In Cuba, artist Yoan Capote says, “the sea is a symbol for hope, but it’s also a symbol for a trap, for tragedy.” Applying thousands of nails to plywood to create a series of seascapes, Capote’s hands were bloodied, yet there is a benthic quality to the works that conveys both beauty and treachery to … Read more
Based in Havana, Malpaso Dance Company brings Cuban contemporary dance into the 21st Century by collaborating with top international choreographers and nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography. Malpaso Dance Company is an associate company of Joyce Theater Productions. The company’s core artistic vision is led by resident repertory choreographer and artistic director Osnel Delgado . … Read more
Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He was born in Artemisa, Cuba on November 6, 1949. 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient 2016 Honorary Doctorate recipient in Fine Arts from The University of Notre Dame 10 Time Grammy Award Winner Emmy Award Recipient 6 Time Billboard Award Winner 2015 Hispanic Heritage … Read more
Born in Havana in 1853, José Julián Martí y Pérez was the son of poor Spanish immigrants. Thanks to the aid of his teacher, Martí was able to attend high school at the time the Ten Years’ War, Cuba’s first struggle for independence. Martí quickly committed himself to the cause, publishing his first newspaper La … Read more
Havana Club Rum is a Cuban icon known by rum enthusiasts worldwide – except in the U.S. where its importation is restricted by the U.S. embargo and its trademark is the subject of an epic legal battle with spirits giant Bacardi. What’s not well known is the taste of Cuban culture the Cuban rum brand … Read more
It is no surprise, given both the historic and present context, that Cuba earns an outsized impact at one of the world’s most important film festivals by punching way above its weight. This year, Cuba’s gifts will even brighter at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to two documentary premiers, the island nation will … Read more
The Havana Jazz Festival, sponsored by famed Cuban jazz artist Chucho Valdes and ICM, or the Cuban Institute of Music, just concluded its 32nd year. Cuba has a long jazz tradition. And its annual Havana Jazz Festival attracts musicians from all over the world. At this year’s festival, though, one of the biggest attractions was a … Read more
When Kelsy Dominick was approached by Cuban Trade representatives after a showing at New York Fashion Week, she had no idea that she would become the first American designer since the 1960 to showcase her work in Cuba. The event that marked Kelsy’s debut in Cuba was this year’s Arte y Moda, the largest fashion … Read more
With the support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), a team from one of the country’s leading art conservation programs visited Cuba last month as part of a historic educational trip. NEH Chairman William D. Adams announced the $30,000 grant to the Winterthur-University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) … Read more
Expressed as a map, Cuba’s linguistic heritage would resemble a map of the world. The words and phrases brought to life in Pedro Menocal’s new book, Cubanisms, don’t just step off the page but out of the undulating, living landscape of Cuba, past and present. Click here to read the Cuba Journal’s review of Cubanisms.
