by Joseph Pomelapocha1
Cuban artist and writer
pomelapocha1@gmail.com
"A tango flies in Copa Airlines
and stays at Habana Libre ... "
I will use the first lines of the poem "Brindis Inolvidable" (Unforgettable Toast) to start my comment, which is no more than the echo of what happened in the Cuban capital last November. I was lucky to join the event just the day Cuenta Habana (Havana Tells a Story) began. A group of storytellers led by Argentine Claudio Ledesma exchanged the experiences of the old art of words with Cuban counterparts. The Casa de la Obra Pía (Pius Charitable Organization), the Casa de África (African House ), and the Casa Simón Bolívar (Simón Bolívar House) are cultural institutions embedded in the historical center of Havana which caught Patakies (Yoruba stories), fables and legends of Cuban literature; South American literature was also very well represented. Through their narratives, each visitor seemed to evoke those classic lines of the stave, that reads "vení, volá, vení, trai, lai, la larará” (come, fly, come, la, la, la larara*), which was reflected in the applause, in the smiles, the sighs and thoughts stolen to the audience, grateful happy children and adults. A special moment came when Cubans and Argentines decided to stand up to give a warm and prolonged applause to the lady of the stories, the Cuban storyteller, Aide Arteaga, who is celebrating her 95 years of age these days, and does so as any minstrel would- telling stories.
After that, a bus crossing the streets of Havana introduced the participants to the Seafront, from where they could also observe the bay and forts that used to defend the city from pirates attacks, and where an old cannon is still giving its loud greetings at nine every night ... and just at that time, “Tangos and Milongas ruled November”1 – again, the parody of a verse from the same book expresses what I mean accurately.
The Hall of the Habana Libre Hotel, Las Cañitas, was the venue where the popular dance of Buenos Aires found its place on November 26th. On that night, it was clear that tango exists as a ballroom dance in Cuba as well. And as long as the cultural exchange exits between the island of the cigar and San Luis artists, tango will attract more people, since Cubans are romantic, erotic and like living “the synopsis of vehemence” (borrowed from another verse). That night there was evidence that many people from the audience became apprentices of these master classes taught to learn the dance of whispers, and where the lips of a young woman, Carolina Cingolani, won the reverence of silence with the charm of the tango itself and the seduction power of a bolero. A still unknown magazine at that moment – Hueney -, gave the audience a burst of laughter and it was caught by them; after reading it that same night, a Cuban poet and storyteller said, "San Luis / lends its rain / to the streets of Havana."
On Friday morning, the visiting friends knew more than a five-star hotel, much more than Havana Seafront, and more than a beautiful blue beach called Varadero. Together with Elvia Perez and other storytellers, they visited the Arroyo Naranjo town, the birthplace of José Antonio Méndez, author of “Novia mía, si me comprendieras” (Bride of mine, if you understood me) and “La gloria eres tú”. (The glory is you). This time the Argentine participants gave their art in the Municipal Museum La Güinera, and ended up in the Hurón Azul (Blue Huron) Museum, former home of the famous painter Carlos Enríquez.
Resuming what happened at Habana Libre Hotel, I think the sample of San Luis artists is comparable to the charm of this hotel, real gems of jewellery, sculpture, painting, photography, digital art, crafts and drawing. Mrs. Paola Irastorza proved to be an excellent cultural promoter, and also gave Cuba a literature sample from San Luis which was well-accepted.
On Saturday, there were presentations from several countries. I would like to highlight again the work of storyteller Claudio Ledesma. The presentation on the defence of Afro-Argentinean culture, by young Dinah Schonhaut - “Quilombo” (“mess” in Buenos Aires slang) -, as well as the speech delivered by the Uruguayan Matilde Machiavelli on neurolinguistic programming techniques are also worth mentioning. Another Argentinean friend educated us with her experiences on visual arts for children in poorer areas. Storytellers again made headlines with their performances at the Gran Teatro de La Habana , where they shared that moment with another icon of storytelling in Cuba, Octavio Pino.
The International Meeting of Culture, Arts and Tourism closed happily with a gala at the House of A.L.B.A between artists from the land of sugar cane and artists from the Rio de la Plata. The spicy story told by a retired woman, the story told by the master of storytellers, the compelling voice of Carolina, as well as the proof that tango, as a dance, is life, and Paola with her catalogue of the Independent Art Walk in hand , led the Cuban poet say: "Fantasy in San Luis / wears the most real dress."
I hope there is a fourth edition of CulTurAr Habana in 2011.
My heart is now looking South.
1) The author is a storyteller, musical comedian, entertainer, and speaker. Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), he also belongs to the Provincial Music Center Adolfo Guzmán. He is a member of the Cuban Chair of Oral Narrative. Director of Project Ozun. He has won awards in provincial and municipal meetings on literary workshops.
His texts of poetry for children, adults, and his narratives have been published in anthologies, and in the magazine Alma Mater. Member of the literary workshop Ernest Heminway, some of his poems have been set to music. He is a member of the Cuban Agency of Musical Copyright (ACDAM) and The General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) in Spain. He is also the President of the Oral Narration Show "12 hours of stories in the city of Papier Mache."
2)“Reinan Tangos y Milongas en Noviembre” (Tangos and Milongas rule November) is a book dedicated to the people of San Luis and the Narrator and Cultural Promoter, Paola Irastorza, who showed me how beautiful Argentina, San Luis and Potrero de los Funes are. I owe her the pleasure of knowing about such great creators.
*the sound one makes when humming a song.
