|
2006 – A culturally impassioned year
BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA—Granma
International staff writer—
IT
is almost obligatory. When a year ends one reflects
back on it. It is fair to say that that 2006 has
offered many satisfactions in the cultural sphere.
There has been a daily enrichment of the spirit.
One
would expect any summary to start at the beginning,
but 2006 was marked by the great celebration
organized by the Guayasamín Foundation for President
Fidel Castro’s 80th birthday. Organized for August,
the date of his birthday, it took place at the end
of November at the president’s request.
As
part of those festivities two exhibitions were
opened, one of 100 works by the eminent Ecuadorian
painter in the National Museum of Fine Arts, and
another of engravings in Old Havana’s Museum Casa
that bears his name, brought from Quito and which
are to form part of the collection of his original
works in Cuba.
Musicians from three continents took part in the
grand concert. Todas las voces, todas (All
Voices Together), close to 100 songs, lasting more
than six hours. There was the great Miriam Makeba;
Daniel Viglieti, an essential exponent of Latin
American thinking songs; and, among the Cubans,
Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés.
BOOKS, A MASS PHENOMENON
The
year 2006 drew back its virtual curtains with the
47th Casa de las Américas Prize (January), the first
of the island’s grand cultural events. The opening
words were given by Chilean David Viñas, himself the
recipient of the first Casa Novel Prize in 1967 with
Los hombres de a caballo (Men on Horseback).
The jury members read more than 500 books (poetry,
short stories, essays, and Brazilian and Caribbean
literature.
If
books are also to enjoy in solitude, the
International Book Fair (every February) provokes a
mass phenomenon. Its central venue in Havana, the
secular San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, received
560,000 readers, who toured its salons and acquired
700,000-plus copies. Venezuela was the guest country
of honor at the Fair, dedicated to Nancy Morejón and
Angel Augier, National Literature Prize winners.
Various writers visited Havana during the year.
Venezuelan Tarek William Saab, Argentines Miguel
Bonasso and Stella Calloni, and Gore Vidal from the
United States.
Vidal had a meeting with Cuban intellectuals at the
Casa de las Américas where he affirmed that after
September 11 there was a coup d’état in his country,
and that there is no reason whatsoever to justify
the blockade of Cuba. “I cannot think of any
practical reason for the existence of the blockade.
The junta that governs us wants us to be everyone’s
enemies, but I would like to think that a new
generation is emerging and I hope that the older
generation begins to realize that after the
humiliation it has suffered in the Congress.”
Interest in reading is not confined to the
“novelties” of the Fair. For example the Sábado
del
libro
(Book Saturdays) brings together many people. Titles
as relevant as the sixth edition of Que levante
la mano la guitarra (Let the Guitar Raise the
Hand), by Víctor Casaus and Luis Rogelio Nogueras
(now deceased) or the fourth Cuban edition of
Biografia de un
Cimarron
(Biography of a Slave), on the 40th anniversary of
the publication of this emblematic work.
YEARNING FOR MUSIC
One
could continue on books, but discs are demanding
their space. May was the month for CUBADISCO, a time
to appreciate the work of Cuban recording labels,
what they are recording and what they are spurning,
often because the market prioritizes the veritably
cultural. It also happens that Cubans cannot buy
CDs, either because of their price or for not having
a player.
The
First Prize went to Chucho Valdés for Cancionero
Cubano (Cuban Songbook, EGREM), and the group
Interactiva for Goza pepillo (BIS Music).
Añoranza por la conga (Yearning for the Conga),
a magnificent number by Ricardo Leyva and SurCaribe,
won the Theme of the Year Prize.
The
jazz maestro Chucho Valdés recorded a new CD in
Havana, none less than with the Frenchman Charles
Aznavour. The interpreter of “Venice without You”
said it consists of new songs with a Latin sound.
The idea of recording together came up when Valdés
did a concert in Paris with Michel Legrand.
Also
unique was that launch of the CD Erase que era
(Once Upon a Time), the latest from Silvio Rodríguez.
It is a disc that is very much his own, intense and
real, a fiesta for the memory, 25 songs, some of
them never previously recorded.
An
interesting year for Silvio: celebrating his 60th
birthday, receiving the Latin Prize for a Lifetime’s
Work presented by the Spanish Academy of Music,
concerts in London with the famous guitarist John
Williams, and listing to 40 trova singers sing his
songs in two intimate and loving concerts in the
Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center.
Concert music is also being recorded. Thanks to the
Cuban Institute of Music’s Colibrí label we now have
a DVD/CD with the Brazilian composer Heitor
Villa-Lobos’ five concerts for piano, in a project
created and performed by the pianist Ulises
Hernández, also involving Elena Santiago, Patricio
Malcolm, Harold López-Nussa and Roberto Urbay.
And
to celebrate: the Schola Cantorum Coralina choir
received First Prize in the 54th Guido D’Arezzo
Polyphonic Competition in Italy, and preparations
for the 2007 centenary of Compay Segundo.
TIME
FOR THE STAGE
Every two years there is an effervescence in the
world of ballet. It is the time of the International
Ballet Festival that, under the influence of prima
ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, compels the finest
dancers of the moment to perform in Havana.
Carla Fracci,
José Manuel Carreño, Carlos Acosta and Julio Bocca.
It
was precisely the great Argentine who led one of the
most emotive moments. His retirement from classical
ballet with Swan Lake took place on the same
stage where he debuted in the role of Prince
Siegfried 20 years ago. That was followed by the
multiple premieres, performances of the classics,
the passion for ballet among Cubans created by
Alicia Alonso.
Two
distinguished figures received the National Dance
Prize 2006: Ramona de Saá, one of the greats of the
Cuban School of Ballet, and Santiago Alfonso,
trainer of dancers for the show world, and for many
years choreographer of the Tropicana Cabaret.
As
always, Camagüey organized the National Theater
Festival, likewise a biennial, in which the
confrontation of the best plays led to Mario
Balmaseda and Sergio Corrieri winning the National
Theater Prize.
VISUAL EXPERIENCES
The
visual arts have a well-won space in contemporary
Cuban culture. There were many exhibitions during
2006, in Villa Manuela, in La Acacia and Servando
galleries, the Museum of Rum and, naturally, in the
Museum of Fine Arts.
Lots
to see; for example, the sculpted montage Cinco
Palmas, coordinated by the Guayasamín Foundation
for Fidel’s 80th birthday, by 30 contemporary
artists who painted over the tops of five metallic
palms, now installed facing the Universal Art
building of the National Museum of Fine Arts, and
that in the Cuban Art building, the exhibition
Reinas de Corazones (Queens of Hearts), by Zaida
del Río; the tribute to Antonia Eiriz, in the
Servando; Sosabravo in the Acacia; or the 50th
anniversary of the Laguillas Collection of ancient
art.
The
year of 2006 was one of biennial events and thus the
9th Havana Biennale, which had the participation of
no less than 250 artists from 52 countries, was of
exceptional interest. The work of Carlos Saura,
Spencer Tunick, Kcho, and photographs of building
designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, a special
guest, was here for the enjoyment of everyone.
AND
IN THE CINEMA
The
curtain of the cultural panorama must fall with the
International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.
More than 500 films from the region, in competition,
shows, special screenings, retrospectives and
tributes, in particular to the San Antonio Film
School on its 20th anniversary, and the presence of
directors like Stephen Frears, who presented his
prizewinning film The Queen.
Cuban cinema, showing distinct signs of recovery,
obtained various Coral Prizes: Páginas del diario
de Mauricio (Pages from Mauricio’s Diary), by
Manuel Pérez (Jury Special Mention); Gozar,
comer, partir (Enjoy, Eat and Leave) by Arturo
Infante (Short); La edad de la peseta (The
Age of the Peseta), by Pavel Giroud (Photography and
Artistic Direction); El Benny, by Jorge Luis
Sánchez (Debut Film); Existen (They Exist),
by Esteban Insausti (Experimental Documentary); and
Peter Pan Kids, by Arturo Sotto (Unpublished
Script).
Other spheres should have been included. For
example, the Schools of Art, the work of the Casas
of Culture, the Craft Fair, and popular dances with
daily, weekly, everyday programs.
From a bird’s eye view, 2006 was a culturally
impassioned year. |
