Cuba celebrated Africa Day this Thursday, May 25, with an event held in Havana, attended by members of the Party Political Bureau, Salvador Valdés Mesa, a vice president of the Council of State; Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of the National Assembly of People's Power; and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of Foreign Affairs.

We have two tickets to see Cubanisimo! led by Jesús Alemañy in London on Friday 16 June to give away, courtesy of Marco and HavanatoLondres!

Dear Friends:

Waning cinema attendance is a phenomenon affecting today's film industry, as spectators abandon theaters, preferring to watch movies in the comfort of their own homes. In Cuba however, although the number of cinemas has been declining, there still exists a genuine passion for film.

Creators from around 20 nations from Latin America, Europe and the United States will be here to celebrate the 9th International Design Congress of Havana 'Forma2017' from June 7 to 9, organizers announced 4 May.
'Design ConCiencia' is its additional title for this year, in which several countries, such as Mexico and Colombia, have already doubled the number of participants.

A constellation of great musicians on stage, Hollywood star Will Smith as master of ceremonies and piano legends Herbie Hancock (US) and Chucho Valdés (Cuba): Cuba hosted the biggest jazz festival in the world on Sunday 30 April.

Cuban teacher Santiago Alfonso, winner of the National Dance Award 2006, had the honor of giving the message for International Dance Day on 29 April.

A documentary produced by a Belfast-based production company debuted at the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival in New York this April.

Listen to Cuban National Poet Nancy Morejon discuss AfroCuban culture in Cuba, in English in an interview with Block Radio (blockradio.com) while she was in San Francisco last year.

The 16th ICAIC Muestra Joven will take place 4-9 April in Havana. The showcase opens with the documentary film Severe Secret, by Oneyda González and Gustavo Pérez, dedicated to the Cuban intellectual Severo Sarduy, which was presented at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in December in Havana.

Cuban artist, Aimee Garcia, was in London recently for the opening of her solo exhibition at Foyles gallery. Dodie Weppler caught up with Aimee to chat with her about her work.

Yesterday I had the privilege to participate as a speaker in the theoretical event conceived for the Festival of Tinajón del Camagüey. A real luxury to have on the panel Dr. Verónica Fernández Díaz and Maestro Reinaldo Echemendía Estrada, who spoke about the son groups in Camagüey.

YUMURÍ is still a name of disputed origin, but, for sure, it is extremely Cuban. Whether originating from an indigenous legend about resistance to Spanish colonizers, or from lexicographic studies of the Taíno language, for centuries it has provided the name for the Yumurí Valley, in Matanzas province, some 100 km from Havana, and for the past two decades it has identified a certain other "Valle", first name Moisés.

Cuban cinematographer Raúl Rodríguez was awarded ICAIC's National Film Award at a ceremony marking the 58th anniversary of the founding of the institution (Cuba's National Film Institute) on March 24.

The Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) has been recognized after 58 years due to its great contributions to national culture and the preservation of important works, national award winning photographer, Raul Rodriguez, said recently.