Percussion is my passion: interview with Cuban musician Brenda Navarette

"The rumba is Cuba, we carry it inside. Follow my palms, join me and memorize this chorus… ", says Brenda Navarrete. "And it works, because Cubans can quickly connect with the simple chords of this genre of music, declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity." And in international settings it also works, she says, "because there is nothing better than showing what you are, what you bring in your roots, what is indigenous to your world … Cubans have so much musical and native wealth that it is not necessary to reach out for other things. "

What will 2018 be like for Carlos Acosta? Interview with Cuba's most famous dancer

When Carlos Acosta talks about his company something lights up in him. A light of satisfaction crosses his face to reflect that feeling that only those who see a dream come true experience. The uncertainties of its beginnings have been left behind. Acosta Danza, in its very short life (its premiere was in April 2016), has quickly consolidated within the national dance scene as a company that leaves aesthetic traces that set it apart from the rest. Its line is defined by the integration of contemporary and neoclassical, not excluding other expressions, times and styles of dance.
On the subjects of the projects and premieres of the company, Acosta's return to the stage, the reception by the public and the making of a film based on his life we talked with this dancer, who even when he is recognized both inside and outside of Cuba, has not lost his humility and is still as Cuban as he is unique.

Cuba-US cultural exchanges in steep fall

The restrictions imposed on US citizens by the Trump administration to travel to Cuba in November 2017 go beyond the typical Cold War backdrop. In fact, they accentuate the policy of commercial, economic and financial siege to which the blockade clings, successively condemned by the UN General Assembly by absolute majority. The "hard hand" of the US president, linked to those of US politicians Marco Rubio and Diaz-Balart, not only represents a political change from the techniques of former President Barak Obama, but a new strategy of interference. It shows a natural review of and cancellation of exchanges between US and Cuban institutions.