Cuba Journal 
Staying at the Santa Brígida Convent does not require you to take the oath of chastity during your stay, but it will put you in a quiet place and perhaps transport you to some earlier time when things were simpler. The convent (Santa Brígida’s Convent of the Order of Santa Brígida’s Saint Saving (Century XVIII), … Read more
According to music legend Carlos Santana, Francisco Aguabell teaches how, “music and spirituality are one and the same.” Francisco Aguabella was born October 10, 1925, and raised in the Matanzas drumming tradition of Cuba. In 1953, he immigrated to the U.S and established himself in California as an olu batá (batá drummer). Batá drumming is … Read more
Judging by Cuba’s emphasis on music education in the first 12 years of school, eight hours per week means they are among the most musical people in the world. The music scene in Cuba has evolved over the last several years as major bands including the Rolling Stones have played for massive crowds. And increased … Read more
Tauck Small Ship Cruising, one of the world’s top luxury cruise operators, is adding a new Cuba cruise in partnership with Ponant. The company has announced a new 10-day cruise for 2018 aboard the three-masted schooner Le Ponant. The people to people voyage will call on stops around the coast of Cuba between Havana and … Read more
New, low fares to Cuba are prompting many people who never considered going to Cuba to take the leap and experience the island nation while it retains some of its nostalgic quality. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and has 40% more coastline than Florida – so it’s not going to be spoiled … Read more
According to a report published this week by advertising and public relations giant WPP, Cuba will take at least four to five years before it emerges as a significant consumer market for brands seeking exposure to the island nation’s once (and still – to some degree) forbidden population. While Cuba’s brand landscape is highly appealing … Read more
Somewhere between the hints of coffee and dark chocolate, the luxurious aroma of black cherry and cacao, I stopped and simply admired this hand-crafted Cuban product. “This is a special cigar,” I said to myself. And that’s exactly what the Bolivar Super Coronas is. This was released back in 2015 as one of Habanos’ “Ediciones … Read more
Generations of Jews living in Cuba (sometimes referral to as “Jewbans”) added to the rich complexity of Cuba’s cultural history. It is estimated that more than 24,000 Jews lived in Cuba in 1924, and more immigrated to the island nation in the 1930s. But during and after the 1959 communist revolution, more than 90% of … Read more
Flights to Cuba from the U.S. have increased dramatically in recent months, but Miami’s Little Havana still bustles with tourists mixing it up with the people, tastes and smells of the island nation. Miami is an oasis of swaying palm trees, white beaches, yachts and gigantic tour ships in the harbor, a handy monorail transit … Read more
Cuban baseball players’ contributions to the U.S. major league baseball (MLB) defies explanation. The island nation’s phenomenal success in baseball starts for Cubans at an early age. In Havana, atop roofs and through chain-linked fences, a dozen spectators – half of them mothers – typically gather to watch and cheer as their young boys, mostly … Read more
