Watch the video of Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor here

Cuban famous poetry-reader Luis Carbonell died today (24 May) at 90 years old.
Carbonell died of a heart attack and they are going to hold the wake at the Villena Hall of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists, where top-level figures are expected.

The special recognition Living Heritage was granted today (May 21) to Evanny Lubens Ylien, member of the group of Haitian Culture, Benito Patois, on the occasion of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Bailando (Dancing), the popular song interpreted by Spaniard Enrique Iglesias and Cuban Descemer Bueno and the Cuban group Gente de Zona occupied the first position on the list of Hot Latin Songs of Billboard, the US music charts.

Last weekend on May 10, the Havana Pride Conga March took place in the island capital. Luckily, photographer Eric Politzer was there to capture the festive occasion, which was the kickoff of a week of events that culminates with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Ernán López-Nussa carried off four awards at Cubadisco 2014, including the Grand Prix. Sacrilegio (ProduccionesColibri, 2014) is the title of the album that also won in Anthology of Versions, Jazz, Recording, and CD-DVD categories.

An unprecedented event will take place in Havana from September 11 to 21: Habanarte, a great festival of national culture that will deal with all Cuban artistic expressions. Representing music, singing and dance there will be more than 100 famous groups or soloists.
Sponsored by Cuba's Ministry of Culture, Habanarte is to have a program that also covers Plastic Arts, crafts, literature, audiovisual materials, and theatre. There will be also a set of theoretical events where instrumentation, music, and dance master classes stand out for their importance, as well as visits to community projects, museums and historical places.

Juan Formell, who died Thursday, May 1, in Havana, was one of the most internationally recognized Cubans of his time, and an artist whose music transcended boundaries: national, generational, and political.

From May 1st-17th, one of Cuba's top artists Ernesto Villanueva is coming to London's fashionable Fitzrovia to exhibit his work.

The 7th Cuban Day against Homophobia (IDAHO) will include a regional conference of the International Association of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Latin America and the Caribbean (ILGALAC),for the first time in Cuba.

After nine years, the first Cuban animated full film in 3D Menique ('Little finger'), directed by Ernesto Padron, will be premiered in the cinemas of the Caribbean island during the first week of July.
Menique was a long and arduous process which seemed it would never come to an end. ICAIC's (Cuban Film Institute) first experience in 3D turned it into a school for its makers. It was an extended and hard path for the little hero to show his adventures to the public since in the seventies Tulio Raggi cherished the idea and asked Ernesto Padron to design the characters. The old project never materialized, although Padron always thought of doing it.
The voices of the film have been recorded by Lieter Ledesma, Yoraisi Gómez, Manuel Marín, Corina Mestre, Carlos Ruiz de la Tejera and Osvaldo Doimeadiós and its soundtracks went by Pancho Amat, Edesio Alejandro, the National Symphonic Orchestra, Miriam Ramos, Anabel López and Ernesto Yoel Espinosa. Unlike many people might think, it wasn't the lack of financing which slowed down the production.

Abel Prieto, Advisor to the Councils of State and Ministers and former Culture Minister, spoke on the challenges Cuban culture is facing today to OnCuba magazine following the UNEAC (Union of artists and writers in Cuba) congress just concluded.

Kcho: "Silence is bad, people dislike lack of communication, and then they make documentaries about people like that of the National Geographic Channel where human suffering appears as if it were of a lion in Serengeti, Africa."

One of today's most prominent composer-guitarist alive makes his London debut performing at the Bolivar Hall. Eduardo Martin's music is currently recorded and performed top guitar performers worldwide such as LAGC, Iliana Matos and Shin Ichi Fukuda. A Grammys award nominee, his creations seamlessly blend classical, Latin american, contemporary and Cuban languages gaining him a great acclaim from both the critics and public in general. For one night only in May, London will have the privilege to experience a recital packed with several UK premieres.

The section Moviendo Ideas (Ideas in Movement), part of the Young Filmmakers' Showcase, analyzed the short film 'ABECÉ:The Universe of a Girl, Mother and Woman' by Diana Montero (Havana, 1986), who obtained a Mention in the documentary section at the 13th Young filmmakers Showcase event in April.