What’s On Havana, listings and reviews of cultural events in Havana, updated monthly, Havana events and schedules and timetables for nightlife and cultural events

Visual Arts

	Laderas Galería La Acacia San José 114 entre Industria y Consulado, Centro Habana C 861 3533	Throughout December /2009
	One of the busiest commercial galleries in Havana today, which has combined its commitment to theproduction of the new generations of artists with the validity and permanence of established artists,proposes this dialogue between academic artists and the avant-garde, usually consideredantagonistic.

	Abstracta Minera Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Edificio de Arte Cubano Trocadero entre Monserrate y Zulueta, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140, 861 3858, 863 9484	Throughout december 2009 and January 2010
	Twenty-nine recent works by the painter Minerva López, described by Moraima Clavijo, Director ofthe National Museum, as “refined and serene, and at the same time original and disturbing” formthis exhibition by an artist who has gone from figuration to abstraction, with a very personal style.

	Los Angeles de hoy Casa Fundación Oswaldo Guayasamín Obrapía entre Oficios y Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 3843	Through 6 December / 2009
	Ten paintings in acrylic, charcoal and pastel from the series G and San Isidro, by the artistDagoberto Jaquinet, who delves into social topics of contemporary Cuba, especially regarding theconcerns and behaviour of youth.

	Truene y relampaguee Casa Fundación Oswaldo Guayasamín Obrapía entre Oficios y Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 3843	Opens 4 december / 2009
	First solo exhibition by the popular Cuban TV and cinema actor Alberto Pujol.

	Un lugar en el mundo Galería Villa Manuela Calle H número 406 entre 17 y 19, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 2391	Throughout December / 2009
	An exhibition by Roberto Diago, who according to the critics and its curator, Elvia Rosa Castro, showsthat the artist “knows how to treat materials. He is able to exploit his expressive abilities to thefullest. He makes them coexist in an excellent tension of fragility and solidity of arte povera and cool.Two-dimensionality strives to abort and becomes sculpture. He forces matter to project a vision ofpermanence and temporariness without taking away an inch of beauty.”

	Habaneras diosa Indiana useo Biblioteca Servando Cabrera Moreno Calle Paseo 304 esquina a 13, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 835 2027 y 836 001	THROUGHOUT December / 2009
	The female figures by the Cuban painter Servando Cabrera Moreno, which were exhibited for the firsttime in 1975 and have never been shown as a group since then, aroused reluctance among critics andconnoisseurs; some branded them as facile, banal or just plain decorative, while others conjecturedhidden phallic symbols in the elegant faces atop the Modigliani-like flexible necks. Almost 35 yearslater, 31 of these paintings are being exhibited again.

	3 Visiones en 3 Luces Fototeca de Cuba Mercaderes 307 entre Muralla y Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 2530	Through 17 December / 2009
	An exhibition by the Cuban photographers Rufino del Valle and Servio Alfonso, and the SpaniardPedro Coll, curated by Del Valle, who set out to “state his view on architectural constructions andtheir relation with aesthetics, how something as popular as the Capitol, the Eiffel Tower or anyother construction may be viewed from a different perspective according to where we stand whentaking the picture, or the way we interpret it according to the manipulation of the projections oflight and shadow that emerge from them.”

	Caca en el Taller Taller de serigrafía René Portocarrero Cuba 513, entre Teniente Rey y Muralla, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 3276 / 861 9354	Throughout December / 2009
	The Club de Amigos del Cartel (CACa) [Friends of the Poster Club] has gathered the best postersby 31 designers for this exhibition. The posters were designed from 2008 to 2009, of differentthemes and styles

	Volver Galería 23 Y12 Calle 23 esquina a 12, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 8311810	Throughout December / 2009
	Aretrospective of Águedo Alonso, one of the masters of Cuban landscape painting, which rangesfrom his first series--the sensual and even erotic Paisajes and Casa del Campesino, where hereaches an extreme synthesis, an almost geometric reduction to essential shapes, and seems towarn the cost of moving man from his natural environment—to his most recent production—levitations, in which recurring motifs such as the palm tree or the bohío are given new meaningsand seem to float, detached from the earth that previously nurtured or supported them.

	Abrazos prohibidos Galería Habana Línea 460 entre E y F, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 7101	Opens 4 December / 2009
	With an aesthetics that some critics have described as “post medieval”, but which owes much tomore wide-ranging interpretations of universal art and to the exploration of national identityfactors, one finds in Ernesto Rancaño’s work a search for spirituality that captures all kinds ofviewers.

	Un instante en la vida Galería Servando Calle 23 esquina a 10, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 833 9599	Opens 5 ecember / 2009
	Solo exhibition by the artist Carlos Guzmán, who, according to his own words, has always beeninterested in “the relation of man not only of what goes on in this space, but the manner in whichman faces other realities that may be parallel to this one and are not seen…and how one cancommunicate with this.”

	Le Parc. Lumiere Casa de las Américas Calle 3ra. esquina a G, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706 al 0	Openes 10 December / 2009
	Exhibition by the Argentinean artist Julio Le Parc chosen by Casa de las Américas to close theKinetic Year which Casa has celebrated throughout 2009 in its 50th anniversary. On Wednesday, 9December, at the institution’s Manuel Galich Hall, the public will be able to meet with the artist,who will comment on his most recent work and experiences within the kinetic movement

Cuerpo, Tiempo y Memoria. Ilustradores cubanos de anales del Caribe

	Cuerpo, Tiempo y Memoria. Ilustradores cubanos de anales del Caribe Galería Mariano Calle 15 núm. 607 entre B y C, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2702	Throughout December / 2009
	Exhibition by the artists Manuel Mendive, Eduardo Roca (Choco), Santiago Rodríguez Olazábal andPepe Menéndez, who have contributed illustrations to the magazine Anales del Caribe, publishedby Casa de las Américas

	Tina Modotti Pabellón Cuba Calle 23 esquina a N, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 351	Opens 4 December / 2009
	Exhibition in honour of the Italian photographer Tina Modotti, whose work, which was carried outin Mexico during the 1920s, was considered renovating and revolutionary for using the resources ofa new aesthetics with a social content in mind.

	Arte Naif Galería Roberto Diago Muralla 107 esquina a San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 3577	Throughout december / 2009
	Group exhibition of naive art.

	Cronos Complejo-Galería La Casona Muralla 107 esquina a San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 8544	Throughout December / 2009
	Group exhibition of painting, installation, photography and drawing.

	Flautas Maginas Casa Simón Bolívar Mercaderes 158 entre Obrapía y Lamparilla, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 861 3988	Opens 10 December / 2009
	The draughtsman and illustrator Frank Valdés and his sons Kamilo, Roberto and Yaser Hill exhibitceramics, paintings, texts and graphic materials inspired in a flute-vessel that has accompaniedman since the dawn of civilization, the ocarina. The opening (4 pm) will include the performancesby the oral narrator Octavio Pino who will tell the story of The Magic Flute; the early musicensemble Cantiga Armónica; and a group of scissor grinders will play the harmonicas that haveidentified them for centuries.

	Optico '70 Casa de las Américas Calle 3ra. esquina a G, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706-09	Throughout December / 2009
	Exhibition of Cuban graphic design displaying optical influence in posters, discs, books, etc., whichconfirms the strong presence of optical-kinetic trends in Cuba’s domestic graphic design.

	Habana Mia Museo de Arte Colonial Plaza de la Catedral, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 644	Opens 15 December / 2009
	The artist Ileana Mulet takes in hand a recurring subject in her production—the eternal Havana,with her customary look charged with symbolism, poetry and feminism.

	Antecomienzo Galería Factoría Habana O´Reilly 308 entre Habana y Aguiar, La Habana Vieja	Opens, 18 Decmeber / 2009
	The recently opened Factoría Gallery exhibits a representative sample of Cuban art of the 1990swith works by artists Aimée García, Sandra Ramos, Abel Barroso, Carlos Montes de Oca, FernandoRodríguez, Lázaro Saavedra, Ibraim Miranda, Luis Gómez, Osvaldo Yero and René FranciscoRodríguez.

pen at a later date.

	El Jardin de Epicuro Galería El Reino de Este Mundo, Biblioteca Nacional José Martí Boyeros entre 20 de Mayo y Aranguren, Plaza de la Revolución Tel. +(53) 7 881 1757	Opens 7 December / 2009
	Solo exhibition by the Cuban painter Arturo Montoto, whose search for post Renaissance andbaroque visualizations is combined with the u se of minimalist resources, and a dramatic qualityin composition and light..

Music

	December en la Basílica Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Oficios y Churruca, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 9683	6:00 pm / 2009
	4 Dec, 4:00 pm Concert by the pianists Huberal Herrera and Yadasny Portillo, who will performworks by the Cuban composers Ramón Valle, Ernesto Grenet, José María Vitier, Silvio Rodríguez,Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffe, Ernesto Lecuona and Yadasny Portillo. 4 Dec, 4:00 pm Performance by the Concertante Trio at the opening of the Orchid Festival. 11 Dec The Música Eterna chamber music orchestra, conducted by Guido López Gavilán, and themany-times prize-winning pianist Aldo López Gavilán will perform works by Handel, Rachmaninoff,Couperin and Guido López Gavilán. 12 Dec Abraham Castillo (fagot), and guests Lisandra Rodríguez (piano), Lena Rodríguez (flute),Frank Ernesto Fernández (oboe), Nestor Calvo (clarinet) and Leticia Pons (horn) will perform worksby Bach and Poulenc. 17 Dec The Cuban violinist Irina Vázquez Cruz and the English pianist Nigel Clayton will performworks by Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy and Franck.18 DecPerformance by the Cuban soprano María Eugenia Barrio and guests. 19 Dec On the occasion of its 16th anniversary, the Camerana Romeu, conducted by ZenaidaRomeu, has chosen a program with works by the Italian violinist and composer Arcangelo Corelli. 22 Dec Maité Aboy, Mahé Marty and the Scherzo quartet will perform works by Hindemith andMozart. 26 Dec To close the year at the Basílica, the orchestra Cámara Solistas de La Habana, conductedby María Elena Mendiola, will perform works by Handel.

	Conciertos en San Francisco de Paula Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula Desamparados y San Ignacio, Alameda de Paula, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 860 4210	7:00 pm / 2009
	4 DecThe Ventus Habana and Alabama University Wind Quintets will commemorate the 200thanniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn with the performance of a selection of works by Haydnand Mozart. 11 Dec The all-female children’s choir Lunita, directed by Sandra Santos, will perform the concertLunita navideña, with Christmas carols of different periods and styles. 18 Dec The many-times prize-winning chamber music choir Exaudi, directed by María FeliciaPérez, will perform a program based on works by the composers Randall Thompson (USA), DavidChilds (New Zealand), Niels La Cour (Denmark), August Söderman (Sweden), Vitautas Miskinis(Lithuania), Gyorgy Orbán (Hungary) and Fernando Moruja (Argentina), among others, plus Spanishand Cuban Christmas carols. 19 Dec Concert Rosa mística by the Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble, directed by Teresa Paz withmusic by the composers Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Pedro Bermúdez and Gaspar Fernández.

	Peña del Ambia Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	Wed 11 and 25, 5:00 pm / 2009
	The best place to go for those seeking to become acquainted with authentic African-Cuban traditions, hosted by the poet Eloy Machado, aka. El Ambia.

	El Jardín de la Gorda Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima Calle A entre 25 y 27, El Vedado	Third Sunday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Sara González, emblematic voice of the Cuban Nueva Trova, at her monthly gatherings where the audiences can enjoy, in an informal atmosphere, the performances of some of the best Cuban troubadours.

Concierto de Robertico Carcasses e Interactivo

	Concierto de Robertico Carcasses e Interactivo Centro Hispano Americano de Cultura Malecón 17 entre Prado y Genio, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 860 6282	5 December, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Performance by one of the top groups in the fusion of jazz, rock and other international soundswith the rhythms of Cuban popular music.

	Peña de Rochy Balneario Universitario El Coral Calle 1ra. esquina a 42, Miramar	Last Thursday of the month, 8:30 pm / 2009
	Performance by Cuban singer Rochy with her group and guests.

	Concierto Abierto Sala Villena Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551 al 53	Last Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Concert and electroacoustic music for soloists and chamber music ensembles, under the direction of Guido López Gavilán.

	Conciertos de Dimensión Vertical El Sauce Calle 9na. entre 120 y 130, Playa Tel. +(53) 7 204 7061	Sundays, 4:00 pm / 2009
	Dimensión Vertical, one of the oldest Cuban rock bands who insist on reproducing, the same as 40 years ago, hit songs by famous British and US rock bands of the 60s and 70s, make up, together with their middle-aged fans, a sort of Jurassic Park.

	Peña de Los Kents Las Tunas	2-6 December / 2009
	The Barbarito Diez Popular Music Festival is celebrated in tribute to the centenary of the birth ofthe Cuban singer Barbarito Diez, one of the greatest singers of danzón, which is considered theisland’s national dance. The 6th Festival includes a troubadour gala, danzón competitions forchildren and adults, an Honor Ball with 200 men and women from several generations, open airactivities with popular dance orchestras from the Easrern region of Cuba, a workshop on danzónand a colloquium on Barbarito Diez’s career

	VI Festival de musica popular Palacio del Segundo Cabo O'Reilly 4, esquina a Tacón, La Habana Vieja	Last Saturday of the month, 4:00 pm / 2009
	One of the most beautiful voices of the Cuban trova, almost always accompanied by very special guests, covers the best of the Cuban trova repertory of all time.

	Tardes del Jazz Hurón Azul, Unión de escritores and Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	Second Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Jam sessions with important Cuban jazz musicians and bands.

	Peña de Rembert Duharte Jardines del teatro Mella Línea entre A y B, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 830 4987	Last Friday of the month, 5:00 pm / 2009
	The young jazz musician Rembert Duharte plays the different forms of Cuban jazz.

	Noche de Boleros Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	Saturdays, 9:00 pm / 2009
	Lovers of this romantic genre par excellence have the opportunity of meeting and enjoying the performances of the best Cuban boleristas.

	Hombres Verdes Pabellón Cuba 23 y M, El Vedado	Third Friday of the month, 9:00 pm / 2009
	A gathering for electroacoustic music sponsored by the organization of young Cuban creators: Asociación Hermanos Saíz.

	Peña de la Trova Patio de La Casona de Línea Calle Línea entre D y E, El Vedado	Sunday, 7:30 pm / 2009
	As a confirmation of the old Cuban saying “The trova is not dead”, singers from different generations and different styles get together to sing their songs.

	Trovando Patio-bar of the EGREM record label San Miguel 410 entre Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 862 0673	Wednesday, 5:00 pm / 2009
	A place where troubadours and poets get together for a unique performance in a bohemian atmosphere, combined with the launching and sale of record albums, books and magazines.

	La Trova sin Traba Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	Wed 4 and 18, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Different generations and styles converge in a natural combination of traditional, new and very new trova.

	La Bella Cubana Sala Villena, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	Wed 4 and 18, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Dedicated to highlight the presence of women in Cuban music.

	Peña de Enfusión Patio-bar of the EGREM record label San Miguel 410 entre Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 862 0673	Every Monday, 5:30 pm / 2009
	A trova get-together hosted by Enfusión.

	Mayda Galano en Concierto Palacio del Teatro Lírico Nacional Zulueta 253 entre Ánimas y Neptuno, La Habana Vieja	26 December, 7:00 pm / 2009
	Three popular Cuban troubadours--Sara González, Heydi Igualada and Marta Campos—will give aconcert on Casa de las Américas’50th anniversary.

	Líricos en San Felipe Oratorio San Felipe Neri Aguiar esquina a Obrapía, La Habana Vieja	7:00 pm unless otherwise indicated / 2009
	3 Dec, 7:00 pm Cuban National Chorus and guests. 5 Dec, 4:00 pm Concert by the Nuestro Tiempo chamber music orchestra, conducted by EnriquePérez Mesa, permanent head of the National Symphony Orchestra. 10 Dec, 7:00 pm The soprano Milagros de los Ángeles, the countertenors Ubail Zamora and EdwingRamírez, the baritone Bryan López, the pianist Ana Magdalena and an instrumental ensemble, allconducted by Eduardo Díaz, will pay tribute to the great Baroque composer Friedrich Handel. 11 Dec, 7:00 pm The Chamber Music Orchestra of the National Arts Institute, together withprofessors of the Institute, will perform works by the composers of the Musical Renovation Group,which was founded in 1942 and included the musicians José Ardévol, Julián Orbón, HaroldGramatges, Argeliers León, Hilario González and Gisela Hernández, among others. 12 Dec, 4:00 pm Conducted by Leonardo Lara, actors and singers will comment on significantmoments of Nelson Dorr’s legacy to the Cuban musical theatre. 17 Dec, 7:00 pm Concert by the saxophonist Javier Zalba and the pianist María del Henar Navarro. 19 Dec, 4:00 pm The pianist Nigel Clayton (England) and Eralys Fernández (Cuba) will performworks by Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Poulenc, Gershwin and Ignacio Cervantes. 26 Dec, 4:00 pm Voces Nuevas--New Voices--a space for young operatic talents.

	Cantos de Mujer Casa de las Américas Calle 3ra. esquina a G, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706 al 09	11 December 5:00 pm / 2009
	The soprano Mayda Galano, accompanied by the pianist Pura Ortiz, will perform works of thedifferent styles that travelled from Spain to America and back, and the symbiosis between bothcultural trends.

	Charangueando Café Cantante, Teatro Nacional Calle Paseo y 39, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651	Every Thurday at 5:00 pm / 2009
	Aregular space for Cuban charanga dance bands--ideal instrumental format for the danzón,mambo and cha-cha, hosted by the legendary América band.

Theatre

	La Oveja Negra Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, Sala Tito Junco Calle 13 esquina a I, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359	Every Tuesday, 8:30 pm / 2009
	Adifferent show every Tuesday by the comedians that form the popular group La OvejaNegra.

	La otra orilla Cine-teatro Trianón Línea entre Paseo y A, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 830 964	Fri and Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5:00 pm / 2009
	Directed by Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Teatro El Público opens La otra orilla by the Chinesenarrator and playwright Gao Xinjian, Nobel Literature Prize for the year 2000.

	Las Mariposas Saltan al vacio Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, Café Teatro Calle 13 esquina a I, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359	Fri and Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5:00 pm / 2009
	First seen on the stage in 1994, during the 2002-2003 season it reached over 100performances, which is not a usual thing in the Cuban theatre; it has also beenperformed in Puerto Rico, Colombia and Mexico. The Pequeño Teatro de La HabanaCompany, directed by the playwright José Milián, National Theatre Prize-winner for 2008,reruns this moving play which deals with AIDS as a social phenomena.

	Ignacio y Maria Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht, Sala EstudioCalle 13 esquina a I, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359	Fri, Sat and Sun, 7:00 pm / 2009
	Directed by Julio César Ramírez, Teatro D'Dos premieres Ignacio y María by the youngCuban playwright Nara Mansur. As is customary in this company, two actors share with theaudience a very small space in which the boundaries between audience and stagedissolves.

	La visita de la vieja dama Sala-Teatro Buendía Calle 39 entre Loma y Bellavista, Nuevo Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 881 668	Fri, Sat and Sun, 7:00 pm / 2009
	Cristian Cortez summarizes the plot for the newspaper El Universo, of Ecuador: “…basedon the novel by Friedrich Dürrenmatt (Switzerland, 1921-1990)…it deals with the returnof a woman who was banished from her hometown due to ‘indecorous’conduct and theexpectations created by the people when she comes back rich and glamorous,although…with a tragic and sordid end.” Certain allusions to Cuba’s present-day realitycan be identified in this play directed by Flora Lauten.

Dance

	Temporada de Danza Contemporanea de Cuba Gran Teatro de La Habana Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077 al 79	4-20 DECEMBER; FRI AND SAT, 8:30 PM; SUN, 5:00 PM / 2009
	On the occasion of Danza Contemporánea’s 50th anniversary, the famous dance company announcestwo world premieres: Mambo3XXI, by the Cuban choreographer George Céspedes, with music byAlexis de la O Joya and Edwin Casanova, and the mambo icon, Dámaso Pérez Prado; and Casi-casa.By the Swedish dancer and choreographer Mats Ek, with music by FleshQuartet

	Exitos del Ballet Español de Cuba Gran Teatro de La Habana Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077 al 79	25-27 DECEMBER; FRI AND SAT, 8:30 PM; SUN, 5:00 PM / 2009
	The Ballet Español de Cuba, directed by the dancer and choreographer Eduardo Veitía, will presenta program formed by works from the Spanish classical repertory, accompanied on the piano by thedancer and pianist Daniel Martínez, and a number of new choreographies dedicated to flamenco.

EVENTS

Charangas de Bejucal
Bejucal, La Habana Province
DECEMBER 24, 25, 26 AND JANUARY1ST/ 2009

Like many other festivals of this type in Cuba, the charangas (popular son-influenced Cuban musicthat began in the 1940s emphasizing flute, violin and piano orchestra) are related to Christmascelebrations, when white Catholics and black slaves would take to the streets with their musicalinstruments to pay tribute to their deities. Eventually, they divided into two groups: La Musicanga,which gathered the criollos (freed blacks and slaves); and Los Malayos (representing theSpaniards). Thanks to the fusion of cultures that characterizes Cuban identity, racial and classdifferences were lost with time, and belonging to one or another side was simply determined byeach person’s preference. Rivalry between both sides today - now named La Ceiba de Plata and LaEspina de Oro - consists in the ability to construct the most colourful and striking floats. Thetraditional music of the orchestra Los Tambores de Bejucal accompanies this festivity nowattended not only by the inhabitants of the town, 20 km south of Havana, but by hundreds ofvisitors who enjoy the fantasy and creativity of designers, engineers, painters, musicians,choreographers, and dancers whose talent guarantees the vitality of one of the oldest popularcelebrations in Cuba.

Feria Internacional de Artesania FIART
PABEXPO, LAHABANA
10-20 December

Held as a way of expressing the identity and cultural diversity of different countries, this fair haspromoted arts and crafts attracting thousands of visitors each year. Lectures, exhibits, fashionshows, sales and the crafts themselves offer an opportunity for interaction and exchange betweenartists and the public. In its 11 previous editions, the original treatment of contemporary designin handicrafts has been remarkable, in pieces which, without losing their ancestral nature, exhibitan undisputable touch of modernity, whether applied to textiles, fibres, leather, precious andsemiprecious stones, metals, clay, or any other material ready to be fashioned and beautifiedthrough the sensitivity of craft artists. This year, the representations from India, Argentina, Spain,Chile, Mexico and Peru—again the biggest exhibitor—are outstanding, while Cuba will berepresented by various institutions and individual crafts artists with 42 and 147 stands,respectively. Collateral events include the exhibition Más allá de los límites, by Raúl Valladares, atthe Museo de la Orfebrería (Obispo 113 entre Oficios y Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja, Tel: 8639861); the Wood Carving Prize-Winners Salon at the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (Calle 17entre D y E, El Vedado, Tel: 830 8037); the papier maché biennial at the Casa del Benemérito delas Américas Benito Juárez (Obrapía 116, entre Mercaderes y Oficios, La Habana Vieja, Tel: 8618166), and the 4th Patchwork Biennial at the Casa de la Cultura de Plaza (Calzada y 8, El Vedado).

VIII Encuentro Internacional sobre manejo y gestion de centros historicos

	VIII Encuentro Internacional sobre manejo y gestion de centros historicos Old Havana 1-3 December
	The 8th International Meeting on the Management of Historical Centres is organized by the MasterPlan for the Comprehensive Revitalization of Old Havana of the City Historian’s Office, which willfocus on the “Vulnerability, Risks and Mitigation in Emergency Situations” of historical centres,whether due to natural factors and/or violence, marginality or overcrowding.

Parrandas de Remedios
REMEDIOS, VILLACLARAPROVINCE
24 December

Legend has it that during the 1820s, a young priest officiating in Remedios—the eighth townfounded by the Spaniards in Cuba—decided to have a group of children make a noise withwhatever they had to hand in an effort to awaken lazy parishioners to attend mass in the chillymornings of 24th December. From then on, neighbours would go out into the streets on the nightsprior to Christmas for music and merrymaking. From 1871, a competition or “parranda” betweentwo neighbourhoods—El Carmen and San Salvador—took place, each with its own hymn, colours,kites and lanterns. In 1875, complicated floats lit by flares and fireworks were paraded by eachside at the town’s Plaza de Armas (town square). To this day, the two neighbourhoods continuewith a rivalry characterized by the beauty and originality of these floats, as well as by theamazing pyrotechnics that from 9 pm on 24th December to dawn on 25th December, illuminatethe city sky. Both sides keep their floats secret from each other during the course of the yearwith even members of the same family on either side of the fence sworn to secrecy against eachother. Although these festivities have spread to other nearby localities of Guayos and Camajuaní,the Parrandas de Remedios are the oldest and most well known on the island.

I Festival nacional de las Orquideas
Old Havana’s Historical Centre
9-12 DECEMBER / 2009

Professionals, aficionados, artists and growers of delicate and exotic orchids may be able toparticipate during the 1st National Orchid Festival in different activities that include the exhibitionEl jardín de las orquídeas by the painter Jorge Duporté, who is a specialist in the topic (opens 9December, 3:00 pm, Conde de Villanueva Hotel, at Mercaderes 202 entre Lamparilla y Amargura);exhibition and competitoptn of live plants (10-12 December, Casa del Benemérito de las AméricasBenito Juárez, at Obrapía 116, entre Mercaderes y Oficios); and workshops on how to grow orchidsat home and cultural care of orchids (10 December, Sociedad Patrimonio, Comunidad y MedioAmbiente, at Amargura 60)

A PREVIEW OF THE COMING MONTHS

Festival de musica antigua Esteban Salas
Old Havana
February

Previously an event to commemorate the music of Cuban composer Esteban Salas, since 2003,on the 200th anniversary of his death, it became a festival of early music. Every year the eventgathers outstanding performers of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music who perform in OldHavana headed by the Ars Longa Music Ensemble. Venues include the Basílica Menor delConvento de San Francisco de Asís, Iglesia de Paula, Oratorio San Felipe Neri, Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura and Palacio de Gobierno.

Feria Internacional del Libro
HAVANAHISTORICALCENTRE
February

What began as a modest book fair founded by the famous Cuban writer, scientist and philosopherAlejo Carpentier, and held in the surrounding areas of Havana’s Central Park, eventually becamethe most important book and literary event on the island. With an unexpected change of venue,the 19th Book Fair will move from the customary Cabaña Fortress to different locations in OldHavana’s Historical Centre.

	Festival de la trova Longina SANTACLARA, VILLACLARAPROVINCE 7-11 January
	In remembrance of one of the greats of traditional Cuban trova, Manuel Corona, and hisimmortal song Longina, troubadours of different generations will share the stage with famousCuban musicians. The event will include theoretical meetings, informal get-togethers and thetraditional walk to Caibarién, Corona’s hometown, on the 9th.

Premio Casa de las Americas
CASADE LAS AMÉRICAS
January

Initiated in Havana in 1960 to draw attention to the most significant literary production in LatinAmerica—and at a later date, the Caribbean, too—in the genres of poetry, novel, short story,essay, theatre and testimony, as well as works in other languages spoken in the region, the Casade las Américas Literary Award has gathered outstanding figures of contemporary writing,including Miguel Ángel Asturias, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortázar, Alejo Carpentier, AllenGinsberg, Nicolás Guillén, Nicanor Parra, Jaime Sabines, Alfredo Bryce Echenique, GuillermoCabrera Infante, Eduardo Galeano, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, José Lezama Lima, Italo Calvino, CamiloJosé Cela, José Saramago, to name a few. Throughout the years, many of the prize-winningworks have become classics of the continent’s literature; thus, each year’s announcementcreates great expectations among the public, who also have the opportunity to attend collateralactivities programmed during the event.