Ballet Nacional de Cuba

WHAT’S ON
!
HAVANA
FEB 2013
Review of Andrew Moore’s
spectacular new book, Cuba
page 14
The 15th
Habanos festival
February 26 to March 2
page 18
Havana’s Book Fair
February 14-March 10
page 19
February 8-10 & 15-17
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
.COM
WHAT’S ON
HAVANA
! February 2013
Sex is very much in the city at Galer’a La Acacia for a
homoerotic smorgasbord of art from many of Cuba’s best
artists. John Michael Rusnak also has an excellent photography
exhibition Fear of Nostalgia in the Fototeca de Cuba. Still in
photography, Andrew Moore’s Cuba is lively, keen-eyed,
terrible and lovely, [it] has the aspect of an unfinished collage.
Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Nacional de Cuba is performing six nights
in its temporary new home at the Teatro Nacional on Feb 8-10
and 15-17, while for a different dancing experience do check out
El Beduino’s belly dancers every Saturday night.
The 15th Habanos cigar festival takes center stage at month’s
end, while outside Havana our pick has to be the 2nd
International Harley Davidson Rally to Varadero (Feb 8-11).
Finally, the International Book Fair kicks of in Havana on
Valentines Day.
We hope you enjoy this review. Any feedback and/or notices
about events are always appreciated. You can contact us at
[email protected]
Photo above and cover by
Andrew Moore from his book Cuba.
|4
DANCE | 7
MUSIC | 8
ART
PHOTOGRAPHY | 13
PERFORMING ARTS | 14
FOR KIDS | 16
BEST EVENTS OUTSIDE OF HAVANA | 17
OTHER:
15TH HABANOS CIGAR FESTIVAL
HAVANA BOOK FAIR
| 18
| 19
| 20
CONTEMPORARY BARS & CLUBS | 21
HAVANA RESTAURANT GUIDE | 22
LOVE IS THE AIR – VALENTINE’S DAY
ELENA’S UP & DOWNS TO DINING OUT IN HAVANA? | 23
ADDRESS BOOK | 25
page 1 | Feb
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February:
Havana Good Time with Conner Gorry
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
Conner Gorry
Conner is one of the most insightful
writers about Cuba she is the author of
the blog, Here is Havana.
The Havana Good Time application is a
must for visitors to Cuba providing
comprehensive and up to date details of
the best places to visit, eat, party, and
shop.
Buckle up babies, you’re in for a wild ride this month. February may be short, but it certainly is sweet here in
Havana where Valentine’s Day is taken almost as seriously as Mother’s Day (nothing, and I mean nothing,
trumps Cuban Moms). This translates into concerts dedicated to lovers; ludicrously crowded restaurants
where wait times can top over an hour; and wandering florists and minstrels for that last minute gift-giving.
If you’ll be here with your honey on February 14th, I suggest avoiding the madness altogether by cooking a
candlelight dinner in your casa particular; hosting a gourmet picnic at Parque Monte Barreto; or beholding the
sunset seaside with a bottle of wine at the Jardines de 1830. Now on to my other top picks for February:
Sex in the City
Trust me when I say: there has never before been an exhibit like this in
Cuba. Featuring over a dozen artists working in different mediums,
this collection proves it’s a fine line between homoerotic and
pornographic. Regardless of the inherent worth of individual pieces,
this exhibit is groundbreaking and historically relevant for
traditionally homophobic Cuba since it brings same sex relations out
of the closet; through February 28th.
2nd International Harley Davidson Rally
One weekend, hundreds of Cuban bikers, and scores of Harley
Davidsons from before Obama was born: if last year’s rally is any
indication, this is going to one hell of an exciting event with music,
competitions, and lots of fun Cuban-style, climaxing with a concert by
Cuban Harlista David Blanco. It makes a great photo opp and is a
chance to mix and mingle with some cool, passionate locals. Rally
takes off for Varadero from the Cupet in Guanabacoa on February 8,
1pm; activities continue through February 10 in central Varadero (1ra &
Calle 43); all are welcome.
page 2 | Feb
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December:
Havana Good Time with Conner Gorry
Santiago Feliú
It’s heartening that this celebrated singer-songwriter is back on stage
regularly with a weekly gig at the Café Cantante. While the format is
different from his usual original songs featuring poignant lyrics and
rocking guitar and piano arrangements (this peña is dedicated to hit
songs in Spanish from the 60s and 70s), Santi always puts on a good show.
This is especially recommended for folks who speak Spanish and Cuban
Americans visiting the island who want to stroll down memory lane.
Fridays,11pm.
Go to church
Old Havana has two majestic music venues which tend to slip under the
radar. Luckily, February offers good opportunities to catch concerts at
both the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis and the Iglesia de San
Francisco de Paula. First, there’s the Camerata Romeu, conducted by the
legendary Zenaida Romeu at the Basilica Menor, February 16th at 6pm,
followed by the baroque ensemble Ars Longa at the San Franscisco de
Paula on February 26th a 7pm. Either is guaranteed to inspire.
Conner Gorry is author of the Havana Good Time app (for iPhone/Pads and Android) and Here is Havana blog.
page 3 | Feb
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ART
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
Sex in the City
!
Galería La Acacia
January 18 to February 28
Tuesday thru Friday from 9:00
am to 6:00 pm, and Saturdays
from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Havana’s most buzzed about art
exhibition in years. A smorgasbord of
homo-erotic art brought together under
the guidance of curator Piter Ortega. The
lineup features Roberto Fabelo, Rocío
García, Duvier del Dago, Humberto Díaz,
René Peña, Jorge López Pardo, and
Adonis Flores, as well as younger artists
whose work is emerging in art-world
circuits: Lancelot Alonso, Stainless,
Yenisley Yanes, Tai Ma Campos, Álvaro
José Brunet, William Acosta, and Julio
Ferrer, among others.
Leave the kids at home.
ESTERIO SEGURA: FROM
ANGUISH TO PLEASURE
by Ricardo Alberto Pérez.
Esterio Segura (Santiago de Cuba, 1970-) is
considered one of the most controversial artists of
his generation. He was first known for Santo de paseo
por el trópico), a sculpture of Saint Sebastian made of
polychrome plaster which is part of the permanent
collection of the Contemporary Cuban Art at the Fine
Arts Museum in Havana The saint was placed in this
setting as a symbol of the imprints of all kinds of
journeys…
Read full article
Casa
Carmen
Montilla
Throughout
February
page 4 | Feb
Sintonía de un patrimonio
by artist Maykel Herrera,by
artist Maykel Herrera,
known as “the painter of
children”, given the
countless and at times
enigmatic presence of
children in his paintings.
Casa del
Benemérit
o de las
Américas
Benito
Juárez
Throughout
February
Edición Número Cero: La
Habana I
an exhibition of
contemporary Brazilian art.
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ART
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
Throughout Tengo algo que decir,
Centro
February
a tribute to the Cuban
Cultural
Cinematog
school of landscape art
ráfico
from very different
ICAIC
manifestations, formats,
techniques and trends by
artists Ever Fonseca, René
de la Nuez, Javier Román,
Renier Hernández
Balmaseda, Arley Perera,
Osmar Reyes, Juan Camilo
Cruz, Pedro Pérez Portales,
Williams Cruz, Carlos
Llanes, Jorge Lucas Pereda,
Darexis Valle, Efrén Acosta
and Carlos R. Coronado,
amont othetr, most of
which live in Artemisa and
Mayabeque provinces and
therefore their presence is
not a frequent one in
Havana.
Centro de Through 23
de Feb
Arte
Contempo
ráneo
Wifredo
Lam
Wifredo Lam: entre la
pintura y el grabado,
exhibition of 72 pieces (on
the 110th anniversary of the
birth of the Cuban painter.
Along with the exhibit,
several documentaries on
Lam will be shown: 19021946; 1946-1982; y ,
produced by Seven Doc
from France, directed by
Fabrice Maze and Barbro
Schultz Lundesta, along
with and , directed by
Humberto Solá and Jorge
Aguirre, respectively.
Throughout Martha Le Parc: ¿Artista o
Centro
February
artesana? Homenaje al
Hispano
pueblo de Cuba, an
Americano
de Cultura
exhibition of colorful
tapestries filled with light
and movement, whose
designs draw inspiration
from Paul Klee, Piet
Mondrian and Victor
Vasarely, among other
contemporary artists.
Pabellón
Cuba
Opens Feb
15
page 5 | Feb
Defensa Civil II, exhibition
by young artist Ernesto
Domecq.
La Acacia
Throughout Sex in the City, group
February
exhibition of pieces by
!
renowned artists (Roberto
Fabelo, Rocío García,
Duvier del Dago, René Peña,
Jorge López Pardo, and
others) and a younger
generation of artists who
are making a name for
themselves in the world of
visual arts (Lancelot Alonso,
Stainless, Tai Ma Campos,
and others). The exhibit
focuses on homoeroticism
which is the main theme for
some of them and an
occasional topic for others.
This attempt to transgress
the limits between
eroticism and pornography
has been described by quite
a number of viewers as
lewd. The gallery, however,
has registered unusual
attendance rates.
Throughout Umberto Peña: regreso a
Galería
Latinoame February
un pintor visceral, an
ricana.
exhibition of over 30
Casa de
pieces, which include
las
paintings, drawings and
Américas
engravings by artist
Umberto Peña who lives in
the US. He is one of the
most important and
influential creators of
Cuban graophic design.
Museo
Nacional
de Bellas
Artes
(Edificio
de Arte
Cubano)
Throughout Gritos en la pared. Hitos
February
del cartel cubano
Museo
Biblioteca
Servando
Cabrera,
Throughout Made in Cuba, first solo
February
exhibition of sculptor
contemporáneo, is a
collection of 200 posters
(1959-2012), most of which
are related to the cinema,
and the others fall within
the category of economic,
social and political
propaganda.
Alejandro Díaz Matos. Ten
pieces, almost all of which
are made of steel, explore
Cuban themes.
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ART
Galería de
Arte Fayad
Jamís
Factoría
Habana
Throughout
February
Throughout
February
Museo
Opens Feb
Nacional de 23, 4 pm
Bellas Artes.
Edificio de
Arte
Cubano
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
The 19th Salon of Erotic Art
opens its doors to painting,
drawing, engraving,
photography, digital art,
sculpture, installation,
performance and
audiovisuals.
El viaje (Paredes que
hablan)
Antonio Eligio Fernández
(Tonel), member of
Hexágono, one of the
memorable groups during
the creative explosion of
the 1980s, has made use of
caricatures, drawings,
paintings, sculptures and
installations to examine,
from aesthetics closely
related to conceptualism
and minimalism, both the
everyday life of his
immediate environment
and the universal instinct of
human beings.
!
Casa
Throughout Martí, ese misterio que
Oswaldo
February
nos acompaña
Guayasamín
a group exhibition of
paintings, sculptures,
drawings, photographs and
video art, inspired in the
thought and spirituality of
Cuba’s national hero, José
Martí byCuban artists of
several generations and
styles, including Kamyl
Bullaudy, Alex Castro, Liang
Domínguez, Sándor
González, Alexis Leyva
Machado (Kcho), Liudmila
López, Douglas Pérez,
Mabel Poblet, Ernesto
Rancaño, among others.
Palacio
Conde de
Lombillo
Constitución del Museo,
an exhibition on ocassion of
the centenary of the Fine
Arts Museum in Havana.
The exhibit includes
documents and
publications since its
founding.
Mon-Fri,
9:30 am-5
pm; Sat,
9:30 am12:30 pm
Colección de la Embajada
de España de grabados y
mapas antiguos de Cuba,
exhibition organized with
the collaboration of the
Spanish Embassy in Cuba
and the City Historian’s
Office. The exhibit, which
shows early maps and
engravings of the island of
Cuba, is made up of 18
engravings of special
historical and artistic value,
made between 1642 and
1853.
El viaje (Paredes que hablan) Antonio Eligio Fernández (Tonel)
page 6 | Feb
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DANCE
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
Sala AvellanedaTeatro Nacional
!
Ballet
Feb 8 & 9, 8:30 pm; Feb 10, 5 pm
Feb 15 & 16, 8:30 pm; Feb 17, 5 pm
Ballet Nacional de Cuba performs at its temporary new
home: La commedia é… danzata, choreography by Alicia
Alonso and music by Ernesto Lecuona; Sylvia pas de deux,
choreography by George Balanchín and music by Léo
Delibes; Nosotros, choreography by Alicia Alonso and music
by Chopin; Luminous, choreography by Peter Quanz and
music by Marjan Mozetich; Theme and Variations,
choreography by George Balanchine and music by
Tchaikovski.
Ballet Nacional de Cuba performs at its temporary new
home: The Afternoon of a Faun, choreography by Vaslav
Nijinski and music by Debussy; Double Bounce,
choreography by Peter Quanz and music by David Lang;
Interludio en el limbo, choreography by Carlos I. Santos and
music by Mozart; Pas de deux de Beauty and the Beast,
choreography by E. Kirk Peterson and music by Chaikovski;
Flora, choreography by Gustavo Herrera and music by
Sergio Vitier; Impromptu Lecuona, choreography by Alicia
Alonso and music by Ernesto Lecuona. Tchaikovski.
BELLY-DANCING AT EL
BEDUINO
El Beduino
607 Calle 5 between 4 and 6 |
Vedado, Havana, Cuba
If you want to cash in your wife for 15
camels then look no further. This is the
place. Saturday night is bellydancing
night which is something to behold!
Hookah pipes, chicken shawarmas
and beatiful dancing girls – what more
would you want. A word of warning for
those not accustomed to sitting
Beduin style – take your own lounger!
Read full article
El Beduino
page 7 | Feb
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MUSIC
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
Gala Tribute to Rosita Fornés
Sala Avellaneda, Teatro Nacional,
Feb 2, 8:30 pm
A tribute to the Cuban star Rosita Fornés,
with a gala ceremony that will include the
performances of operatic singers María
Eugenia Barrios and Milagros de los
Ángeles, young talents of the National
Lyrical Opera, vedette Maylú, singer
Lourdes Torres, the Lizt Alfonso Ballet and
dancers from the Anfiteatro de La
Habana, among other artists, who will sing
a selection of operettas and zarzuelas
which were hits in the voice of Rosita
Fornés: La viuda alegre, La casta Susana,
La Generala, El conde de Luxemburgo, La
boda de Luis Alonso, Las musas latinas,
Doña Francisquita, Las Leandras and La
verbena de La Paloma.
Festival de Música Antigua
Esteban Salas
February 26-March 2
Old Havana
http://www.arslonga.cu/
Dedicated to commemorate the
anniversary of the death of the first
Cuban musician of whom there is record
of printed scores, every year the Esteban
Salas Early Music Festival gathers
outstanding performers of Medieval,
Renaissance and Baroque music who
perform in Old Havana headed by the Ars
Longa Music Ensemble. This festival has
made it possible for audiences to enjoy
for the first time in Cuba important pieces
of the universal repertory, such as the
madrigalian comedy “Festino” by the
Italian composer Adriano Banchieri and
Handel’s “Messiah.”
BUENE FE: BEHIND THE
SCENES
by John Waterhouse
Mega Cuban pop stars they may be but don’t expect a
glitzy recording studio for singer–songwriter
duo—Israel Rojas and partner Yoel Martínez. Hailing
from the eastern–most province of Cuba
(Guantánamo), this is of the most popular bands on
the island among a young, mainly high–school and
university crowd...
Read full article
page 8 | Feb
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MUSIC
JAZZ
La Zorra y el Cuervo
1 (Fri)
Oscar Valdes & Diakara
2 (Sat)
Bellita & Jazztumbata
3 (Sun)
Ruy Lopez Nussa & La Academia
4 (Mon)
Emilio Matrinez & Saxofilia
5 (Tue)
Jesus Fuentes & Santo Tomas
Conection
6 (Wed)
Alexis Bosch & Proyecto Jazz Cubano
7 (Thu)
Roberto Fonseca & Temperamento
8 (Fri)
Michel Herrera & Joven Jazz
9 (Sat)
Yasek Manzano & Group
10(Sat)
Lazaro Valdez & Son Jazz
11 (Mon)
Jorge Luis Pacheco & Trio
12 (Tue)
Denis Carbo & Balance
13(Wed)
Eduardo Barroetabena & Oddara
14(Thu)
Roberto Fonseca & Temperamento
15 (Fri)
Oscar Valdes & Diakara
16 (Sat)
Michel Herrera & Joven Jazz
17 (Sun)
Canela
18 (Mon)
David Faya & Camino a Santiago
19 (Tue)
Denis Carbo & Balance
20 (Wed)
Alexis Bosch & Proyecto Jazz Cubano
21 (Thu)
Roberto Fonseca & Temperamento
22 (Fri)
Michel Herrera & Joven Jazz
page 9 | Feb
23 (Sat)
Bellita & Jazztumbata
24(Sun)
Lazaro Valdez & Son Jazz
25(Mon)
Ta' Bueno Jazz
26 (Tue)
Denis Carbo & Balance
27(Wed)
Eduardo Barroetabena & Oddara
28(Thur)
Roberto Fonseca & Temperamento
Café
Concert
Adagio
Sundays,
10 pm
Sundays,
Centro
5:00 pm
Cultural
Fresa y
Chocolate
Performance by the band
Aire de Concierto
Jazz with Julito Padrón and
David Alfaro
Casa del
Alba
Cultural
Feb 10, 5
pm
Tribute to guitarist Jorge
Luis Chicoy on the 40th
anniversary of his artistic
life. Performances by
showman Bobby Carcasés,
drumers Oliver Valdés and
Ramsés Rodríguez, bassist
Jorge Reyes, pianist Roberto
Fonseca, flutist and sax
player Javier Zalba and bass
player Yandy Martínez.
Delirio
Habanero
(Teatro
Nacional)
Sundays
Performances by Michel
Herrera.
Feb 27 pm
Museo
Nacional
de Bellas
Artes.
Edificio de
Arte
Cubano
Jazz concert with pianist
Alejandro Falcón and
Cubadentro, with guest
singers Waldo Mendoza,
Michel Herrera, Luna
Manzanares, César López,
Mayito Rivera and Reynaldo
Melián.
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MUSIC
Bolero, folkloric, son & trova
Asociación Fridays,
Yoruba de 8:30 pm
Cuba
Sundays, 4
Performance by the
folkloric group Obiní Batá
pm
Saturdays,
4 pm
Barbaram
Pepito´s
Bar
Cafe
Cantante
(Teatro
Nacional)
Feb 15, 5
Centro
pm
Cultural
Pablo de la
Torriente
Brau
The band Charanga de Oro
plays pieces from the
traditional repertory of
Cuban popular dance
music.
Mondays, 9 Four hours with Frank
pm
Delgado: and guests
Centro de
la Décima
Feb 23, 4
pm
troubadours.
Thursdays,
10 pm
Charly Salgado adn his
band.
Fridays, 11
pm
“Lo que la Radio nos Dejó”
or What the Radio Left us
with Santiago Feliú, one of
the most important Cuban
singer-songwriters who has
preserved the troubadour
spirit with contemporary
sounds.
Café Jade Thursdays,
Noche de Boleros de Oro:
Lovers of this romantic
genre par excellence have
the opportunity of meeting
and enjoying the
performances of the best
Cuban bolero singers.
Tue & Thu,
8:30 pm;
Sun, 5 pm
Performances by one of the
most popular bands in
Cuba, Moncada, with an
extensive repertoire of
Cuban and Latin American
music.
Jardines
del 1830
Lynn Milanés
Anaís Abreu
Saturdays,
10 pm
Argelia Fragoso
Casa de la Saturdays,
Música de 5 pm
Miramar
The “in” place of Havana’s
trova scene, La Utopía (or
the “intellectual nightclub”)
combines live
performances by
troubadours, impromptu
performances by the
audience, and videos of
important domestic and
international musicians of
the past 50 years. The
mostly young
intellectualistic crowd sings
along to every song.
Saturdays,
Centro
10:30 pm
cultural
Fresa y
Chocolate
Performance by Yeni
Sotolongo, a young figure
of Cuban song who boasts
an exceptional voice and
varied repertoire.
Sala
Avenida
Tuesdays, 5 Performance of salsa band
pm
Habana de Primera.
page 10 | Feb
El Jardín de la Gorda with
the performances of
trovadores from every
generation.
Hurón Azul Saturdays,
10 pm
(UNEAC)
10:30 pm
Fridays, 9
pm
The “in” place of
Havana’sCuerda Joven, a
new project dedicated to
the younger generations of
Cuban trovadores,
especially those from other
provinces who are little
known by audiences of the
capital.
La Pérgola, Feb 24, 6
Ministerio pm
de Cultura
Pabellón
Cuba
Piano Bar
Tun Tun
(Casa de
la Música
de
Miramar)
El Pergolazo, new project of
trovadores Samuel Ávila
and Diego Cano
Feb 15-24
Popular Cuban musicians
and singer-songwriters,
such as Descemer Bueno,
David Blanco, Tony Ávila,
Ivette Cepeda, William
Vivanco, Adrián Berazaín
and other musicians from
Spain, Ecuador, Argentina
and Panama will be
performing daily at
Pabellón Cuba during the
Havana Book Fair.
Fridays, 5
pm
Tres Tazas, a get-together
with troubadour Silvio
Alejandro and guests.
Thursdays,
5 pm
Performances by trovador
Ray Fernández.
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MUSIC
Bolero, folkloric, son & trova
Viernes, 9
Patio
pm
Amarillo
(Centro de
Arte
Contempo
ráneo
Wifredo
Lam)
Charly Salgado and his
band: a fusion of trova and
rock in intelligent songs
about his surroundings.
Piano Bar Fridays, 10
pm
Delirio
Habanero.
Teatro
Nacional
Performances by pop singer
Verónica Velázquez
Plaza Vieja 14, 8:00 pm Dinner and concert at one
of Havana’s most famous
plazas on St. Valentine’s
Day. Performance by
popular singer Ivette
Cepeda and the band
Reflexión.
Feb 21, 5
Sede
provisional pm
del Museo
Nacional
de la
Música
The best tres player in
Cuba, Pancho Amat and
Cabildo del Son with a
sample of the most Cuban
of Cuban song and dance
styles-“son.”
Snack Bar. Thursdays,
7 pm
Hotel
Telégrafo
An informal meeting with
the versatile contralto
Ivette Cepeda, who has
been much celebrated
thanks to the subtleties she
brings to her voice and her
wide repertory of Cuban
and international music.
Contemporary fusion
& electronic
Barbaram
Pepito´s
Bar
Tuesdays, 9 Performances by the band
pm
Polaroid, whose poetic
songs deal with the
environment through
different sonorities.
Mondays, 10
Centro
pm
Cultural
Fresa y
Chocolate
Discoteca
Escaleras
al Cielo
Feb 15, 10
pm
page 11 | Feb
Wichy D´Vedado, one of the
most famous DJs in Havana
with the best of World
music.
Aceituna sin Hueso and
their lead violin put out an
interesting interaction of
Celtic, Indian and Cuban
sounds
Contemporary fusion
& electronic
Sundays, 5
Centro
Cultural El pm
Sauce
Discotemba La Máquina de
la Melancolía. Trovador
Frank Delgado and the
popular actor Luis Alberto
García, who becomes a DJ
here, offer a demanding
selection of pop, rock,
Cuban alternative music,
pieces by singersongwriters and audiovisual
materials. Unlike other
venues in the city, at La
Máquina, salsa, timba and
merengue have been
banned, and has been
proudly declared “Free
territory of reggaeton and
bad vibes”.
RAP
Cancha de Feb 9, 2
pm
Cojímar
Anónimo Consejo and
Brebaje Man (rap).
Casa de la Feb 4, 5pm Cubanos en la Red (rap)
Cultura de
Guanabac
oa
Jardines
del teatro
Mella
Feb 9, 5:00 Hermanazos (rap).
pm
Feb 2, 8pm
La
Madriguera
Maqueta
de La
Habana
Feb 23,
5pm
Parque de Feb 15, 5
pm
Santos
Suárez
12 y 17, El
Vedado
22, 7: 00
pm
Yimi Konclase (rap).
Hermanazos (rap).
Adverzario (rap).
Mano Armada (rap).
ROCK
Submarino Mondays, 9 The young singer Gretel
pm
Amarillo
Barreiro delights her
audiences wth rock songs
from the 1970s and 80s.
Café
Cantante,
Teatro
Nacional
Sundays, 4
pm
Los Kents, a “dinosaur” of
Cuban rock, play their hits
from the 60s and 70s.
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MUSIC
Classical
Iglesia de Paula
Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís
Feb 19, 21,
Academicum Tempus focuses on master
22, 26 & 27, classes on the interpretation of early
7pm
music with experts in the technique of
early musical instruments. Teachers
include flutist Claudia Gerauer and
organists Stefan Baier and Martin Rost
(Germany); Judith Pacquier, French horn
(France); violinist Walter Reiter (UK); ,
harpsichord Kathleen Mc Intoch (US);
violinist Evelio Tieles, lute player and
guitarist Aland López and soprano and
director Teresa Paz (Cuba).
Feb 19, 7
pm
Concert by students from the Amadeo
Roldán Conservatory, conducted by
Evelio Tieles.
Feb 2, 6 pm Performance by the versatile pianist
Ernán López-Nussa and his trio.
Feb 21, 7
pm
Stefan Baier and Claudia Gerauer will
direct recorder and organ students from
the Convivium Musicum program.
Feb 9, 6 pm Concert by the chamber orchestra
Feb 22, 7
pm
Claudia Gerauer (recorder) and Stefan
Baier (organ), will play pices from the
German Renaissance.
Feb 16, 6
pm
The duet Netzaj (Darío Martín, piano
andConcert by the all-female Camerata
Romeu, conduted by Zenaida Romeu, on
the occasion of St Valentine’s Day.
Feb 26, 7
pm
The Ars Longa Early mUisc Ensemble
will be conducted by Martin Rost from
Germany.
Feb 23, 6
pm
Feb 27, 7
pm
Organ concert by Martin Rost and
Moisés Santiesteban.
The vocal ensemble Sine Nomine and
guests from the National Lyrical Opera
will give a program made up of excerpts
from Handel's Acis and Galatea, and
pieces by other Baroque composers.
Música Eterna, conducted by Guido
López-Gavilán.
Oratorio San Felipe Neri
Feb 9, 4 pm The Santa Cecilia wind quintet will play
works by Giulio Briaccialdi, George
Bizet, and Cuban composers Ignacio
Cervantes ansd Paquito D’ Rivera.
Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura
Sat 9, 5 pm Performance of the clarinet quartet
Ébanos de La Habana, conducted by
Macario Sanjudo
page 12 | Feb
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PHOTOGRAPHY
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
Fear of Nostalgia
solo exhibition of John Michael
RusnakFototeca de Cuba
(Throughout February)
“Shot entirely in Cuba, this work reveals
to the world through the shades of
diversity what first drew Rusnak’s
attention of focus. Hoping to “encourage
reflection on recent social and political
mistakes and stimulate re-examination of
the lost opportunities for the elusive ‘ONE
WORLD’ promise of the 1960’s,” the social
commentary is communicated through a
series of five large format triptychs.”
Extract from review by Mani De Osu
Photography Fear of Nostalgia
Andrew Moore: Cuba
"Moore’s subject is history in process, and
in Cuba he finds history not just
happening but time-lapsed, history
waiting to take the next step. His Cuba,
lively, keen-eyed, terrible and lovely, has
the aspect of an unfinished collage. The
craft of collage, the recombining of
displaced, decommissioned things, is
often cherished as a form of salvage, or
even (mawkishly) as an art of redemption.
But there is no salvation or completion
until each scavenged part can be
persuaded to consign its origins and its
traumas to the past and agree to face the
future. This Cuba, unfinished and waiting,
has the querulous virtue of refusing to
forget.” Excerpt from introduction.
Sala de la Diversidad
Throughout The new gallery Sala de la Diversidad opens with an exhibition by the Cuban biologist and
February
photographer Nicasio Viñas, which is dedicated to the variety of animal life in the Caribbean
region. The gallery will exhibit digital photos from seven high-resolution screens.
page 13 | Feb
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PERFORMING ARTS
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
Gotas de agua sobre piedras
calientes
[Drops of water on Hot
Stones].
Sala Adolfo Llauradó
Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5 pm
In Rainer Warner Fassbinder’s comedy
(under the direction of Carlos Díaz with
Teatro El Público company), a young man
who is looking for an apartment where he
plans to live with his girlfriend after their
wedding, is intercepted by a mature man,
a manipulator of emotions, who the young
man falls passionately in love with. The
presence of the girlfriend and an ex-lover
of the mature man give rise to serious
conflicts. Díaz has chosen to make a
reading of the play more from the
domination/submission relationship
rather than from the twists and turns of
homosexuality.
Sala Adolfo Llauradó
Feb 5-7, 6
pm
Aquicualquier@one-man comedy show
with Osvaldo Doimeadiós, in which the
excellent Cuban actor shows his
multifaceted talent, playing the roles of
several of his most popular characters,
with funny and thought-provoking
monologues, songs and jokes.
Sala Argos Teatro
Fri & Sat,
8:30 pm;
Sun, 5 pm
Feb 19-21, 6 Delirio Habanero by Cuban playwright
pm
Alberto Pedro. Three delirious
characters who believe they are Varilla (a
former waiter at La Bodeguita del Medio
Restaurant), and famous singers Benny
Moré and Celia Cruz, meet every
evening at a run-down building to recall
a long gone Havana, or to plan a future
that will never be. This production by
Teatro de La Luna has earned the
director and the three actors numerous
prizes.
26, 27 y 28, Ay, mi amor monologue written by
6:00 pm
Norge Espinosa, with the magnificent
performance of the young actor Lester
Martínez. Based on the memories of the
late actor Adolfo Llauradó, as taped by
his wife, who in that intimate milieu
gives details of his hectic private life.
The play has received important prizes
from specialized Cuban critics.
page 14 | Feb
Talco written by Cuban playwright Abel
González Melo and classified by some
critics as “dirty realism, once again
explores Havana’s underworld--a
subworld of prostitution, drugs and
marginal peopleThe rundown El Mégano
movie theatre serves as setting where
the events that lead to despair and death
take place.
Sala El Ciervo Encantado
Feb 2, 3, 9
& 10, 8:30
pm
Cubalandia a performance by Mariela
Brito, directed by Nelda Castillo. The
play focuses on a self-employed worker-Yara La China not only organizes
excursions payable both in Cuban pesos
and Convertible pesos, she also advices
her potential customers on how to
recover the investment, which gives rise
to a stark, ironic look into current
pressing economic and ethical problems
that Cubans face today.
Feb 16, 17,
Rapsodia para el mulo Nelda Castillo,
23, 24, 8:30 director of El Ciervo Encantado, who
pm
sought inspiration for her play in the
poem of the same name by José Lezama
Lima, to express, with complex
symbolism, the difficult struggle to save
the remains of the past and survive in
the harshness of the present.
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PERFORMING ARTS
Sala Teatro El Sótano
Teatro Raquel Revuelta
Tue, Wed & Esto es demasiado opening of this
Thu, 6 pm
comedy play by Cuban playwright Cary
Fri & Sat 6
pm; Sun, 5
pm
Cruz, and produced by Teatro Buscón.
Sala Tito Junco. Centro Cultural Bertolt Bretch
Feb 1-10; Fri La pintura y otros lugares is based on
& Sat, 8:30 the painting by French artist Alain
pm; Sun, 5
Kleinmann. Estudio Teatral Aldaba
pm
company, directed by Irene Borges,
evokes the memory and the passage of
time through an attractive work that
combines visual arts, theater, poetry,
music and movement.
Antigonón, un contingente épico
(work in progress) by Rogelio
Orizondo, staged by Teatro El Público.
With only two actresses on the stage,
this reworking of the myth of Antigone
uses recourses such as dance,
fragmentation of the discourse and the
intersexuality to delve into present-day
concerns.
Teatro Trianón
Fri & Sat,
8:30 pm;
Sun, 5 pm
Caligula El Público theater company
reruns one of its most successful and
provocative plays of their repertory, by
French novelist, essayist, and dramatist,
Albert Camus.
EL PÚBLICO’S
HOMOEROTIC TWELFTH
NIGHT REACHES 100
by Victoria Alcalá
Carlos Diaz director of El Publico
page 15 | Feb
May 6, 2012 marked the 100th performance of El
Público’s homoerotic Twelfth Night. This is one of the
longest running Cuban theatre productions and for
most of these nights it has played to packed houses.
Director Carlos Díaz’s version of the Shakespeare
play is not for traditionalists with irreverent
provocation dominating the Trianón Theater on
Línea Street: cross-dressing, masquerade, farce and
outspoken sarcasm; a deliberate mix of “high” and
popular culture. Personally I think it was brilliant
although don’t take grandma!
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FOR KIDS
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
MEÑIQUE
Memorial José Martí
February 2, 10 am
The Playa Municipality children’s
workshop under the popular children’s
theater group La Colmenita will present
Meñique, authored by Laboulaye, in a
version by José Martí.
LA CUCARACHITA MARTINA
Memorial José Martí
February 23, 10 am
A presentation of La Colmenita with
children from 3 to 6 years old.
CHARI EN EL BALCÓN
Teatro Nacional de Guiñol
3pm - Thursday
7, 14,21,28
11am & 5pm
Sat, Sun
9,10,16,17,23,24
By the Teatro de Muñecos Okantomí
puppet theater.
El Arca
11am & 3
pm
Fri, Sat, Sun
1, 2,
3,8,9,10,15,16
,17,22,23,24
Historia de una muñeca abandonada
A version by Norge Espinosa based on the original by Alfonso Sastre: Two old actresses from the
musical theater, who are childhood friends, go to the theater to be rejuvenated and talk about their
childhood days. It is the audience’s task to decide who an abandonded doll belongs to.
page 16 | Feb
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Best Events outside of
Havana this month
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
2nd International Harley
Davidson Rally: Havana to
Varadero
8-11 February 2013
www.harlistascubanos.com1
February 2012 saw the first
‘international’ rally with over 50
Harlistas making there way to
Varadero… This offered a fascinating
portrait not just of Harley culture in
Cuba (and believe me, the Cuban
Harlistas are ‘loco’ for their bikes) but
also to alternative culture in Cuba
more generally and how concepts
translate in Cuba (As in all things
Cuban there is a lot of invention,
complications, gossip and outright
fun!). The highlight for me has to be
Cuba’s oldest Harlista, 102 years old
Jose Julio Garcia who explains how
he caught the ‘Harley Bug’.
FESTIVAL DEL
MONÓLOGO CUBANO
Festival Arañando la
Nostalgia
February
Teatro Tomás Terry, Cienfuegos
province
February
City of Holguín
Sponsored by the Tomas Terry Theatre in
Cienfuegos, this Monologue Festival was launched in
2003 with the aim of validating a genre, which by
nature demands intense commitment of playwrights
as well as actors. Despite being one of the newer
events in the domestic cultural scene, this festival has
already achieved a standing in the Cuban stage, and at
present the most renowned Cuban playwrights,
directors, actors and actresses compete in the
beautiful Terry Theatre.
page 17 | Feb
This festival of romantic music, which is especially
dedicated to the music of the 1960s, hopes to
promote soloists and bands, and draw together the
many followers of romantic music in Cuba.
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15th Habanos Festival
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
From February 26th to March 2nd, 2013
!
The 2009 Havana Cigar Festival with Sir Terence Conran
by Stephen Gibbs
Maybe someone was having a quiet joke. Perhaps it was a coincidence. But for one reason or another,
Havana’s Karl Marx theatre was the setting for the inaugural night of celebrations in honor of that great
capitalist prop, the hand-rolled cigar. The visitors, more likely to be socialites than socialists, come every year
to rub shoulders with like-minded aficionados. And smoke, almost continuously. With many countries around
the world now shunning smokers, Cuba, which has not enforced its own anti-smoking legislation, has become
something of a haven.
“We have been driven to special corners of the world,” says Hong Kong based cigar distributor David Tang.
“Places where people still understand that smoking is not a sin.”
Visitors to the fair spend much of the week touring the factories where the objects of their desires are rolled.
For British designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran coming to Cuba for the first time having smoked
Cuban cigars almost every day for the last 43 of his 75 years, is like a pilgrimage. In the vast rolling room of H
Uppman, the air thick with the aroma of tobacco leaf, he recalls his first cigar.
“We opened the Habitat store in May 1964, and someone suggested that the best way to celebrate was with a
Montecristo cigar.”
I ask him if he has ever considered giving up.
“No,” is his brusque reply. “Luckily I have a very sensible doctor who smokes cigars himself.”
The festival is of course not just about smoking cigars. It has a serious business side. Behind closed doors, in
the factories’ tasting rooms, retailers are thinking of ways to defend their livelihoods against anti-smoking
legislation. They know that they will probably end up selling fewer cigars. One strategy is to go more
upmarket.
“Of course the ban is worrying for us,” explains Jemma Freeman, owner of the UK importer Hunters and
Frankau. “But what we have seen in markets which already have smoking bans is that although people have
less opportunity to smoke cigars, what they are doing is smoking better cigars.”
The week ends with an extravagant $500 a head final dinner, which this year was held in the cavernous
ExpoCuba, near Havana’s Parque Lenin. Glancing around the several guests, it seemed quite clear that there
are plenty of cigar smokers with plenty of money around the world. The dinner ends with an auction of handcrafted humidors. The bids (which go towards Cuban health care) soar into the hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
This does not look like a business, or a habit that is dying out.
page 18 | Feb
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Havana’s Book Fair
February 14-March 10
Havana´s San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
What began as a modest book fair founded by the famous Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier, eventually
became the most important literary event on the island. Every year tens of thousands of people pack
the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress in Havana, attracted by book launchings of all genres and topics
from Cuban and foreign publishing houses, along with panel discussions, poetry readings, concerts,
children’s events, and a crafts fair. After Havana, the fair travels to other Cuban cities. The Fair will be
dedicated this year to the People’s Republic of Angola and to the National Prize-winners for Literature
and Social Sciences Daniel Chavarría and Pedro Pablo Rodríguez, respectively. Given that the fair
attracts more and more public and exhibitors each year, the event’s organizers opened several subvenues in 2011, including Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena, Centro Dulce María Loynaz,
Pabellón Cuba, UNEAC and Centro de Estudios Martianos. The popular exhibition of Cuban and
international crafts will remain at El Morro.
Read full article
page 19 | Feb
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Love is in the air:
February 14, 2013
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
!
Given the sexually charged erotic atmosphere of Cuba on an average day, perhaps Valentine’s Day is
unnecessary, an excessive indulgence in a country which needs little excuse for romantic courtship at
any time of day. Nonetheless, February 14 has assumed increasing prominence over the years and is
the day when lovers need to be packed away as girlfriends and wives take center stage.
Read full article
page 20 | Feb
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HAVANA’S BEST
CONTEMPORARY BARS & CLUBS
La Fontana
Calle 3ra A, esquina 46, No. 305 |
Miramar, Havana
+53 7 202 8337
La Fontana has a well-deserved reputation
for being one of the best places to eat in
Havana. It also until recently had a basement
bar which offered a comfortable (albeit
invariably smokey) place to drink the night
away. Some months ago this bar was closed
and a major renovation undertaken, which
has recently been completed. The result is an
outside Miami style, contemporary lounge
bar which is about as stylish as Havana gets
if you like it modern. The in crowd are all here
although don’t make the mistake of coming
too early and careful on the way out if you
have had too many red bulls and vodka that
you don’t join the fishes in one of the many
fashionable fish ponds scattered through the
place.
Don Cangreco
Melem Bar
(Friday night party venue for young & beautiful crowd)
Ave. 1ra No. 1606 entre 16 y 18
(Young hip crowd – can get smokey)
1ra y 60, Miramar
Ecaleras al Cielo
Sangri-La
(Nightclub attracting a mostly LGBTQ crowd)
658 Zulueta Street, between Gloria and Apodaca?Old Havana?
T: (537)863 3009
(Young hip crowd, modern basement venue)
42 y 11, Miramar
El Sauce
Espacio
(Hip new bar with valet parking)
Calle 10, Entre 5ta y 31, Miramar
Open air nightclub – attracts the best Cuban singers
Avenida 9na #12015, between Calles 120 y 130,
Tel: 204-6428
Teatro Bertolt Brecht
Tocororo
No Se Lo Digas a Nadie (Don’t tell anyone!)
Calle 13, e/I y J, Vedado
Tel: 8301354/8329359
(Mostly expatriates with Cuban friends, live music)
Calle 18, entre 3ra y 5ta, Miramar
El Gato Tuerto
Late night place to hear Bolero
Calle O, entre 17 y 19, Vedado
Tel. 833 2224
page 21 | Feb
3D BAR
(Recently opened, smallish place, quite cool)
Malecon entre Paseo y Presidente
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THE ULTIMATE
WHAT’
S ON
HAVANA RESTAURANT GUIDE
HAVAN
A
!
La Bella Habana ****
Calle 6 y 7ma No. 512, Miramar, Playa,
Havana 11600, Cuba
http://www.bellahabana.com/
(53) 72038364
La Bella Habana lives up to its name. It is
absolutely beautiful. It is also tastefully designed
and meticulously maintained with attentive
staff who manage that line of being engaging
without being overbearing.
This is a calm place, which has been beautifully
decorated and is impeccably maintained. The
menu (which is all on-line) offers some good
twists on a varied international theme including
Hawaiian crepes and a chili tuna Habanera dish.
Look for excellent meats (I love the ropa vieja)
as well as decent pastas. Not a bad place to get a
Greek salad and the wide range of seafood is
typically excellent.
20 Best places to eat in Havana
new
renovated
El Atelier
Le Chansonnier
Calle 5 entre Paseo y 2, Vedado tel: (7) 836 7075
Calle J No. 257 entre Línea y 15. tel:(07) 832 1576
Beduino Moroccan
El Deluvio (Italian)
5ta entre 4 y 6
Calle 72 No. 1705 entre 17 y 19, Playa
Tel: 202 1531
Bohemia
21 y 13 Vedado
El Divino
Bollywood (Indian)
Calle raquel no. 50 e/ Esperanza y Lindero
Reparto Castillo de Averhoff, Mantilla
Calle 35 No 1361, entre La Torre y 24, Nuevo Vedado
Tel: 883 1216
La Buena Vida
No 917, Calle 46, entre 11 y 9na. tel: (07) 202 5816
Café Lauren (Spanish)
Doña Eutimia
Callejón del Chorro No. 60.
tel: 05 281 5883; 05 270 6433
Havana Chef
Calle 24 No 360 entre 21 y 23. tel: (07) 830 1410
Calle M No. 257, entre 19 y 21, Vedado
Tel: 831 2090 / 832 6890
Italian 74 y 9 ES
La Carboncita
Los Nardos
Corte Del Principe, Calle 9 Esq. 74, Playa. tel: 05 255-9091
Ave. 3ra No. 3804 entre 38 y 40.
tel: (07) 203 02615; 290 4984
Paseo de Martí (Prado) 565 entre
Teniente Rey y Dragones. tel: (07) 863 2985
La Casa
Calle 10 (International)
Calle 30 No. 865 entre 26 y 41. tel:(07) 881 7000
Calle 10 No 314 btwn Avs 3 & 5, Miramar. Tel: 205-3970
Casa de Miglis
El Piccolo
Lealtad 120 entre Ánimas y Lagunas tel: (7) 864 1486
5ta A No. 50206 entre 502 y 504,
Guanabo, Habana del Este tel: (7) 796 4300
Cazador del rey
Esquina 18 y 3rd
El Chanchullero
Teniente Rey 457ª bajos / Bernaza y El Cristo
tel:(07) 872 8227; 05 276 0938
page 22 | Feb
Río Mar
3A y Final # 11, La Puntilla
La Terraza
Paseo del Prado No. 309 altos,
esquina a Virtudes. tel: (07) 862 3626
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Elena's up and downs to dining out in Havana?
by Elena Vega
Well, it seems that the new year started on the right foot for paladares in Havana; this month it was
especially difficult to find flaws in the city’s restaurant scene and at the same time the “ups” seemed to
increase. As a result, we have five “ups” this month and just three “downs.”
DOWNS:
The slow service at Madrigal:
The last two times I was in this nice looking bar in the Vedado
area I was with a fairly large group of friends, and I would be
lying if I said we had a bad time. We had a blast! But it would
have been even better if we hadn’t had to wait up 20 minutes for
a daiquiri. The bartender was a very nice fellow, but he made
each on separately when we had ordered five at the same time!
OK, maybe there is a secret charm to the individually mixed
daiquiri, but the service was slow. Other than that I love this
place -- the chairs are uncomfortable and the noisy blender is
too close to the patrons but the art is interesting and the
location is very convenient.
Calle 17 No. 809 (altos), e/ 2 y 4, Vedado. Tel. 831 2433
The filet mignon at Italia en Cuba:
This is a new paladar in the Miramar area. It is located on a nice terrace and has a big screen where you can
enjoy music videos while you eat (in case this is your cup of tea…it’s not mine). The focaccia was amazing, even
the take away was fresh and crispy the following day and the pizza was good, too. But unfortunately I made the
mistake of ordering the filet mignon. As a red meat lover I am in constant search of the good steak in Havana,
which is not an easy challenge. But in this case I specifically asked the waiter before ordering: “is this a filet cut
or something else?” He assured me it was filet and he said it was fantastic and accompained by a bordelaise
sauce. “OK, medium, please,” I said. Huge mistake! The meat was definetly not filet but the toughest part of the
beef, and it was more than well done. A shoe would have been softer. When I complained about how it was
cooked, I just got a “too bad” look from the waiter, and for an uneatable meat I paid close to 16 cuc. I will be back
for the foccacia, though!
Calle 20 No. 721, entre 9na y 7ma. Tel. 207 4412
The guitar player at Vistamar:
In one of the most beautiful paladares of the island, in a contemporaryhouse,with a gorgeous pool, a
magnificent view of the sea, and really good food, why in the world did anybody think they needed a guitar
player singing Guantanamera and Hasta Siempre (the Che Guevara hymn)? I guess it works for the tourists, but
for those who have been here more than a few months it’s more a nuisance than an attraction, made more so by
the fact that the guy (who I am sure has very good intentions) tries to sell you his 10 cuc CD of songs. May I offer
some advice? Expand his music repertoire, stop the promotion of his CD and let the patrons enjoy their meal.
Ave 1ra e/ 22 y 24, Miramar. Tel. 203 8328
UPS:
The suckling pig at Havana Chef:
I am not a suckling pig person, but this was really good. My Spaniard dining accomplices (who really know about
suckling pig) believed it’s one of the best in Havana, therefore, trusting their educated palates, it must be so. It
was one of the youngest piglets I have ever seen cooked, the meat was tender and flavorful and the skin was
crispy. To my horror, I witnessed a pair of spaniards almost fighting for it’s little three-week-old head. On top of
that, the paladar is great, service was amazing, and the food will be the subject of more “ups” in the future. Just
bear in mind prices are a little bit in the high side.
Calle 24 No. 360 e/ 21 y 23. Vedado. Tel. 830 1410
page 23 | Feb
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Elena's up and downs to dining out in Havana?
by Elena Vega
Garlic octopus at Doña Eutimia: This paladar has a lot of
“ups” — it has actually been acclaimed by major news
organizations such as The New York Times, and the Daily
Beast called it one of the best 101 restaurants in Latin
America (what about that?) True it is good… it is good Cuban
food. But the garlic octopus is beyond good, it is amazing.
Make sure to order extra bread for this appetizer, because
you will want to dip it into the wonderful garlic-infused olive
oil in which the octopus is served. Don’t miss it!
Callejón del Chorro No.60 C, Plaza de la Catedral. Tel. 05 270
6433
Tacos al pastor at La Pachanga: This is s real “up”. This paladar that has been open for about a year has
become known by the stickers a discount at the placeIt is also famous for its burgers, fruit smoothies, and the
fact that it is open untilearly hours of the morning. But what really makes it unique are the tacos al pastor. These
tacos are maybe the most traditional dish of Mexico’s street food. They are made with seasoned pork steaks,
overlapped in a skewer that turns facing a vertical rotisserie. The meat is carved and placed in corn tortillas
along with pineapple. They are not quite like the ones in Mexico but they are still great. Bring your own hot
sauce and ask for an extra serving of pineapple.
Calle 28 No. 254 / 21 y 23, Vedado. Tel. 830 2507
The art at Le Chansonnier: Set in an old house in the
Vedado area, this paladar has an interesting menu, a good
looking bar, and it also has very friendly service; prices are a
little bit high but the food is flavorful. Nevertheless the place
distinguishes itself for its contemporary, elegant and chic look.
One can tell that professionals were in charge of the décor.
Classic element such as the glass chandeliers are harmoniously
mixed with minimalist furniture with stunning results. But
above anything, the most interesting element is the wall that
leads to the bathrooms, a fascinating piece made with old paint
cans produced by local artist Damian Aquiles. It is worth going
to Le Chansonnier, even if just to admire that wall.
Calle J No. 257 e/ 15 y Línea, Vedado. Tel. 837 1576
Tuna and vegetable tartlet at Decameron: This is a“up” in
one of the olderaladares in the citylocated right n Linea, almost
at the corner of Paseo. The place is nice, unpretentious and
with a beautiful collection of antique wall clocks. The service is
usually very friendly and the prices are reasonable. The food is
usually good but the star of the menu is the tuna and vegetable
tartlet, listed as an appetizer. This small dish is just fantastic,
the crust is flaky and the filling is flavorful ad topped with
melted cheese. Last time we were there we just to keep
reordering tartlets, we couldn’t enough!
Línea No.753 e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado. Tel. 832 2444
page 24 | Feb
www.CubaAbsolutely.com
.COM
ADDRESS BOOK
WHAT’
S ON
HAVAN
A
CULTURAL CENTRES
!
Ballet Nacional
de Cuba
Calzada 509 entre D y E, El
Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 855 2946
Casa de la
Poesía
Muralla 63 entre Oficios e
Inquisidor, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 1801
Café Neruda
Malecón 355 entre Manrique y San
Nicolás, Centro Habana
Casa y Parque
Simón Bolívar
Casa de África
Obrapía 157 entre Mercaderes y
San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5798
Mercaderes 158 entre Obrapía y
Lamparilla, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3988
Casa Víctor
Hugo
O’Reilly 311 entre Habana y Aguiar,
La Habana Vieja
Teléfono 866 7591
Casa Alejandro
de Humboldt
Oficios esquina a Sol, La Habana
Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9850
Caserón del
Tango
Casa de Artes y
Tradiciones
Chinas
Salud 313 entre Gervasio y Escobar,
Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 863 5450 / 860 9976
Jústiz entre Baratillo y Oficios, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 0822
Casona de Línea
Línea 505 entre D y E, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 833 8562
Casa de Asia
Mercaderes 111 entre Obrapía y
Obispo, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9740
Centro Cultural
Bertolt Brecht
Calle13 esquina a I, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359
Casa de las
Américas
Calle 3ra. esquina a G, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706-09
Centro Cultural
Dulce María
Loynaz
Calle 19 esquina a E, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 835 2732
Casa de los
Árabes
Oficios 16 entre Obispo y Obrapía,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5868
Centro Cultural
Pablo de la
Torriente Brau
Muralla 63 entre Oficios e
Inquisidor, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5162
Casa del
Benemérito de
las Américas
Obrapía 116, entre Mercaderes y
Oficios, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 8166
Casa de la
Comedia (salateatro)
Jústiz 18, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9282
Casa del Conde
Lombillo
Centro de Danza Prado 111, entre genio y Refugio, La
de La Habana
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9131 / 866 0808
Centro HispanoAmericano de
Cultura
Malecón 17 entre Prado y Genio,
Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 860 6282
Empedrado entre Mercaderes y
San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 860 4311-14
Centro de
Teatro y Danza
San Ignacio 166 entre Obispo y
Obrapía, La Habana Vieja.
Tel. +(53) 7 862 9650 / 862 9448
Casa de los
Condes de
Jaruco
Plaza Vieja, La Habana Vieja
Calle 4 número 103 entre Calzada y
5ta., El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 3060
Casa Fundación
Oswaldo
Guayasamín
Obrapía entre Oficios y
Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3843
Conjunto
Folklórico
Nacional de
Cuba
Convento de
Belén
Compostela entre Acosta y Luz, La
Habana Vieja
Casa Juan
Gualberto
Gómez
Empedrado entre Aguiar y Cuba,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 866 4114
Casa de la Obra
Pía
Obrapía entre Mercaderes y San
Ignacio, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3097
Fundación
Ludwig de Cuba
Calle 13 núm. 509 entre D y E (5to.
piso), El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4270 / 832 9128
Casa de la
Orfebrería
Obispo 113 entre Oficios y
Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9861
Fundación
Habana Club
Avenida del Puerto 262 entre Luz
y Sol, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 4108
page 25 | Feb
Escuela Nacional Calle 11 esquina a 146, Cubanacán,
de Teatro
Playa
Tel. +(53) 7 208 4923
www.CubaAbsolutely.com
.COM
CULTURAL CENTRES
Gabinete de
Arquelogía
Tacón 12 entre O’Reilly y
Empedrado, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 4469
Instituto de
Literatura y
Lingüística
Dr. José Antonio Portuondo Valdor
Avenida Salvador Allende 710,
Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 878 6486
Instituto
Calle 120 entre 9na. y 13,
Superior de Arte Cubanacán, Playa
(ISA)
Tel. +(53) 7 271 9771
Proyecto
Cultural Arte
Tiempo
Cárdenas 114, bajos, entre Gloria y
Apodaca, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53)
7 537-8 61 2838
Proyecto
Cultural
Comunitario
Todas las Manos
Trocadero 303 esquina a Águila,
Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3260
Unión de
Escritores y
Artistas de Cuba
(UNEAC)
Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Unión Latina
Callejón de Jústiz 21, entre Oficios
y Avenida del Puerto, La Habana
Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 866 8142 / 866 8255
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Vitrina de
Valonia
San Ignacio entre Teniente Rey y
Muralla, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 868 3561
BARS
3D BAR
Don Cangreco
(Recently opened, smallish place,
quite cool)
Malecon entre Paseo y President
(Friday night party venue for young
& beautiful crowd)
Ave. 1ra No. 1606 entre 16 y 18
Espacio
(Hip new bar with valet parking)
Calle 10, Entre 5ta y 31, Miramar
Melem Bar
(Young hip crowd – can get
smokey)
1ra y 60, Miramar
Sangri-La
(Young hip crowd, modern
basement venue)
42 y 11, Miramar
Tocororo
page 26 | Feb
NIGHTLIFE
Dos Gardenias
Calle 7ma. y 26, Miramar
Ecaleras al Cielo
658 Zulueta Street, between Gloria
and Apodaca Old Havana
Tel. (537)863 3009
El Gato Tuerto
Calle O entre17 y 19, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 55 2696
El Sauce
Calle 9na. Entre 120 y 130, Playa
Tel. +(53) 7 204 7061
La Cecilia
5ta. Avenida entre 110 y 112,
Miramar
La Maison
Calle 16 entre 7ma. y 31, Miramar
La Pérgola
Ministerio de Cultura
Calle 13 entre 2 y 4, El Vedado
La Piragua
Calle O y Malecón, El Vedado
La Zorra y el
Cuervo
(La Casa del Jazz Cubano)
Calle 23 esquina a O, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 833 2402
Piano bar Hotel
Panorama
Ave. 3ra. y 70, Miramar
Tel. +(53) 7 204 0100
ART GALLERIES
Centro de Arte
Contemporáneo
Wifredo Lam
Empedrado esquina a San Ignacio,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9781 / 861 3419
Centro de
Desarrollo de las
Artes Visuales
San Ignacio 352 esquina a Teniente
Rey, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 5279, 862 9295 /
862 3533
Centro
Laboratorio
Artístico de San
Agustín (LASA)
Calle 23 esquina a 35, San Agustín,
La Lisa
Centro
Provincial de
Artes Plásticas y
Diseño
Oficios 362 entre Luz y Santa
Clara, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 3228 / 862 3295 /
866 0280
Colección Arte
de Nuestra
América Haydée
Santamaría
Casa de las Américas
Calle G entre 3ra. y 5ta., El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 838 2706-09
Fototeca de
Cuba
Mercaderes 307 entre Muralla y
Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 2530
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Galería
Avellaneda
Teatro Nacional
Calle Paseo y 39, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651
(Mostly expatriates with Cuban
friends, live music)
Calle 18, entre 3ra y 5ta, Miramar
www.CubaAbsolutely.com
.COM
ART GALLERIES
Galería de Arte
Malecón
Calle D, entre 1ra, y 3ra., El Vedado
Galería Carmen
Montilla
Oficios 162 entre Amargura y
Churruca, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 866 4114
Galería Collage
Habana
San Rafael 103 entre Consulado e
Industria, Centro Habana
Galería Factoría
Habana
O´Reilly 308 entre entre Habana y
Aguiar, La Habana Vieja
Galería Forma
Obispo 255 entre Cuba y Aguiar,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 2633
Galería El Reino
de Este Mundo
Biblioteca Nacional José Martí
Boyeros entre 20 de Mayo y
Aranguren, Plaza de la Revolución
Tel. +(53) 7 881 1757
Galería René
Portocarrero
Teatro Nacional
Calle Paseo y 39, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651
Galería Raúl
Martínez
Palacio del Segundo Cabo
O’Reilly 4 esquina a Tacón, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 8091 ext. 151
Galería Raúl
Oliva
Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecha
Calle13 esquina a I, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359
Galería Roberto
Diago
Muralla 107 esquina a San Ignacio,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 3577
Galería
Servando
Calle 23 esquina a 10, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 833 9599
Galería Fresa y
Chocolate
Calle 23 entre 10 y 12, El Vedado
Galería
Fundación
Habana Club
Avenida del Puerto y Sol, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 4108
Galería
Fundación
Ludwig
Calle 13 esquina a D, 5to. piso, El
Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4270 / 832 9128
Galería
Servando
Cabrera
Calle 42 entre 1ra. y 3ra., La Copa,
Playa
Tel. +(53) 7 203 7171
Galería Galiano
Galiano esquina a Concordia,
Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 862 5365
Galería Víctor
Manuel
San Ignacio y Callejón del Chorro,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 866 9268
Galería Habana
Línea 460 entre E y F, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 7101
Galería Villa
Manuela
Galería Haydee
Santamaría
Calle G entre E y F, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4653
Calle H número 406 entre 17 y 19,
El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 2391
Galería 23 Y 12
Galería Julio
Larramendi
Hotel Conde de Villanueva
Mercaderes 202 entre Lamparilla y
Amargura, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 9294 / 862 9293
Calle 23 esquina a 12, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 831 1810
Hotel Los Frailes
Teniente Rey 8 entre Oficios y
Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 9383
Galería La
Acacia
San José 114 entre Industria y
Consulado, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 863 9364 / 861 3533
Taller
Experimental de
Gráfica de La
Habana
Callejón del Chorro, Plaza de la
Catedral, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 0979
Taller de
Serigrafía René
Portocarrero
Cuba 513, entre Teniente Rey y
Muralla, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 3276 / 861 9354
Tel. +(53) 7 862 3276 / 861 9354
Galería
Casa de las Américas
Latinoamericana Calle G entre 3ra. y 5ta., piso 2, El
Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4653
Galería Mariano
Calle 15 núm. 607 entre B y C, El
Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 838 2702
Galería Orígenes Gran Teatro de La Habana
Prado y San Rafael, Centro
Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 863 6690
Galería Palacio
de la Artesanía
page 27 | Feb
Cuba 64, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 33 8072 y 861 9796
CINEMAS
Centro Cultural
ICAIC
Calle 23 entre 10 y 12, El Vedado
Cine Acapulco
Avenida 26 esquina a 39, Nuevo
Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 833 9573
Cine Chaplin
Calle 23 entre 10 y 12, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 831 1101
www.CubaAbsolutely.com
.COM
CINEMAS
MUSEUMS
Cine La Rampa
Calle 23 entre O y P, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 878 6146
Cine Payret
Prado 513, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 3163
Cine Riviera
Calle 23 entre F y G, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 9564
Cine Yara
Calle L esquina a 23, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 831 1723 / 832 9430
Cine 23 y 12
Calle 23 entre 12 y 14, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 833 6906
Cinematógrafo
Lumière
Cine-teatro
Trianón
Mercaderes entre Obispo y
Obrapía, La Habana Vieja
Línea entre Paseo y A., El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 9648
Fundación del
Quinta Santa Bárbara, calle 212
Nuevo Cine
núm. 21254 esquina a 31, La
Latinoamericano
Coronela, La Lisa
Tel. +(53) 7 271 8311 / 271 8141
Multisala Infanta
Infanta entre Neptuno y San
Miguel, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 878 9323
MUSEUMS
Fototeca de
Cuba
Mercaderes 307 entre Muralla y
Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 2530
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Maqueta de La Calle 28 núm. 113, entre 1ra. y 3ra.,
Habana
Miramar
Tel. +(53) 7 204 2661 / 332661
Memorial José Martí
Plaza de la Revolución
Tel. +(53) 7 882 0906 / 884 0551
Monumento de
la Cárcel de La
Habana
Cárcel entre Zulueta y Prado, La
Habana Vieja
Museo
Antropológico
Montané
Edifico Felipe Poey, Plaza Ignacio
Agramonte, Universidad de La
Habana, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 879 3488
Museo de
Arqueología
Museo de Arte
Colonial
Tacón 12 entre O’Reilly y
Empedrado, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 4469
Plaza de la Catedral, La Habana
Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 6440
Museo Biblioteca Calle Paseo 304 esquina a 13, El
Servando
Vedado
Cabrera Moreno
Museo Casa
Natal de José
Martí
Leonor Pérez 314, entre Picota y
Egido, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3778
Museo Castillo
de la Real
Fuerza
O’Reilly entre Avenida del Puerto y
Tacón, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 6130
Museo del
Chocolate
Amargura esquina a Mercaderes,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 866 4431
Museo de la
Ciudad
Tacón 1 entre Obispo y O’Reilly, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5001
Museo de la
Danza
Línea esquina a G, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 831 2198
Museo Ernest
Hemingway
Finca Vigía, San Francisco de
Paula, San Miguel del Padrón
Tel. +(53) 7 891 0809
Museo
Farmacéutico
Taquechel
Obispo entre San Ignacio y
Mercaderes, La Habana Vieja
Museo de
Historia Natural
Obispo 61 entre Baratillo y Oficios,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 2687
Galería Mariano
Calle 15 núm. 607 entre B y C, El
Museo Nacional
de Artes
Decorativas
Obispo 61 entre Baratillo y Oficios,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 2687
Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes
(Arte Cubano)
Trocadero entre Monserrate y
Zulueta, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140, 861 3858 y
863 9484
Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes
Centro Asturiano (Colección
Universal)
San Rafael entre Zulueta y
Monserrate, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 0140 / 861 3858 /
863 9484
Museo Nacional
de la Cerámica
Contemporánea
Calle Mercaderes, esquina a
Amargura, La Habana Vieja
Museo Nacional
de la Música
Capdevila 1 entre Habana y Aguiar,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 9046
Museo de Naipes Inquisidor y Muralla, Plaza Vieja,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 860 1530
Tel. +(53) 7 835 2027 / 836 0010
page 28 | Feb
www.CubaAbsolutely.com
.COM
MUSEUMS
MUSIC
Museo
Napoleónico
San Miguel y Ronda, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 879 1412 / 879 1460
Maxim Rock
Bruzón 62, entre Almendares y
Ayestarán, Plaza de la
RevoluciónTel. +(53) 7 877 5925
Museo
Numismáti-co
Obispo entre Cuba y San Ignacio,
La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5811
Oratorio San
Felipe Neri
Aguiar esquina a Obrapía, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 3243
Museo de la
Perfumería
Oficios, entre Obispo y Obrapía, La
Habana Vieja
Palacio del
Teatro Lírico
Nacional
Zulueta 253 entre Ánimas y
Neptuno, La Habana Vieja
Museo Postal
Cubano
Avenida de Rancho Boyeros entre
19 de Mayo y 20 de Mayo
(Ministerio de Comunicaciones),
Plaza de la Revolución
Tel. +(53) 7 870 5581
Sala Lecuona
Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077 / 3079
Teatro Amadeo
Roldán
Calzada y D, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4521-22
Museo de la
Revolución y
Memorial
Granma
Refugio 1 entre Monserrate y
Zulueta, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 4091
Museo del Ron
Avenida del Puerto 262 entre Luz
y Sol, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 4108
Museo del
Tabaco
Fototeca de
Cuba
Parque Histórico
Militar MorroCabaña
Sala del
Transporte
Automotor
Mercaderes 120 entre Obispo y
Obrapía, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 861 5795
Mercaderes 307 entre Muralla y
Teniente Rey, Plaza Vieja, La
Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 2530
Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53
Carretera de la Cabaña, La Habana
del Este
Tel. +(53) 7 861 6130 / 861 5001
THEATRES
Centro Cultural
Bertolt Brecht
Calle13 esquina a I, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 9359
Cine-teatro
Trianón
Línea entre Paseo y A, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 9648
Gran Teatro de
La Habana
Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077-79
Sala Adolfo
Llauradó
Calle 11 entre D y E, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 5573
Sala Argos
Teatro
Ayestarán 307 esquina a 20 de
Mayo, El Cerro
Tel. +(53) 7 878 5551
Sala Hubert de
Blanck
Calzada 657 entre A y B, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 1011
Teatro América
Galiano entre Concordia y
Neptuno, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 862 5416
Teatro Astral
Infanta 501, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 878 1001
Teatro El Sótano
Calle K entre 25 y 27, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 0630
Teatro Fausto
Prado y Colón, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 863 1173
Oficios y Callejón de Jústiz, La
Habana Vieja
MUSIC
Basílica Menor
del Convento de
San Francisco
de Asís
Oficios y Churruca, La Habana
Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 862 9683
Gran Teatro de
La Habana
Prado y San Rafael, Centro Habana
Tel. +(53) 7 861 3077-79
Iglesia de San
Francisco de
Paula
Desamparados y San Ignacio,
Alameda de Paula, La Habana Vieja
Tel. +(53) 7 860 4210
Jardines de la
Tropical
Avenida Tropical y Rizo, Playa
Tel. +(53) 7 881 8767
Liceum
Mozartiano de
La Habana
Avenida Tropical y Rizo, Playa
Tel. +(53) 7 881 8767
page 29 | Feb
Teatro Karl Marx Calle 1ra y 8, Miramar
Tel. +(53) 7 203 0801 / 209 1991
Teatro Mella
Línea entre A y B, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 830 4987
Teatro Nacional
Paseo y 39, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 879 3558 / 879 6011
Teatro Nacional
de Guiñol
Calle M entre 19 y 21, El Vedado
Tel. +(53) 7 832 6262 / 832 8292
www.CubaAbsolutely.com