Struggle against homophobia takes to the streets in Havana

"Governments cannot wait for a social consensus in order to guarantee respect for people's rights," Mariela Castro, head of Cuba's National Centre for Sex Education (CENESEX), told IPS on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia in Cuba on 17 May.

State institutions, non-governmental and religious organisations, academics, artists and above all gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transvestites and transsexuals marked the Day Against Homophobia with a full two weeks of activism, celebrations, workshops, demands for full respect for sexual diversity, a street procession of conga dancers and bands in central Havana, and an ecumenical celebration in defence of the Christian principle of non-discrimination.

Cuban children make film for children in Haiti

Five girls and five boys are taking time to remember the hurricane that devastated their home town of Gibara in eastern Cuba two years ago, mingling their memories with their dreams, and filming images to make a video message for children in Haiti.

"What I like best is learning through playing," said one of the primary school children selected to take part in an audiovisual production workshop in Gibara.

Young Writers vs. Anti-Cuban Manifesto

Cuban artists and academics have spoken out against the Spanish Platform for democratization of Cuba, whose recent document was termed an act of interference that recalls the worst years of the Island's colonial history.

"It's a clear attempt to keep the anti-Cuban campaign spread by the most powerful media against our country from dying", a declaration by the Hermanos Saiz Association (AHS) stresses.

Silvio Rodriguez set to perform in United States for first time since 1979

Cuban folk icon Silvio Rodriguez has been booked to play at Carnegie Hall during his first U.S. tour in more than 30 years, but his office said Thursday that Washington has yet to approve his visa.

The Cuban government Web site Cubadebate, where Fidel Castro posts his written essays, announced that the U.S. tour would also take Rodriguez to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.

Review of To'Mezclao: Hibrid

To Mezclao: Hibrid
CD on one side, DVD on the other TUMI 156, 2008
To'Mezclao means ‘all mixed up' in Spanish – an apt name for this new young Cuban pop band, who mix salsa, reggaeton (Cuban style dancehall) , Latin house plus cumbia from Colombia and merengue from Dominican Republic, with soulful singers and conservatoire musicians playing real instruments, to make great music to dance to. Put your hands in the air and move your hips: it's the sound of young Cuba right now.
The name of the album Hibrid not only refers to the mix of styles but also the fact that the CD is audio one side and has a fascinating short film of the band in Cuba on the other side, performing, rehearsing and chilling out together in the countryside. The film is made by the Cuban DJ/band musical director Lyng Chang: a lovely project by UK-based TUMI music.

Cuban artists visit Haiti to help earthquake victims

A group of 50 Cuban artists, known as La Brigada Marta Machado, which includes musicians, actors, painters, and comedians, arrived in Haiti in March, ADN reported. The group will put on cultural events for earthquake victims in addition to doctors and specialists helping in the recovery efforts. The group plans to remain in Haiti and "promote happiness" as long as is deemed necessary. Among those included in the delegation is well-known visual artist Alexis Leyva Kcho, who originally helped organize the brigade in 2008 in response to devastating hurricanes in Cuba, Prensa Latina reported.