Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta havana. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta havana. Mostrar todas las entradas

viernes, 5 de agosto de 2011

Latin American Artists in Circuba 2011



Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba top the list of countries in the Americas with the highest representation in the International Festival Circuba 2011, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Mesoamerican University of Puebla is the Mexican institution with the largest representation in this festival, in which Abraham Hernandez and Stephanie Guzman will debut, with Bambu aereo (air Bamboo) and juggler Alejandro Ramirez. In the festival the young Mexican contortionist Andrea Narvaez will also perform; he worked with the world famous Cirque du Soleil, participated in the last three editions of Circuba and won a mention in 2009.

Kevin Flores, representing the fifth generation of a Mexican family dedicated to the circus, will show the Cuban public for the first time his art of juggling with balls, footballs, hats and torches, added to the traditional nails and Olympic hoops.

According to the program of the event, the Venezuelan delegation consists of representatives from Circosur, including tightrope walker Charlie Garcia and from the National Circus Company, juggler Ramon Mendoza and the duo Mariana Fonseca and Dicxon Inciso.


The Company Havana, from Cuba's National Circus, will present several acts of technical complexity such as jumping in Russian bar (baltich) and capillary force, an act of aerial acrobatics that returns to the scene, performed for the first time by a girls duo.


North America will be represented by American Shayna Swanson and Canadian duo of Véronique Dumont and Isabelle Nault.
Swanson is one of the international stars that will perform at the show presented from 8 to 14 August at the Parisien Cabaret, Hotel Nacional de Cuba, one of the sub venues of this festival.

lunes, 23 de mayo de 2011

Casa de las Americas Announces 2011 Literature Contest

This year, the annual Casa Award will include two prizes for investigative writing: one for essays on Latino studies in the United States, and another for essays on the black presence in Latin America and the Caribbean today.

Authors of any nationality with a book of essays published between 2009 and 2011 on literary/artistic and social/historical topics will be able to compete in these two new contests, and even to participate with books published in Spanish or English during the same period.

The other genres for the Casa Award are: literature for children and young people, theater, Caribbean literature -with works published between 2008 and 2011- and Brazilian literature (nonfiction) in Portuguese language with texts published between 2008 and 2011.

The jury will meet in Havana in January 2012.

sábado, 23 de abril de 2011

Museum of the History of Sciences under Restoration




Construction workers in the Cuban capital have begun the total restoration of the Carlos J. Finlay National Museum of the History of Sciences, also the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Havana.


Carmen Pons Morejon, with Havana’s Office of the City Historian, told us that specialists from this institution are undertaking the renovation works in the building, which is regarded as the first museum in Cuba and dates back to 1823.


She explained that the restoration project is financed by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO); and it is backed up by the Master Plan and the Provincial Commission of Monuments, and the Academy of Sciences of Cuba (ACC).


This building also hosts the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Havana, which was founded in 1861 at the initiative of renowned researchers led by Surgeon Nicolas Jose Gutierrez Hernandez.


On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, the Foreign Relations Secretary of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba said that the Executive Bureau of the International Council for Science (ICSU) will meet in Havana, in May, for the first time since its foundation in 1931.

The restoration works will conclude in 2012.


jueves, 21 de abril de 2011

Photo Exhibit on First Astronaut





A photographic look back at the first astronaut in the world is enjoyed by Cubans and tourists at Havana's Museum of Natural History.




The exhibit Vamonos, 50 Years after Humanity's First Flight into Space, opened last week with the presence of Russian Ambassador Mikhail Kamynin and celebrates Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin.

Provided by the Ria Novosti news agency, the photos show different moments of Gagarin's career and his ties with leaders of the Cuban Revolution.

Gagarin was the first president of the former Cuba-Soviet Union Friendship Society, along with legendary revolutionary and guerrilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara.

April 12 was recently designated International Day of Human Space Flight by the United Nations.

sábado, 12 de marzo de 2011

Yellow Submarine in Havana

Just across the street, where John Lennon is, was inaugurated "Yellow Submarine", an unique cultural recreation center on 17 and 6 St.​​ corner in Vedado, Havana city.

Inspired by the statue of Lennon which is only 96 steps from the place, the old Club Atelier was remodeled, with a different cultural concept, a different style and a new name.

It would be very presumptuous to name the place “The Beatles”, so was chosen "Yellow Submarine", the title of a song that is immediately recognized in both English and Spanish, as a classic in the repertoire of the band.

The Yellow Submarine is present in The Beatles’ music and graphics, resulting a hymn to friendship. Moreover, there are posters, comics, record covers and an animated feature film with that title, which shows characters in a fantastic and unreal world created to convey social messages of peace and love, which achieved great success to six years of Betles’ existence.

Created and recreated through design, lighting and ambience, a look at the heyday of The Beatles, which was added another important aspect, is that Club that is located in the basement of a building, which may be associated sensually with a submarine.

With these premises, from the identifier of the place through a picture is represented the spirit of innovation and spontaneity of the group, to the bar, made with images of album covers of The Beatles, it’s still amazing what was achieved.

The bar takes details from the submarine hatches such as the keels, the tubular forms and proportions.

The color as a protagonist, takes the chromatic Pop harmonies saturated and bright on a dark blue providing the unique intimacy of these rooms which together with the lyrics of songs, captured on the walls, forming an active part of the local graphic, expressed in dynamic style, create empathy in visitors to the area, with the work of The Beatles and closer to the original texts of their most famous songs.

Many are the successes of "Yellow Submarine", which also pay tribute to "The Beatles", this new place is within the main recreation purposes, from a quality program that helps enrich the culture of our people.

At the opening of “Yellow Submarine” was paid deserved tribute to the maestro Leo Brouwer, staunch defender of the music by The Beatles, who on March 1st celebrated his 72nd birthday.


We’ll always remember the moment when Brower publically stated that the Beatles had revolutionized the music of the 20th century. It was still necessary to wait many years to be able to demonstrate our affinity for this great group that has influenced not only the music of Latin America, including Cuba, but has notably influenced very important Cuban musicians.


The opening artistic proposal had the performance of the group "Los Kent" who inspired on John Lennon, Paul Mc Cartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, was founded in 1965 under the direction of René Carlos Carnero and kept in his repertoire The Beatles classic songs forever.

Starting at 9 pm and until 2 am, the entry is paid in local currency and the audience can interact with a live musical group different every night.


"Yellow Submarine" is open from Tuesday to Sunday in the hours of 2 pm to 8 pm, with free admission. During that time, visitors can enjoy songs by The Beatles and audiovisual as well as groups that were highlighted in the 60s and 70s, in the genre pop / rock.



That was an unforgettable night filled with memories and very special gathering of friends, all fans of The Beatles’ music forever.



Following that attempt of the artistic direction and the program of the centre, the place is leaded by two loyal followers and experts of the work of The Beatles.



We’re talking about Ernesto Juan Castellanos, author of four books dedicated to the mentioned band, among which it is worth mentioning “El Stgo. Pimienta vino a Cuba en un Submarino Amarillo” and Guille Vilar, director of the TV program ”A Capella” and the radio program Juventud 2000. They both are the authors of the documentary “Descalzos por Abbey Road” (Bare feet through Abbey Road).



jueves, 24 de febrero de 2011

Folkloric Ballet of Tlaxcala in Havana

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The Folkloric Ballet of Tlaxcala performed at the building of the Cuban Friendship Institute. This was third show of the Mexican company in Havana during its current visit to Cuba.


The ballet company was invited to perform in Cuba by the Jose Marti Cultural Society as part of activities marking 120 years of the publication of Marti’s assay Our America.


The group performed dances from Tlaxcala such as the Ball Dance of the Epoch (1894-1911) and the Knives Dance, which is a farmers’ satire of landowner’s parties, currently performed in local carnivals.

Another autochthonous choreography was "Cuadrillas de Tizatlón," also a parody of ball dances in the way of humble and poor farmers, director and choreographer Gregorio Corona Perez said.


The Folkloric Ballet of Tlaxcala was founded by Enrique Dorantes Diaz and Corona Perez and it is made up of about 30 dancers of 10 to 27 years of age. It performed for the first time in 1993.


The company is scheduled to perform at the Casa Alba cultural center and to participate in activities marking 100th anniversary of the first public housing project for workers in Cuba.