15 November / 2009 Santa Isabel de las Lajas, Cienfuegos Founded in 1980, orchestras and soloists from Cuba and other countries get together for four days to sing and dance in homage to a legend of Cuban music, admired by Cubans not only for his talent as singer, composer and bandleader, but also for his warmth, unpretentiousness and a touch of eccentricity: Beny Moré. The festival includes exhibitions, talks, guest papers, visits to the musician’s favorite hangouts, and the traditional procession to the grave of this great performer.
TARDES DEL JAZZ Second Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009 Hurón Azul, Unión de escritores and Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53 Jam sessions with important Cuban jazz musicians and bands.
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LÍRICOS EN SAN FELIPE 7:00 pm unless otherwise indicated / 2009 Oratorio San Felipe Neri Aguiar esquina a Obrapía, La Habana Vieja 5 Nov, 7:00 pm Cuban National Chorus and guests. 7 Nov, 4:00 pm The pianist María de los Ángeles Horta, soloists from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Gran Teatro de La Habana, conducted by Eduardo Díaz, will give a concert dedicated to arias with the intervention of soloist instruments in the history of opera. 12 Nov, 7:00 pm Recital by the soprano Diana Rosa Cárdenas and the ensemble of eight violoncellos conducted by Gladis Loo and Juan Verdera. 13 Nov, 7:00 pm Pequeño gran concierto flamenco, organized by the Ecos flamenco dance company. 14 Nov, 4:00 pm The sopranos María Eugenia Barrios, Bárbara Llanes and Ivette Betancourt will dedicate Habaneras en La Habana to the anniversary of the founding of the city. 19 Nov, 7:00 pm Recital by the Vocal Leo chorus, directed by Corina Campos. 21 Nov, 4:00 pm Tribute to Humberto Lara, outstanding figute of Cuban opera. 28 Nov, 4:00 pm Voces Nuevas--New Voices--a space for young operatic talents.
LATIN JAZZ 14 November, 5:00 pm / 2009 Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura Malecón 17 entre Prado y Genio, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 860 6282 Jazz concert by the pianist Yadasny Portillo.
CHARANGUEANDO Every Thursday at 5:00 pm / 2009 Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Calle Paseo y 39, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651 A regular space for Cuban charanga dance bands--ideal instrumental format for the danzón, mambo and cha-cha, hosted by the legendary América band.
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VERDADERO COMPLOT Third Sat of the month, 4:00 pm / 2009 Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Malecón 17 entre Prado y Genio, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 860 6282 A space for young trova talents, and the live recording of their performances.
NOVIEMBRE EN LA BASÍLICA 6:00 pm / 2009 Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Oficios y Churruca, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 9683 7 Nov Directed by Sonia McCormack, the Vocal Luna chorus will give a concert on the occasion of their 7th anniversary with works by Grieg, Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Liszt, Rimski Korsakov and Borodin. 11 Nov The Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble will offer a special performance on the occasion of the Cubadisco Honorary Prize presented to Eusebio Leal Spengler, City Historian of Havana. 13 Nov Concert by the popular singer-songwriter Liuba María Hevia, with her customary beautiful, melodious and poetical performances. 14 Nov Sonantas Habaneras, an all-female guitar ensemble, directed by Jesús Ortega, will perform works by Havana native composers. 21 Nov The Promúsica duet--María Victoria del Collado at the piano and Alfredo Muñoz at the violin–together with the clarinetist Dianelys Castillo, will perform works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Grieg and Brahms. 26 Nov As part of the Week of Italian Culture in Cuba, Rita Rondinella, accompanied on the piano by Fabio Silvestre with the participation of Mariblanca Armenteros, will sing Neapolitan songs. 27 Nov Concert dedicated to the Hungarian composers Franz Liszt, Bela Bartok, Zoltán Kodály and György Ligeti, by the Promúsica duet and the pianists Marita Rodríguez, Patricio Malcolm and Lisandra Rodríguez. 28 Nov Concert by the Nuestro Tiempo chamber music orchestra.
CONCIERTOS EN SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA 7:00 pm / 2009 Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula Desamparados y San Ignacio, Alameda de Paula, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 860 4210 6 Nov Raúl Zaballa (flute), Rode Loida Estévez (harpsichord) and Niurys Moreno (bassoon) will perform works by Vivaldi, Danacan and Scarlatti, among others. 13 Nov Dedicated to the anniversary of the founding of Havana, the Harold Gramatges Chamber Orchestra, formed by students from the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory and conducted by Noila Ortega, will perform works by the Cuban composers Esteban Salas, Beatriz Corona and Alejandro García Caturla, among others. 21 Nov Concert by Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine conducted by Leonor Suárez, with a varied repertory that goes from 16th-century European motets and madrigals to Irish, American and Cuban contemporary works.
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DANCE BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA 21, 22, 28 AND 29; SAT, 8:30 PM; SUN, 5:00 PM / 2009 Gran Teatro de La Habana Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077-79 21-22 Nov: Después del diluvio (choreography by Alberto Méndez with music by Camille Saint-Saëns) La fille mal gardée (choreography by Alicia Alonso based on the original by Jean Dauberval and nusic by Peter Ludwig Hertel) 28-29 Nov: Elegía por un joven / Fabio Di Celmo In Memoriam (choreography by Alicia Alonso with music by Vivaldi) Lucía Jerez (ballet in one act and three scenes, choreography by Alicia Alonso inspired by a script written by Fina García Marruz based on José Martí’s novel of the same name, and music by Enrique González Mantici Dionaea (choreography by Gustavo Herrera and music by Heitor Villa-Lobos.
BAILA EN CUBA 22-27 NOVEMBER / 2009 Havana The 4th world meeting of casino and salsa dancers and dance academies includes dance lessons, guest speeches, short courses and choreography workshops.
T H E AT R E XIII FESTIVAL DE TEATRO DE LA HABANA 30 October to 8 November / 2009 ll Havana theatres and theatres in Cienfuegos, Matanzas and Villa Clara Out of over 300 plays from 25 countries that were submitted for the consideration of the Organizing Committee of the 13th International Havana Theatre Festival, 30 companies from 16 countries were chosen, among them Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil from Latin America, as well as England, Slovenia, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey from the Old Continent, and the Republic of the Congo from Africa and the United States. Famous names from the world of theatre have been invited to this 13th edition: Pepe Bablé from Spain, director of the Cadiz Festival and of the Albanta Teatro theatre company; Dea Loher and Armin Petras from Germany, Robert Waltl from Slovenia, Guillermo Calderón from Chile, and Peter Goldfarb from the US, to name a few. Workshops and theoretical meetings will also take place during the event. so from Argentina (Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, 3-4 Nov, 8:30 pm) For the complete program
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A PREVIEW OF THE COMING MONTHS CHARANGAS DE BEJUCAL BEJUCAL, LA HABANA PROVINCE December 24, 25, 26 and January 1st Like many other festivals of this type in Cuba, the charangas (popular son-influenced Cuban music that began in the 1940s emphasizing flute, violin and piano orchestra) are related to Christmas celebrations, when white Catholics and black slaves would take to the streets with their musical instruments to pay tribute to their deities. Eventually, they divided into two groups: La Musicanga, which gathered the criollos (freed blacks and slaves); and Los Malayos (representing the Spaniards). Thanks to the fusion of cultures that characterizes Cuban identity, racial and class differences were lost with time, and belonging to one or another side was simply determined by each person’s preference. Rivalry between both sides today - now named La Ceiba de Plata and La Espina de Oro - consists in the ability to construct the most colourful and striking floats. The traditional music of the orchestra Los Tambores de Bejucal accompanies this festivity now attended not only by the inhabitants of the town, 20 km south of Havana, but by hundreds of visitors who enjoy the fantasy and creativity of designers, engineers, painters, musicians, choreographers, and dancers whose talent guarantees the vitality of one of the oldest popular celebrations in Cuba.
FERIA INTERNACIONAL DE ARTESANÍA FIART PABEXPO, LA HABANA 10-20 December Held as a way of expressing the identity and cultural diversity of different countries, this fair has promoted arts and crafts attracting thousands of visitors each year. Lectures, exhibits, fashion shows, sales and the crafts themselves offer an opportunity for interaction and exchange between artists and the public. In its 11 previous editions, the original treatment of contemporary design in handicrafts has been remarkable, in pieces which, without losing their ancestral nature, exhibit an undisputable touch of modernity, whether applied to textiles, fibres, leather, precious and semiprecious stones, metals, clay, or any other material ready to be fashioned and beautified through the sensitivity of craft artists.
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DEL NUEVO CINE LATINOAMERICANO LA HABANA 3-13 December Since 1979, Havana has been the venue for the New Latin American International Film Festival, which has served as a launch pad for Latin American cinematography and become one of the leading film festivals of the region. Awards are given in categories that include animation, documentary, fiction, first work, unpublished script and poster, as well as best direction, screenplay, actor, actress, art direction, photography, music, film editing and sound. Numerous professional workshops and seminars also take place during the festival, plus the much awaited screenings of international contemporary cinema.
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PARRANDAS DE REMEDIOS REMEDIOS, VILLA CLARA PROVINCE 24 December Legend has it that during the 1820s, a young priest officiating in Remedios—the eighth town founded by the Spaniards in Cuba—decided to have a group of children make a noise with whatever they had to hand in an effort to awaken lazy parishioners to attend mass in the chilly mornings of 24th December. From then on, neighbours would go out into the streets on the nights prior to Christmas for music and merrymaking. From 1871, a competition or “parranda” between two neighbourhoods—El Carmen and San Salvador—took place, each with its own hymn, colours, kites and lanterns. In 1875, complicated floats lit by flares and fireworks were paraded by each side at the town’s Plaza de Armas (town square). To this day, the two neighbourhoods continue with a rivalry characterized by the beauty and originality of these floats, as well as by the amazing pyrotechnics that from 9 pm on 24th December to dawn on 25th December, illuminate the city sky. Both sides keep their floats secret from each other during the course of the year with even members of the same family on either side of the fence sworn to secrecy against each other. Although these festivities have spread to other nearby localities of Guayos and Camajuaní, the Parrandas de Remedios are the oldest and most well known on the island.
PREMIO CASA DE LAS AMÉRICAS CASA DE LAS AMÉRICAS January Initiated in Havana in 1960 to draw attention to the most significant literary production in Latin America—and at a later date, the Caribbean, too—in the genres of poetry, novel, short story, essay, theatre and testimony, as well as works in other languages spoken in the region, the Casa de las Américas Literary Award has gathered outstanding figures of contemporary writing, including Miguel Ángel Asturias, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortázar, Alejo Carpentier, Allen Ginsberg, Nicolás Guillén, Nicanor Parra, Jaime Sabines, Alfredo Bryce Echenique, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Eduardo Galeano, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, José Lezama Lima, Italo Calvino, Camilo José Cela, José Saramago, to name a few. Throughout the years, many of the prize-winning works have become classics of the continent’s literature; thus, each year’s announcement creates great expectations among the public, who also have the opportunity to attend collateral activities programmed during the event.
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