Havana is a Gemini figure to me, meaning that there is two faces to it: In its old, rundown, form or in its new, eclectic version that is rising up. I feel like these two sides can be seen in all the different types of art forms of Cuba, including music, dance, street art and even architecture.
In terms for music, I find that since there is so many different styles of music that have been previously established, there is infinite possibilities for new music to arise from those influences. The article on Cuban Music History that was provided outlines some of the older developments of Cuban music in a chronological order, starting with influential styles like Danzon and Son that lead into current styles like salsa and timba. The other sources provided to us showcases older artists whose music has been played for decades, like the music of Celia Cruz for example. The article also briefly mentions reggaeton, and cuts it short there. Reggaeton is one of the most popular forms of music in Latin America, along with musica urbana latina, and some of the artists that our generation is familiar with mainly perform this type of music, which can vary greatly from one artist to the next. Pitbull, El Chacal, and El Micha are some new-school Cuban artists that I am familiar with.
Dancing goes hand in hand with music in this sense, as most Cuban styles of music involve some sort of dancing. It will be interesting to see some of the dancing that will occur in the streets of Havana, and being able to identify the type of music that goes along with it. I really enjoy dancing - Brianda and I created a Caribbean dance team called the Caribbean Cats at UNH, and we will definitely be bringing back some new moves!!
As for street art, something that really jumped out at me was the two videos that showcased artist Micel Lopez (CC-tv broadcast) and French artist JR and Cuban American artist Jose Parla. Micel Lopez does beautiful portraits of kids around his neighborhood in Havana, completely unfunded. JR and Parla collaborated to create The Wrinkles of the City portraits in Havana, which showcase the elderly. These artists took similar art styles to demonstrate two completely different age groups - giving us a sense of community even though the faces demonstrated are so distinct. This type of art ties into the architecture of Havana, which is known today to be rundown and crumbling. Artists like these are giving a new life (or a face-lift, no pun intended) to these building, giving places like Havana even more character and eclectic essence than before. It is a shame that the government continues to censor some street artists, but its good to have some artists that aren't necessarily creating politically-motivated pieces.
With all this being said, what music style do you think is the most 'controversial' of Cuba? In terms of government interference?
Do you think that there is a level of 'taboo' to art in Cuba? Besides politically-driven stuff, are some forms of art more likely to be viewed in a negative way because of religion and Cuban tradition?
If you were to learn one style of dance from those we learned about, which would it be?
Hi Emely,
ReplyDeleteI find it so interesting you related Cuba to a Gemini! It's such a unique way of looking at the country, but like a person it has a personality and history I think can perfectly be explained with astrology. With that said, I definitely agree with you when you mentioned how there are two coexisting sides to Cuba: the old and the new. Personally, I think Cuban music represents this idea the best, as it was stated in Cuban Music History, that modern Cuban music is a known for its relentless mixing of genres, which also means its mixing of time periods.
To answer one of your questions about whether there is a level of 'taboo' to art in Cuba, I think there is, but like you went on to say I think it has to do with religions or Cuban tradition. The first example I saw of the was when reading "The Haunting Street Art Adorning Havana’s Oldest Buildings" and how Yulier Rodriguez’s art often gets painted over by local religious groups as his work can be seen as devilish. Additionally, in The Wrinkles of the City, an older man got very upset about the art being put up, stating how he was going to paint over it the next day. I think this was likely because to him, maybe being someone who grew up in the revolution, the thought of putting ordinary people on the walls with Fidel and Che was disrespectful. However, that's up to interpretation. What do you think?
Hi Ingrid,
ReplyDeleteThank you! And to be quite honest, I do believe that the older gentleman who was angry at the fact that he was on the same level as Fidel and Che.
Great Blog Emely !
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your horoscope connection. To answer your question, If I were to learn one style of dance from those we learned about, which would it be? It would surprisingly be salsa. I have been practicing salsa for quite some years now. I just can't seem to get it. The contemporary salsa sound coming out of Cuba is called‚ timba. It’s a fast tempo salsa with a strong afro-cuban influence. Songs will often follow a traditional rumba structure, it will start slow, break into a core salsa rhythm, then settle into a beautiful call and response vocal pattern. I feel that is where my problem is there is such a mix of tones where it messes me up. I have not given up yet so I am hoping to finally understand salsa more and I am excited it can be in Cuba.
Hi Brianda,
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I will teach you some salsa when we are out there!!! :)