Introduction to Cuban Art Study Tour
17 – 25 November 2012
Experience the richness and diversity of the visual arts in Cuba
 Unique visits to individual artists' studios, meetings with artists to discuss their work and the art scene in Cuba
 Visits to the Museo de Bellas Artes and other galleries and the National Schools of Art
 Bespoke Havana city tour, including old Havana, Revolution Square and the Jose Marti monument as well as a group dinner at the famous El Aljibe restaurant and relaxing day at the beach.
Programme based in Havana, led by Beyond the Frame exhibition organisers

Cost, subject to airline surcharges, from £1,436.00 includes flights and accommodation at the historic Hotel Nacional (B&B). Extensions available.

A flood of people danced the conga down to Puerto Santiago to watch the traditional Burning of the Devil ceremony, closing the activities of the 32nd Caribbean Festival.

On the final day, the artist Alberto Lescay and the high priest of the Regla Palo Monte in this eastern Cuban city presented the Mpaka "symbol of the holiday" to the Deputy Minister of Culture for Colombia, Maria Claudia Lopez, and the Ambassador of that South American nation in Cuba, Gustavo Bell.

An advanced group of the Cuban Olympic team traveled to London on Sunday to conclude its training program prior to the Olympic Games, scheduled to take place July 27-August 12 in the capita of the United Kingdom.

A total of 25 Cuban athletes are ready to participate in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, scheduled for August 29 through September 9.

I attended their debut concert at the Bolivar Hall last Tuesday 10th July. I would like to share with you my impressions of the evening.
I am not a professional musician, but I have sung in choirs more many years and so feel qualified to talk about their performance.
The presentation was delightful and they changed their positions for different items without fuss. They completed the whole programme without having to refer to any music. This enabled the choir members to communicate with their audience even though the language they were singing was not English.
They performed a wide range of repertoire including European Renaissance, contemporary and Cuban music, all with equal facility. I particularly enjoyed La Guerra (Clement Janequin). This involved many different harmonies, sounds and rythms. Ave Marie Stella was in an arrangement that I had not heard before. The music was complex, but the singers performed it with apparent ease and facility. The Cuban section of the programme was exhilarating and profoundly moving at times.
The whole evening was brought to an arousing close with choir and audience singing Guantanamera.
Delvis Sanchez can be justly proud of her 14 singers and they in their turn must be very grateful to have such an accomplished musical director.
Certainly an evening to remember.

'Day of thr Flowers' is the new film made by Bafta award winning UK director Roberts, filmed in Cuba with support from ICAIC, with Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta making his debut major screen role.

Chalk and cheese Scottish sisters discover family secrets and reach common ground on a sentimental journey to Cuba in new film 'Day Of The Flowers'.(Dir: John Roberts. UK. 2012. 100mins) With a British director, production team and actors, but shot in Cuba and with Cuban ballet superstar Carlos Acosta making his debut major screen role as a love interest. Generally seen as a light hearted film. See these reviews.

Read an interesting review of Juan of the Dead Cuban zombie film released this April in the UK at

Cuba50 have 2 pairs of tickets to give away to see the amazing Camerata Vocal de Música Aúrea choir at Bolivar Hall in London on 10 July 2012.

To enter the competition – send an email to office@cuba50.org with 'Vocal Aurea comp' in the subject line, with your full name and a contact tel number to arrive by 30 June 2012.

Former Cuban boxer Teofilo Stevenson, three-time Olympic and World heavyweight champion, is honored today in this capital after his death, victim of a heart attack at the age of 60.

Sport at the heart of revolution

Dan Smith speaks to Olympic legend Alberto Juantorena on the challenges facing Cuban sport, the reasons for the country's Olympic success and his top tips for London 2012

Improvisation is a tradition and cultural musical expression of the Cuban countryside that has been recently declared intangible cultural heritage during the International Music Fair Cubadisco 2012, held in the island.

Cuba has 94 athletes from 14 disciplines qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games, an official with Cuba's National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) said Wednesday.

Norge Marrero, director of High Performance at INDER, said that 51 days before the beginning of London 2012, track and field is the discipline with the largest number of participants (33), followed by wrestling (12), judo (9), boxing (8), rowing (6), boating (6), cycling (4 ), shooting (4), weightlifting (4), taekwondo (3), diving (2), swimming (1), table tennis (1) and archery (1).

New film on UK cinema release from 6 July – structured as 7 days in the life of the capital city, presented in 7 short films, written, directed and acted by Cubans and non-Cubans – overall scripting by Cuban crime writer Leonardo Padura.

Classical choir Camerata de Música Aúrea from Santiago de Cuba will be touring the UK in June-July. More details at http://www.cuba50.org/?page=Whats_On_Page&link=500