a tropical

SIXTY YEARS AFTER THE REVOLUTION, CUBY PRISCILLA C. GAC-ARTIGAS, PH.D. BA

34 MONMOUTH Fall 2019 a tropical symphony

CUBAN VOICES TELL THEIR STORIES. CUBILLUSTRATIONS BY DAN WILLIAMS A

Fall 2019 MONMOUTH 35 Upon my arrival at the José Martí

International Airport,

I was struck with a realization: I had been invited to Cuba to present my But the overwhelming committed love research on innovative ways of teaching for the word; for literature, culture, and Cuba lives and moves at a literature, and so when I arrived in the education; and for the construction different pace; it vibrates with island nation last June, the conference, of people’s cultural identities spread VII Taller Internacional de la Enseñan- harmony through the symphony of a singular rhythm. If you za de las Disciplinas Humanísticas: “Las voices. As a fellow researcher1 noted want to get a sense of the real humanidades y la identidad cultural en in her presentation on Cuban poet el siglo XXI” (Humanities and Cultur- and statesman José Martí, in Martí, Cuba, you have but to adapt al Identity in the 21st Century), was my “teaching and real education intertwine to those tempos and embrace first stop. There, the tongues of present- with the struggles for the improvement ers from Cuba and around the world, as of the human race.” Martí’s thoughts the flexibility, openness, and well as of those of the audience mem- indeed represent the continuation of a richness of the unexpected. And bers, were unleashed, and voices of sun- humanist heritage that considers edu- of course, you need to know dry colors and textures jumped from the cation as a basic human right, essential papers to the open space of the Améri- to progress and individual and political how to listen. The country is a cas Convention Center. Some of them— freedom; his voice could not be left out symphony of voices that assault sounding out the reactions—whispered, of a conference highlighting the impor- while others were more open to speak- tance of the humanities, education, and your senses at every level and ing out about the need for critical think- strategies on how to reach the goals of in every context, but you must ing, of a more creative and disruptive the adopted United Nations Global Ed- approach to teaching literature and the ucation 2030 Agenda of “ensuring in- enter the concert with ears wide humanities. The worn-out voices of clusive and equitable quality education open so you can distinguish those who advocated for the status quo, and promoting lifelong learning oppor- those who, fearing changes, sought shel- tunities for all.” Martí’s words would be the different instruments and ter in past rhythms and melodies, could foremost on my mind throughout my intertwined melodies. also be heard. journey through Cuba.

36 MONMOUTH Fall 2019

Voices outside academia esides being heard, Cuba’s voic- es can also be seen. They scream Bfrom the wounded walls of an- cient palaces and exclusive buildings in old Havana, which today is home to the poorest of the poor in Cuba—those or- phans of relatives in foreign countries, hence without access to foreign mon- ey, or those who left the countryside in search of better opportunities, some- times three generations of families liv- ing in the same room. They scream, with dignity, for help, for the end of the suffer- ing, for the right to dream of a better life and the means to make it happen. The other buildings, the ones that have been renovated after the foreign invest- ment was approved, serve as lodging for tourists who go to Cuba not to get to know the people, but to witness “the end of a revolution”; those buildings ut- ter a different discourse. Cuban voices spoke to us from the bril- liant colors of the classic postcard cars of the ’50s, their drivers inviting you to take a trip back in time; from the old Havana; from the Vedado—the modern part of the city, its central business district and most affluent part; from the Hotel Nacional, which in the mid-’40s hosted Lucky Luciano and other mobsters; from the Plaza de la Revolución, or Rev- olution Square, where Fidel Castro used to address Cubans and political rallies still take place; from John Lennon Park, which in the ’60s sheltered the voices of young Cubans who dared to dream with him of a “life in peace,” disobeying their government’s prohibition on the Beatles’ music; and from the malecón, where Cubans of lesser means go to kill hot summer nights with families, or to fish, or to sell whatever they can to survive: cheap handicrafts, eggs, or raspados, a kind of slush with tropical syrups.

The people’s voices nd while showing the landmarks, the chauffeurs—sons or grandsons Aof original revolutionaries—add their notes to the symphony of voices. While thanking the revolution for what it gave them—free education and medical coverage—their voices become gloomy and sour recognizing that they earn more as taxi drivers than as engineers, doctors, or lawyers. And they fear the

38 MONMOUTH Fall 2019 effects of the embargo, and Donald only day she could meet with me. I was Trump’s latest measures prohibiting torn between meeting with her or going the entrance of cruise ships to Havana, to the discovery of a treasure. I opted for which decimated the number of tourists the second, and do not regret it. After all, visiting the island, but also the internal I can eventually meet with Nancy at any embargo imposed by the restrictions other professional meeting, but I will per- of the Cuban government. They love haps never have another opportunity to their country; they do not want to leave, visit the premises of Ediciones Vigía, an but they dream of a better life for their independent publishing house located in children and for more freedom to make Matanzas, Cuba. that happen. Ediciones Vigía specializes in hand- At the impressive and breathtaking made books. Its artisans use collaged Revolution Square, a mandatory stop in and repurposed materials such as recy- any visit to Cuba, we were surrounded by cled paper, buttons, yarn, fabric, dried voices coming from every corner of his- leaves and flowers, and pebbles to put to- tory. Presiding, the Cuba of the Indepen- gether a limited number of volumes—a dence was embodied in the monument maximum of 200 copies of each title are of Cuban national hero, José Martí. Fac- published. Today, these books are part of ing Martí, enclosing the area where peo- the collections at New York’s Museum of ple who make history stand for political Modern Art and the Beaubourg in Paris, rallies, images of revolutionary heroes to name but two. These books of unique were embroidered with one of their id- colors and textures make us hear the iosyncratic quotes: Camilo Cienfuegos voices of both Cuban and international with “Vas bien Fidel” (“You are going authors. Inside Ediciones Vigía, Martí’s down the right path, Fidel”) and el Che omnipresent voice was calling me, as it with “Hasta la victoria siempre” (“Until called me from the José Martí Interna- victory always”). To the right was the re- tional Airport, or the José Martí Nation- markable National Library José Martí, al Library, or the José Martí monument home to Cuba’s and the world’s literary in Revolution Square, from the voices of and intellectual heritage, where they the balseros, Cubans who lost their voic- gladly accepted copies of some of my es and their lives fleeing the country in books, a humble contribution. search of a better life for their children. The silent voices of Cubans absent I bought two bilingual books by Martí, from the Revolution Square, the ones of not only because he represents a pala- the geologists, pharmacists, attorneys, din of humanism, freedom, social jus- and so many other professionals with di- tice, and education as means to build a plomas from the Universidad de La Ha- more humane society, but because he bana, could be heard across the square. embodies many of the voices of Cuba There, people waited at the bus station and Latin America, including a literary to tend to their daily business as tenants, heritage that still informs us. waiters or waitresses, managers, or even On the plane home, while pondering my as owners of an apartment for rent or a experiences listening to the Cuban voices, paladar (small restaurant) after Raúl whether coming in words from the peo- Castro legally authorized the cuentapro- ple or in screams from the buildings, pistas (self-employed workers or literal- parks, and squares, I kept wondering: ly, “on your own-ists”). Voices that, like What will be the subsequent movement the taxi drivers’, expressed their sweet of this ever-changing symphony? Where and sour feelings for life in Cuba, their are all those voices heading to? satisfactions and disappointments, their expectations and lack of hope. Voices in- terrogating Cienfuegos: When did we ABOUT THE AUTHOR Priscilla C. Gac-Artigas, Ph.D., is a professor of lose the path? Which is the right path? Spanish and Latin American literature at Monmouth University, a Fulbright scholar, and a correspondent member of the Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española. Her attendance at the International Arts and Literature Conference Humanísticas in Varadero, Cuba, and her further research in Havana, was made possible in part through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning couple of days before I arrived mini-grant from Monmouth University’s Center for in Cuba, the national poet Nan- Excellence in Teaching and Learning. A cy Morejón, a longtime friend, NOTES was leaving for Ecuador, returning only 1 Lourdes Díaz Domínguez, professor of literature at on the last day of the conference, the the University of Matanzas.

Fall 2019 MONMOUTH 39