CUBANÍA ISSUE the essence of all things Cuban lahabana.com LA HABANA.COM is an independent platform, which seeks to showcase the best in Cuba arts & culture, life-style, sport, travel and much more... We seek to explore Cuba through the eyes of the best writers, photographers and filmmakers, both Cuban and international, who live work, travel and play in Cuba. Beautiful pictures, great videos, opinionated reviews, insightful articles and inside tips. “El Litoral” HAVANA GUIDE The ultimate guide to Havana with detailed reviews of where to eat, drink, dance, shop, visit and play. Unique insights to the place that a gregarious, passionate and proud people call home. La Guarida Like us on Facebook for Over 100 videos including Follow us on Twitter for beautiful images, links to interviews with Cuba’s best regular updates of new interesting articles and artists, dancers, musicians, content, reviews, comments regular updates. writers and directors. and more. OUR CONTRIBUTORS We are deeply indebted to all of the writers and photographers who have shared their work with us. We welcome new contributors and would love hear from you if you have a Cuba-related project. Photo by Y. del Monte EDITORIAL So, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are coming to Cuba on March 21-22 to watch baseball. At least they are scheduled to attend an exhibition match between The Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team on Tuesday March 22. On Friday, the Rolling Stones are playing the final leg of their Latin American tour in Havana at the Ciudad Deportiva. Not so long ago, the preceding paragraph would be seen as a futuristic spoof of a very different Havana. For this month, this is simply what’s on in the trendiest spot in the Caribbean. A famous visitor, spot of baseball and some good music! Obama’s will be the first sitting US president to visit Havana since Calvin Coolidge in 1928 and only the second in the history between the two countries. Expect massive wall-to-wall international coverage and a security presence that is likely to shut down Havana for the duration of his visit. It is a mark of the sign of the times that last year at this time we were talking about Paris Hilton’s entrance at the Habanos Cigar Festival, this year’s version now about to come to an end with the Gala Dinner. My money for Secret Santa this year is on the Terminator. This issue has as its main feature Cubanía, which may be loosely translated as the essence of being Cuban. From dominoes to Guarapo, to the simple nature of playing on the streets of Cuba and Havana’s latest style-cuts, being Cuban eludes too clear a definition, but we like it! One day absolutely not to miss this month is Tuesday March 8, which is of course International Women’s Day. This is taken very seriously in Cuba—flowers are an essential accessory. Elsewhere March is a great month, winter seems to have ended, and it is safe to go back to the beach, to lounge in the Caribbean sunshine. The Americans have definitely launched a tourist invasion but they aren’t so bad really—just avoid the timing when the tour buses meet the cruise ships in Old Havana! New bars and restaurants continue to enliven the social scene in Havana and there is ample choice of music and dance events at this time of year. Enjoy. Abrazos! The LaHabana.com Team About our new look In January we introduced our new logo, look and feel. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s not a huge departure from the original Cuba Absolutely logo. Rather, we’re staying close to our roots, whilst we position ourselves for an expansion into the digital realm with LaHabana.com. We will continue to expand our monthly themes while maintaining the popular “What’s On” section as an integral part of the Magazine. In the coming months, we will bring online weekly updates on what to see and do in…La Habana. Please send us your feedback and comments. INDIVIDUALINDIVIDUAL TRAVELTRAVEL to Cuba BOOK TODAY WITH CUBA TRAVEL NETWORK! Cuba Travel Network: Definitely Dierent Come and experience Cuba with a company that's passionate about the magical island. Our on the ground team in Cuba is the first to know about the country's developments—from new hotels and tour possibilities to ever-changing travel regulations, and we love to show our beautiful home to the world. With Cuba Travel Network, experience Cuba as a traveler, not a tourist. Why travel with Cuba Travel Network? • CTN is the premier travel service provider for the individual traveler planning trips to Cuba, handling accommodation, all domestic flights and excursions. • On-the-ground assistance from expert concierge representatives throughout the island. • Choose from fully guided, flexible and special interest tours. • Real-time availability and immediate booking confirmation for 220+ hotels and 50+ rental car locations. • Secure online payment; Visa & MasterCard accepted. US - [email protected] | 1 800 282 2468 (Toll Free) Europe - [email protected] | +31 (0)20 794 7962 Asia - [email protected] | 1800 198 150 (Toll Free) Rest of the world - [email protected] | +53 (0)7 214 0090 CubaTravelNetwork.com Photo by Ana Lorena MARCH 2016 Cubanía: the essence of being Cuban p7 LA CUBANÍA Dominoes: a Cuban passion p9 Guarapo: The Cuban drink par excellence p12 The truth about Guayaberas (and some lies) p14 Playing on the streets of Cuba p17 Havana’s newest coiffures p20 The Cuban Guateque Guajiro p22 Celebrating International Women’s Day in Cuba p25 INTERNATIONAL Cuban Women: Body and Soul p28 Women’s DAY Obama’s visit to Cuba: What will it bring? p31 IN OTHER NEWS Rolling Stones Coming to Havana? p38 Visual Arts p32 — Photography p35 — Dance p36 — HAVANA LISTINGS Music p40 — Theatre p49 — For Kids p50 Features - Restaurants - Bars & Clubs - Live Music - HAVANA GUIDE Hotels - Private Accommodation p59 All about Cubanía: the essence of being Cuban by Ricardo Alberto Pérez lahabana Cuba's Digital Destination PAGE 7 Some people are often puzzled when asked “What is cubanía?” The question often results in many to shrug or to give of a hackneyed response like “cubanía is tobacco, music, rum, palm trees, roast pork and sugar cane.” More than 60 years ago, the scholar Fernando Ortiz said that “cubanidad” is the generic condition of Cuban people, and “cubanía” is full, heartfelt, conscious and desired cubanidad; a responsible cubanidad with the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.” In 1939 Don Fernando Ortiz gave a lecture entitled Such a sustained and fervent distinction offered “The human factors of cubanidad” at the University by the generic condition of being Cuban up to of Havana, and one year later it appeared in print the brim, even beyond anything felt, conscious in the “Revista Bimestre Cubana”. Ever since then, and wished for, defines cubanía. It is a matter of experts and dilettantes have given various opinions a responsible sense of awareness and “homeland about the subject of cubanidad and cubanía. Some roots” that emerge from below and from within have been ludicrous, untrue, local, reductionist, with the profound pride of mestizaje (a process of stereotypical, frozen in time or simply factors that cultural synthesis from different racial origins). In are common to any other group of people. a relatively small area like the island of Cuba and in a relatively brief period of time, the most diverse Ortiz, a scholar who has been rightly called cross-currents and itineraries came together, our third discoverer—right after Christopher from all manner of origins and provenances, a Columbus and Alexander von Humboldt—based permanent transitoriness of farewells and adieus, his opinion on the assurance that Cuba is not a welcomes and receptions: We are proud to be one concept that is the same for everybody, not even of the most intermixed peoples on the planet. for the geographers, because this is an island and also an archipelago. Although in its simplest There are those who have demonstrated their sense, cubanidad is the “quality of being Cuban,” cubanidad and cubanía by the recurrent use of holding political citizenship or natural citizenship Cubanisms that can function as some external because of having been born in this country are aspect but can also be consciously used, not conditions enough for possessing cubanía. constituting traits of true authenticity. With his tremendous linguistic sensibility, José Lezama Cubanía is an individual condition, one that is Lima used to amuse himself with countless voices constantly mutating. The most quoted expression heard on the street and he would refute those who given by Ortiz in his lecture was that “Cuba is an labelled him as a “dark poet” by challenging them ajiaco (a stew or soup)” with an infinite diversity to decipher the meaning of ampanga or tíbiri- of ingredients. But we tend to forget that he was tábara. speaking of a cazuela abierta or pot without a lid, a process like a stew that is constantly cooking, in Before and after Ortiz, many have attempted to which feelings, ideas and actions associated with define “the Cuban essence,” possibly an obsession it are being melded together. It doesn't matter of colonial or semi-colonial “newcomers” during whether or not you have legal citizenship: you can several centuries who need to reaffirm their be born anywhere on this planet but acquire the endangered identity. But perhaps it was Lezama awareness of being Cuban, passionately desiring himself, with the synthesis and ambiguity of poetry, this.