Some Thoughts About Cuban Music
by Linda Hoeschler, 2002
Friday, November 8, 2002 - I fly from Miami (Knight Foundation meeting) to Cancun, spend about 6 hours in airport, then fly to Havana. Tortuous entry! To bed at Nacional Hotel, hopping with music and dancing! Saturday - City tour, Revolucion Square, government buildings and shrines; Jose Marti; In Cuba you see your first car! Che Guevara is a major saint.
The 'Camel', major public transportation; All buildings need repair; University of Havana; Discussing academics?
We then drive to Old Havana for lunch at La Mina; Fort guarding harbor in background.
Stilted musicians, dancers.
Old Havana street in better repair; Crocheting on sidewalk; Restaurant singers
Lovely main square art project, Callejon de Hamel; Sheila Stern adds more color.
Water towers with labels such as 'Aqua Dulce'; Shrine in project.
Sunday, November 10, 2002 - We begin day touring Hemingway Museum.
Art gallery across street from restaurant; Typical sights.
After group photo, Beth Fluke and I walk around town; Pentecostal Church. Pastor and wife have been to USA; Private restaurant in town; Lerlys Morales, musician and Maria Hue Fong Bringas producer, meet with these counterparts in hotel, Sunday afternoon. Off to mass in evening, great singing.
Sunday, November 10, 2002 - Leaetta Hough and Carol Lilyholm tour home in La Terraza area
Sunday night, dancing lessons at Ambos Mundos, a great favorite of Hemingway (Leaetta photos); Jill's birthday; Dancing all the way home! Jill & Christina.
Monday, November 11, 2002 - Meet with Alicia Gonzalez who details Cuban women's gains and challenges. The outside Havana to JoJo White Center; In La Guinera (from LA), Ti (Dec) White
Views of the rehabbed town. Had been all shanties before.
Monday night, great talks with U. of Havana economist; Tuesday, November 12 - UNEAC (Artists' Union). 1. Marta Rojas, journalist. Discussion on 5 Cubans in US jail. 2. Then on to Friendship Institute (Nikki Lampone, Christina Campbell, Cathy Smith). 3. Lunch at Dona Carmela. 4. Casas de las Americas. 5. Center for Women and Families; Then evening ceremony at La Habana! Alicia Gonzalez joined us here.
Gallery guide for Casas de las Americas; Great lunch at Palador, private home.
Mary Ann Welsh, delightful attorney; Dona Carmela scenes, best meal in Cuba! View from hotel room; Tuesday eve - Go to La Cabana Fortress. 19th soldiers fire canons. Great Che Museum there with relics. c/f Revolucion Museum in Old Havana.
Tuesday, November 12 - (More Leaetta photos). Friendship Institute, AM, Center for Women and Families, PM; Examples of homes taken by Castro and used for NGO and government orgs.
Tuesday night - ceremony at La Cabana Fortress overlooking harbor; Chapel; Nikki, Sheila, Christina.
Wednesday, November 13 - We begin day with tour of Pediatric Hospital; Kathy Smith, MD, great interpreter of what we are seeing; People use all types of vehicles to get there; After hospital we go to cigar factory. Famous swans.
Wednesday before lunch - tour fortifications & tunnels built on Nacional grounds in preparation for US invasion during Missile Crisis, 1962.
Wednesday afternoon - Briefing by Susan Archer at US Interests Section, then tour of Revolucion Museum, Followed by fabulous Rumba concert at UNEAC, and an evening at the Tropicana.
Wednesday night - A 2 hour show at the Tropicana stage under the stars! Acrobats to dancers; Before breast implants hit country (thankfully!); Huge band (40+) & 60+ dancers.
More Leaetta photos. Wednesday, November 13 - Pediatric Hospital; Sheila gets her cigar; Nacional Hotel (modeled on Breakers); Entrance to tunnels on hotel grounds for US invasion.
UNEAC concert in afternoon. 5 different groups sing and dance Rumbas!
Leaetta pix, Wed. PM; LLH with Marti; Museo de Revolucion, Battista's Palace, Che shrine cum relics within.
Thursday, November 14 - Meeting with Norma Vasallo, professor of Women's Studies at U. of Havana; Lovely seaside lunch; Then a wonderful tour of Flora Fong's studio & home
Madeline O'Brien & Fong's husband; Son's studio; Fong's brother and son; Painting under consideration; Leaetta's purchase.
Leaetta and Carol.
A lovely visit with top Cuban composer and teacher, Alfredo Nieto; Studio and wall Nieto designed and painted; Leaetta, Lillian, Alfredo Nieto and me. Next day he received Living Artist Award; Art Award for Nieto.
After brief dinner, off to Afro-Cuban dances. But first we tour Afro-Cuban Museum with all sorts of Christian-African fetishes & altars. More interesting were apartments across the way.
Thursday evening, 10PM, heavenly 2 hour concert by Pedro Ferrer on his front porch; Followed by tour of his studio
Friday, November 15 - Last full day. Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve, sustainable community; Our lovely guide shows key spots in this old coffee plantation; The usual wonderful live music.
Las Terrazas school and village; Lovely guide.
In the classroom; Bus and bus driver.
The group; Amused onlookers; Delegation Board; California sweeties, Sheila, Christina & Nikki.
Another village in La Terraza
Hand-painting Che books and T-shirts; Granddaughter of Maria roasts and sells her own coffee. All proceeds to the community; Hotel; Cuban wine.
A final stop at the coffee plantation manor; Coffee trees; Mary as Manor Mistress.
Daughter and mother; Catherine Patrick ans Sharon Vosmek, Global Exchange Liaison and birthday girl.
Still Friday, November 15 - Farewell dinner at El Mercurio; Pedro Ferrer came to dinner. First man to do so in Delegation's history! Farewell hug to our room maid.
Car portraits by Leaetta.
Leaetta's portraits of Cuban homes.
More photos by Cathy Smith; Nacional entrance; Federation of Cuban Women.
UNEAC; Friendship.
Dr. Norma Vasallo, U. of Habana; A Camel