Ediciones Vigia, Matanzas, Cuba

Posted on March 28, 2016 by yalla2013

cover of Celare Navis y Otros Poemas by Cuban writer Antón Arrufat, from the University of Missouri collection http://www.lib.umich.edu/onlineexhibits/exhibits/show/main/ediciones-vigia/ev2

Named for the Plaza de la Vigía (Watchtower Square), which it overlooks from an airy colonial house, Ediciones Vigía is a collective publishing house in the provincial town of Matanzas, Cuba, about a 90 minute drive east of Havana.

Founded by poet, painter and stage designer Rolando Estévez Jordán and poet Alfredo Zaldívar in 1985 as a meeting place for writers and visual artists, Ediciones Vigía later evolved into an outlet for writers who were overlooked by the large publishing houses in Cuba. The mission was twofold – to circulate unknown literary voices in Cuba and to interpret and underscore those voices visually, creating distinctive, textual art-objects and installations in the process. In addition to little-known Cuban writers, Ediciones Vigía publishes illuminated editions of the works of famous writers like Emily Dickenson, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges and Cuban poet Nancy Morejón. Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 85

Posted on February 17, 2016 by yalla2013

El Floridita has been serving drinks (especially rum cocktails) and seafood for almost 200 years in the capital city of our mystery country. It’s well known as the birthplace of the daiquiri and as a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, who lived just a few blocks away at the Hotel Ambos Mundos for seven years. Hemingway was just one of a long list of artists, intellectuals and dignitaries who spent time at El Floridita in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, when the city was a hopping playground for the international jet set.

Can you name that country?
See below for answers.

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Afrocuba de Matanzas

Posted on February 1, 2016 by yalla2013

Afrocuba de Matanzas is a folkloric group, whose members are directly descended from West Africans brought to Cuba as slaves. The group formed in 1957 with a mission to preserve their African cultural heritage through performances (including world tours and recording), as well as lectures and workshops. The city of Matanzas, about 2 hours from Havana, is Cuba’s main center of Afro-Cuban traditional culture and Afrocuba is widely acknowledged as among the most authentic traditional Afro-Cuban music groups.

Slaves in Cuba were allowed to gather in tribal and ethnic groups to practice their traditional religions, which involved dancing, drumming, chanting and call and response. Afrocuba performs these rituals in their pure forms as well as music and dance genres which descended from them, in combination with Spanish and Caribbean traditions. Instruments, all percussion, are handmade in the traditional ways using traditional materials.

Meet Afrocuba de Matanzas and watch them perform on a Ya’lla tour to Cuba.

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 75

Posted on December 9, 2015 by yalla2013

San Pedro de la Roca Castle guards the entrance to Santiago Bay on the eastern shore of our mystery country. It’s about 5 miles from the city of Santiago, the country’s 2nd largest. The castle is also known as Morro Castle, sharing that nickname with another castle in the country’s capital city (morro is an old Spanish term for a castle by the sea).
Built to defend against pirates, which plagued the surrounding sea, San Pedro de la Roca Castle was designated a World Heritage Site as an exceptional example of Spanish colonial military architecture. It took the better part of the 17th century to build, during which time it was seized by pirates and held for several weeks. Visit the castle to soak up some history and enjoy spectacular views of the coastline and the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Can you name that country?
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

Artist Corner – Damian Aquiles

Posted on November 9, 2015 by yalla2013

Cuban artist Damian Aquiles is best known for his walking man figures cut from scrap metal and arranged in various evocative groupings, but his art takes many forms.
Damian works mainly with recycled metal from old car parts, water tanks, and paint cans, time-worn, battered materials, which add character and depth to his compositions.

Visitors are welcomed into the home-gallery Damian shares with his American wife Pamela Ruiz and their son. The couple spent years acquiring and restoring their villa in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana. Today the villa is a gathering place for art, artists and art-lovers.

Contact Damian Aquiles.

Book a Ya’lla tour to Cuba and visit the home/gallery of Damian Aquiles in person.

Foto Friday – Cubans

Posted on November 6, 2015 by yalla2013

Visit Cuba! Click to see tours to Cuba.

Foto Friday – Cubans

Posted on October 30, 2015 by yalla2013

Visit Cuba! Click to see tours to Cuba.

Convento de Belen, Havana, Cuba

Posted on October 19, 2015 by yalla2013

Iglesia y Convento Nuestra Senora de Belen (Church and Convent of Our Lady of Bethlehem), Convento de Belen for short, is a renowned social services organization in Havana, Cuba, which focuses on senior care. The center is operated by the Order of the Sisters of Charity, with help from the Office of the City Historian and public health agencies.

Some fifty senior citizens are permanent residents and dozens more come daily for activities, meals and medical care. Convento de Belen also provides services for mentally and physically disabled children and operates a daycare center for young children.

Most Ya’lla trips to Cuba include a stop at Convento de Belen, where visitors leave donated goods brought from home, as well as cash gifts. We’re always lovingly received by residents, often with a song and gifts of handmade cards and handicrafts.

Click to see Cuba tours that include visits to Convento de Belen.