Paintings and drawings created by up to 30 artists living and working in Cuba will bring to London a taste of the exciting current art scene on the island when Presente! Contemporary Art from Cuba opens at the GX Gallery in London later this year. It will then move to the Searcy Gallery on the 38th floor of the Gherkin, one of London's iconic landmarks. The exhibition is a project of the Music Fund for Cuba charity in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture in Cuba, and organisers are appealing far and wide for support for this unique event. The island's music and dance have always enchanted audiences in Britain and now Presente! will introduce Cuba's visual arts.

Just like the African and universal culture he has helped us discover, Rogelio Martínez Furé is multifaceted and singular. His versatility reflects his ability to transform himself, to be a poet or a reciter of entire books, of myths and legends, making good use of his wondrous memory – which, he says, is a result of his connection to oral culture since he was a child, when he listened to living libraries, who sweetened his ears with songs and tales from all ages.

A film by Charlie Inman featuring Muñequitos de Matanzas, Clave y Guaguancó, Rumberos de Cuba, Osain del Monte, Raíces Profundas, Timbalaye. Narrated by Gilles Peterson. Musical advisor: Crispin Robinson. The full documentary was premiered in London in November 2015.

Cuban and foreign artists painted three murals in Santiago de Cuba city during the 12th International Biennial InterNos dedicated to that artistic form and during the earthquake situation the region has been facing during the last 10 days. From the first days of January Cuban artists and others arriving from Spain, United States, Dominican Republic and Denmark began their artistic tasks and maintained such labour despite the seismic activity registered in eastern Cuba.

It is hard to believe that over the last two decades, a young black man from Havana has worked his way up to being celebrated as a national treasure in this country, with a CBE from the Queen in 2014, no less. That man is of course Carlos Acosta, who has just said farewell to the Royal Ballet in London after 17 years as a principal dancer.

Cuban cultural community project Claustrofobias Promociones Literarias will be presented during the annual International Havana Book Fair this February. Its director Yunier Riquenes and team are already working on the promotion of activities together with the the Association of Cuban Artists and Writers (UNEAC), the Cuban Book Institute, the Hermanos Saiz Association and other organizations.

Jose Marti is venerated as the father of Cuban Independence. A poet and journalist, Marti led an insurrection in 1895 against the Spanish government in Cuba. 28 January, the anniversary of Marti's birth is marked across Cuba each year.

The Musicabana Foundation announces international superstars Major Lazer – the collaborative project of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire – will perform in Havana on Sunday, March 6, 2016, becoming one of the first major American musical acts to perform in Havana since diplomatic ties were restored between the United States and Cuba just over one year ago.

Art allows for collective and individual moments. Even when a generation of actors became well known in the 1980s for their excellent dramatic talent, the first years of the 21st century feature isolated artists with great natural flair. So is the case of Héctor Medina, a bright young hope of Cuban cinema who has earned high praise from film critics and movie fans in Cuba.

To be an amateur boxer in Cuba is something to be proud of – not so much for the monetary compensation, as none of the athletes have achieved affluence through their fame, but for the widespread recognition as the whole country cheers the achievements of its players. As Alberto Puig de la Barca, president of Cuba Boxing Federation, once said to CNN: "Our boxers may not have a million dollars, but they have 11 million Cubans who support them."

Cubaexport and partner Pernod Ricard have won the rights to sell the rum brand Havana Club in the United States, after legal wranglings with Bacardi that spanned nearly two decades.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office confirmed recently that the Cuban state company has the right to use the Havana Club trademark and​ remain the official distributor of the spirited drink in the U.S. The brand has been sold under the Bacardi guise since 1994, when the drinks company purchased its naming rights in the U.S., and starting producing the liquor from Puerto Rico.

After three years of restoration efforts, Cuban officials reopened the iconic Great Theater of Havana Friday on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.

On the eve of the annual Havana Film Festival, a camera crew wrap up a long day's shoot on the backstreets of the capital.

The Havana International Festival of New Latin American Cinema is one of the most popular events to take place in the capital, as well as other provinces. The long queues outside cinemas to see the films in competition, both Latin American and Cuban, are already familiar.

"Charismatic Acosta is one of the very best dancers of his generation. He has only to stand still on stage and all eyes are drawn to him." Evening Standard