CULTURE: ART

In the Cuba born of the revolution, the greatest interest was brought to architecture and urban planning to solve the problems of housing: the solution of low-density building agglomerations, with single-family buildings, was then succeeded, for economic reasons, by more interventions concentrated, with extensive use of prefabrication. Among the most important realizations is the administrative residential complex of “Havana Est”, with an equipped central nucleus that alternates buildings developed in height with others horizontally, alternating with green areas, with constant separation of pedestrian and car paths. As for the visual arts, the priority given to the basic acculturation process has focused interest on the massive use of mass media (radio, TV, cinema), for which the most original forms of expression were found, more than in painting – among whose protagonists we remember R. Portocarrero (1912-1985), H. Consuegra (1929-2003), founder of the “Grupo de los Once”, L. Posada -, in graphics, in fabric design, in theatrical and cinematographic sets, in illustration and in the creation of posters, in which Cuban production is among the liveliest in Latin America. The government has largely supported artists by facilitating their work, providing the means and promoting their art through galleries and museums (National Museum of Fine Arts, Gallery of Havana) and exhibitions (such as the Havana Biennale). founder of the “Grupo de los Once”, L. Posada -, in graphics, in fabric design, in theatrical and cinematographic scenographies, in illustration and in the creation of posters, in which Cuban production is among the liveliest of the Latin America. The government has largely supported artists by facilitating their work, providing the means and promoting their art through galleries and museums (National Museum of Fine Arts, Gallery of Havana) and exhibitions (such as the Havana Biennale). founder of the “Grupo de los Once”, L. Posada -, in graphics, in fabric design, in theatrical and cinematographic scenographies, in illustration and in the creation of posters, in which Cuban production is among the liveliest of the Latin America. The government has largely supported artists by facilitating their work, providing the means and promoting their art through galleries and museums (National Museum of Fine Arts, Gallery of Havana) and exhibitions (such as the Havana Biennale).

CULTURE: DANCE

The theatrical dance made its first documented appearance on the island in 1842, with Fanny Elssler, who, alongside her regular partner and sister, performed in a ballet evening at the Tacòn Theater in Havana. Subsequently, a tour of the company of Anna Pavlova touched Cuba in 1917. According to directoryaah, Cuba is a country in Caribbean. The Sociedad pro Arte Musical began to organize, starting from 1931, some evenings of ballet and, within the Conservatory managed by it, a classical dance course from which they emerged Ferdinando Alonso and Alicia Martinez Alonso, the latter destined to become a star of the first magnitude and advocate of the modern and admired Cuban ballet tradition, an original technical-stylistic fusion between the Soviet and American schools. His Ballet Alicia Alonso, founded in 1948 and became Ballet de Cuba in 1955, was awarded the title of Ballet Nacional de Cuba after the Castro revolution of 1959. promoting an articulated presence in Cuban society, through a system of regional schools, culminating in the National School and the Higher School of Art. These are flanked by the company’s activity, a historical-iconographic documentation center and a specialized quarterly. Other smaller companies operate in Cuba: the Danza Nacional de Cuba group, the Conjunto Folklòrico Nacional, and the Conjunto de Danzas Escénicas, the Ballet de Camagüey, directed by Fernando Alonso, the Conjunto Folklòrico de Oriente and the Conjunto Folklòrico Cotumba. An important International Ballet Festival is held on the island every two years, under the aegis of Alonso and her national company.

CULTURE: MUSIC

Cultured music did not have a particularly important development in Cuba, even if in the twentieth century there was no lack of composers such as Amadeo Roldán and Alejandro García Caturla who, moreover, went back to local popular music that boasts a tradition of all respect: yes it can be said that Cuba was the main generating center of South American musical folklore. An essential feature of this tradition is the fusion of European (Spanish) components, especially as regards the melodic aspect, with strong Afro-American influences. The most common musical types are dances in binary rhythm, with notable use of syncopes (the result of African influences) and characterized by rhythmic patterns that are found developed in Brazilian or Argentine dances. The most important types are the danzón (a development of the European counter dance), the son, the habanera (which inspired European musicians and from which the tango derives), the rumba and the conga. Numerous music festivals take place throughout the year in the country, ranging across all genres: from the recent style derived from the cross between hip hop and rap with Latin rhythms, to the now classic latin-jazz. Also worth mentioning is the remarkable success of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon, in terms of albums (1997), films (1999, director Wim Wenders), and concerts, which undoubtedly contributed to spreading Cuban music even more worldwide. Originally from Cuba are the famous pop singer Camila Cabello and singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui.