"I am very moved any time something transcendental happens…and when people recognize the quality of our music," said Cuban singer Omara Portuondo last week speaking about her recent nomination to the Latin Grammy Awards for her children's album Reir y cantar (Laugh and Sing).
Winner of the 2010's Latin Grammy Awards for her album Gracias (Thanks), Portuondo said that on Reir y cantar she had the honor to work with Enriqueta Almanza with the participation of the children's choir Solfa, directed by Maylan Avila, and the Diminuto choir, led by Carmen Rosa Lopez. Portuondo added that her album won an award at the 2011 Cubadisco International Fair.
Meanwhile, Adalberto "el caballero del son" Alvarez said he was "very happy" for this nomination at the Latin Grammy awards. "No matter what happens, a nomination is very important. It is also a prize to me," said Alvarez.
Alvarez and his band are competing for the best tropical traditional album with their latest production entitled El son de altura, which includes songs by Adalberto Alvarez, and Rodulfo Vaillant and Jorge Díaz.
"This is my first time nominated for a Latin Grammy," said Alvarez who highlighted that "Cuban musicians do not obtain more awards due to the difficulties and the obstacles we have had to face to get albums to reach that market. However, Cuba is full of talent and there are lots of musicians who could be included in that selective nominee's list."
The albums El son de altura and Reir y cantar belong to Bis Music label, which presented 23 albums to the selection jury of the Latin Grammy awards.
Cuba is also represented by Septeto Santiaguero with the album Oye mi son Santiaguero (Listen to my Son from Santiago) from the Catalan label Picap, winner of the 2011 Cubadisco International Fair in traditional popular music, and which is now competing in the category of best traditional tropical album.
During a telephone conversation with Juventud Rebelde newspaper, Fernando Dewar, director of the Septeto Santiaguero, said they are very happy. "We received the news in Madrid and we were so happy that I imagine the future award holders will feel like us since this nomination is already a prize to us."

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A pair of tickets are free to each of 2 lucky winners of this competition for the Dia de la Cultura fiesta of live Cuban music, dance and poetry on saturday 22 October 2011, with Omar Puente & his band Raices Cubanas plus much more.

Cuban writer Leonardo Padura won one of the 2011 Literary Critics Awards in Cuba for his novel "El hombre que amaba a los perros", (The man who loved dogs) in which he narrates Trotsky´s exile and murder while he criticizes Stalinism.

Padura´s book won the annual award together with six works in the novel, short story, essay and theatre genres.

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has approved the hiring of a Cuban coach for the national boxers before the 2012 London Olympics, giving the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) some hope before the qualifying event.

The decision was taken during a meeting between the top officials of both bodies in Islamabad where a number of issues were discussed to lift the sport.

Pole-vaulter Lazaro Borges, world runner-up champion in Daegu, is aiming for a six-meter mark and medal in the 2012 London Olympics, he announced this week.

According to the Cuban press Agency (AIN), Borges, 25, and his coach Ruben Marcelino have planned a long-term objective that includes the Pan-American Games of Guadalajara in October, European tours, and the World Indoor Championships.

South Africa's lamentable performance at the Commonwealth Games boxing tournament in Delhi has prompted the country's sports chiefs to send 10 of its best fighters to Cuba in a bid to avoid similar failure at next year's London Olympics.

The four boxers who competed in Delhi failed to win a single bout let alone a medal, continuing a decline that has seen no South African Olympic boxing medallists since the country was allowed back into the international fold.

Key issues to boost the social repercussion of rappers were discussed during the last day of the International Symposium of Hip Hop, held in Havana with the attendance of artists from the United States, Haiti, Canada and Cuba.
On Sunday, participants in the event carried out an intensive agenda in Las Terrazas community, located in the western province of Pinar del Rio, considered the first eco-museum of the island.

Direct from Havana, the Cuban dance spectacular, Havana Rakatan, is back in the West End for a red-hot fifth season! Featuring brilliant dancers and live music by 8-piece son band Turquino.
13 September – 09 October at Peacock Theatre, London

Miami Republican David Rivera and a coalition of small groups of the anti-Cuban mafia in Miami asked Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Jiménez to cancel the upcoming Miami performance of Cuban singer Pablo Milanés.
The protest was issued Tuesday in a letter addressed to county authorities, stating their opposition to Milanes performance on Aug. 27 at the American Airlines Arena.

With contemporary and radical rock styles like the grind core, black metal, death metal and hardcore, seven European bands will perform concerts in Camaguey, Cuba, on August 26 for Brutal Fest.

The bands, coming from Switzerland, France and England, will make presentations along with the local group Grinder Carnage.

The International Symposium of Cuban Hip Hop 2011 opened last August 17 in Havana (until 27th) with the attendance of Canadian, American, French, Haitian, and Colombian singers, bands, and dancers.

Cuba beat Chinese Taipei 10-5 in July and in the process took the crown of the World Baseball Challenge tournament that concluded in the Canadian city of Prince George.
The Asian team, who had defeated Cuba in the opening game of the final round, opened the score in the second inning with four runs thanks to an error of the Cuban defense and four hits -including a three-run homer by catcher Chun Chieh Wang- off Cuban starter Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.

Then, while reliever and winner of the game Norberto Gonzalez held the China Taipei attack to only five hits and one run in 7 1/3 frames, the Cuban batters scored a 10-run rally in the fifth inning to secure the victory.

On Tuesday 5 July 2011, the UK and Cuba signed a formal declaration to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Cuba Solidarity Campaign Director, Rob Miller welcomed the declaration saying:

Director of Latino Research at the DePaul University, U.S., Felix Masud Piloto choose not to travel to Cuba for an international forum after Washington imposed degrading conditions on his trip to the island.
In a message sent to the organizers of the First Colloquium titled "Cultural identities and Latin presence in the United States," hosted by Casa de las Americas, Masud Piloto said Barack Obama's government has let down those who were looking to normalization of relations with Cuba.

Manuel Galban, who died this week, was an exceptional guitarist who played a major part in the success of the Buena vista Social Club. His playing on Ibrahim Ferrer's 'Buenos Hermanos' album showed he had not lost his talent for innovation which first emerged when he founded and led of the highly successful 1960's Cuban doo-wop group Los Zafiros, who wowed Paris at the same time as The Beatles were failing to impress Parisian audiences. This footage shows why John Lennon asked to stay an extra night in Paris so he could check them out.