What’s On Havana, listings and reviews of cultural events in Havana, updated monthly, Havana events and schedules and timetables for nightlife and cultural events

Visual Arts

	Memoria Galería Factoría Habana	Through 6 December, 2010
	Aimed at promoting contemporary Cuban and Spanish art, Factoría Habana exhibits a sample of the work of the Spanish painter Manuel Quintana Martelo.

Retrospectiva del artista belga Bruno Vekemans

	Retrospectiva del artista belga Bruno Vekemans Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Arte Universal)	Through 5 December, 2010
	Seventy-eight paintings on paper and canvas made in recent years by the Belgian artist Bruno Vekemans, whose work is connected to pop art within a conception related to postmodernism.

Motivos latinoamericanos en el cartel artístico polaco

	Motivos latinoamericanos en el cartel artístico polaco Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Arte Universal)	Through 25 October, 2010
	The traditionally high-quality Polish posters, always at the avant-garde of this art, have approached Latin American topics with a view of its own.

La otra realidad. Una historia del arte abstracto cubano

	La otra realidad. Una historia del arte abstracto cubano Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Arte Cubano)	Opens 15 Oct, thru January 2011, 2010
	An exhibition of the best samples of Cuban abstract art from its first antecedents to the present day.

	Muros Reales, Muros Virtuales Galería Villa Manuela	Throughout October, 2010
	Abel Barroso, one of the renovators of engraving in the 1990s, who has used them on different mediums, pasted them on different surfaces, articulated them to give them three-dimensional characteristics and movement, has assumed in the seven pieces on exhibit the actual or symbolic presence of walls to transgress the rigid dividing lines established by politics, ideologies, cultures, religions and people.

	Navajas Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam	Throughout October, 2010
	Sculptures by the Mexican artist Rosa María Robles (Culiacán, Sinaloa, 1963), in a controversial exhibition profusely debated in the media of her country due to the crude reflection on the unstoppable scourge of violence, dehumanization and the power bestowed on money, which have become real tragedies in her country.

	Aguas Biblioteca Pública Rubén Martínez Villena	Throughout October, 2010
	Alan Pérez approaches the topic of nationality through the symbolism of the Cuban flag and images of Havana invaded by its own waters.

	Amiga Galería Angelus. Casa Yeti	Throughout October, 2010
	The popular caricaturist and designer Antonio Mariño, aka Ñico, exhibits paintings in which flora, fauna and the female figure are interwoven in a colourful and dreamlike atmosphere, not without humour.

	No entiendo nada Galería Orígenes. Gran Teatro de La Habana	Throughout October, 2010
	An exhibition on the occasion of 20 years of artistic work of Ángel Rivero (Andy), where installations, and non-conventional mediums and objects join his concise paintings.

	Configuraciones: Made in Cuba Sala Barreto. Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño	Through 25 October, 2010
	The artist and professor Eduardo Hernández Santos has said about this exhibition--an ironic view of present-day realities--that the artist Eduardo Leyva “proposes a sort of symbiosis between renovating and traditional aspects, where one can interpret from these enormous and powerful images some references to the use of photography as documents, and a charm of elementary minimal simplicity, which is visible in the treatment of bodies as large fingerprints.

	Con la memoria Centro Cultural Cinematográfico Fresa y Chocolate	Throughout October, 2010
	For this exploration into the secret relationship between visual art and literature, Reynier Ferrer based his work on texts by Cuban author Edmundo Desnoes, who now lives in the US, and the suggestive abstractions of his nephew, painter Reyner Ferrer, in an interchange described by the exhibition’s curator, Píter Ortega, who points out that either Ferrer painted “based on nomenclatures previously delivered by Edmundo, or Edmundo produced tropes based on the iconographies produced by Ferrer.”

	Fábrica de Arte Cubano	Sat, 8:00 pm-2:00 am / 2010 Sat, 8:00 pm-2:00 am
	Headed by the talented musician X Alfonso, this new experimental and deliberately informal project, has aroused the interest of the younger public. According to its organizer, “There is time here for all types of art and you go from one to another with prior notice. This means that the viewer can spend a half hour enjoying paintings when all of a sudden a short film or documentary is screened, or a play is staged, all quite unexpectedly.”

	Sosabravo: Obra reciente Centro Hispano-Americano de Cultura	Throughout October
	The Cuban painter, draughtsman, engraver and ceramist Alfredo Sosabravo, National Art Prizewinner, will be celebrating his 80th birthday with this exhibition of around 30 plates made at Albisola Mare on the Italian Riviera of Ligure, famous for their ceramics workshops; plus around 20 sculptures and paintings from his most recent production

	Stressisimo Galería Habana	Through 22 October
	By way of different manifestations, twelve outstanding artists, including Yoan Capote, Los Carpinteros, Roberto Fabelo, Carlos Garaicoa, Glenda León, Cirenaica Moreira and René Peña, delve into the factors in life today that generate stress: lack of communication, sexuality, environmental factors, fashion, competition…perhaps as a way of exorcizing their own demons, or to communicate and share them with the viewers.

Music

	En la Basílica Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís Oficios y Churruca, La Habana Vieja Tel. +(53) 7 862 9683	6:00 pm / 2009
	2 Oct 2010 The Basilica will be celebrating the 16th anniversary of its opening as a concert hall with performances by organist Moisés Santiesteban, who will play works by Johann Pachelbel and Johann S. Bach; and a second part with the pianist Ernán López-Nussa and a group of outstanding musicians who will playfully interconnect sacred and pagan music. 16 Oct 2010 directed by Zenaida Romeu, will perform works by Brazilian composer 23 Oct 2010 The Exaudi choir, directed by María Felicia Pérez, will sing songs from their album Canciones amatorias. 27 Oct 2010 Concert by the Colegio de Compositores Latinoamericanos de Música de Arte. 29 Oct 2010 Cuba dentro de un piano, by the outstanding pianist and composer José María Vitier, will be dedicated to the Spanish poet Rafael Alberti. 30 Oct 2010 Opening of the 24th Havana Festival of Contemporary.

	Gerardo Alfonso y su grupo Bar La Cañitas, Hotel Habana Libre Calle Lesquina a 23, El Vedado	24 Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	A meeting with this very much liked singer-songwriter whose nonconformist and demystifying songs, dedicated either to Ernesto Che Guevara or Havana (“white sheets hanging from the balconies”), have become hymns for a large sector of Cuban youth.

	Peña del Ambia Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	13, 27 Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	The best place to go for those seeking to become acquainted with authentic African-Cuban traditions, hosted by the poet Eloy Machado, aka. El Ambia.

	El Jardín de la Gorda Centro Iberoamericano de la Décima Calle A entre 25 y 27, El Vedado	30 Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	Sara González, emblematic voice of the Cuban Nueva Trova, at her monthly gatherings where the audiences can enjoy, in an informal atmosphere, the performances of some of the best Cuban troubadours.

	Sigo Aquí Sala Atril, Teatro Karl Marx Calle 1ra y 8, Miramar Tel. +(53) 7 203 0801 / 209 1991	1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Oct, 5:00 pm-9:00 pm / 2010
	Café concert with the versatile singer and composer Anabell López, a favorite of many composers of different styles thanks to her beautiful and melodious voice and strong stage presence.

	Peña de Rochy Balneario Universitario El Coral Calle 1ra. esquina a 42, Miramar	27 Oct, 8:30 pm / 2010
	Performance by Cuban singer Rochy with her group and guests.

	La Tanda Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate	7, 14, 21, 28 Oct, 8:30 pm
	Inti Santana, a troubadour of the younger generations, in an informal get-together.

	Peña de Los Kents Café Cantante, Teatro NacionalCalle Paseo y 39, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 870 4651	3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Oct, 4:00 pm / 2010
	Los Kents, another “dinosaur” of Cuban rock, play their own hits from the 60s and 70s.

Concierto del trovador Juan Carlos Pérez

	Concierto del trovador Juan Carlos Pérez Museo de Bellas Artes, Edificio de Arte Cubano	14 Oct, 7:00 pm / 2010
	An intelligent mix of rock, bossa nova, Cuban rhythms with trova lyrics.

	Concierto de Eduardo Sosa Museo de Bellas Artes, Edificio de Arte Cubano	30 Oct, 7:00 pm / 2010
	A beautiful voice and a repertory of all-time trova favourites

	Noche de Boleros Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct, 10:00 pm / 2010
	Lovers of this romantic genre par excellence have the opportunity of meeting and enjoying the performances of the best Cuban boleristas.

	Concierto de Osvaldo Montes Sala Manuel Galich, Casa de las Américas	22 Oct, 4:00 pm / 2010
	Performance by Osvaldo Montes, important Argentinean composer and performer of the bandoneón, the typical accordion of Argentina.

	Trovando Patio-bar of the EGREM record label San Miguel 410 entre Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana Tel. +(53) 7 862 0673	6, 13, 20, 27 Oct, 4:00 pm / 2010
	A place where troubadours and poets get together for a unique performance in a bohemian atmosphere, combined with the launching and sale of record albums, books and magazines.

	La Trova sin Traba Hurón Azul, Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) Calle 17 esquina a H, El Vedado Tel. +(53) 7 832 4551-53	6, 20 Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	Different generations and styles converge in a natural combination of traditional, new and very new trova.

	Concierto de Ernesto Camilo Vega Museo de Bellas Artes, Edificio de Arte Cubano	2 Oct, 7:00 pm / 2010
	Concert by the young clarinettist and saxophonist Ernesto Camilo Vega, Cubadisco 2009 prize-winner.

Wynton Marsalis y el Jazz Lincoln Center de Nueva York

	Wynton Marsalis y el Jazz Lincoln Center de Nueva York Teatro Mella	5 Oct, 8:30 pm / 2010
	Wynton Marsalis and the New York Jazz Lincoln Center in concert by invitation of the Cuban Music Institute. Chucho Valdés and other Cuban musicians have been invited to guest on this show.

	Peña de Lynn Milanés y su grupo Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate Calle 23 esquina a 12, El Vedad	2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct, 6:30 pm / 2010
	Lynn Milanés—daughter of the famour singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés—with a selection of well-liked Cuban songs, which range from bolero to pop.

	Peña de Pancho Amat Sede provisional del Museo Nacional de la MúsicaObrapía 509, entre Bernaza y Villegas, La Habana Vieja	21Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	The popular tres player Pancho Amat and Cabildo del Son with a sample of the most Cuban ofCuban song and dance styles, son.

	Interactivo Centro Cultural Bertolt Brecht	6, 13, 20, 27 Oct, 10:00 pm / 2010
	Performances by Interactivo, indisputable leaders of fusion in Cuba.

	Peña de Manuel Argudín Agencia Cubana de Derecho de Autor Musical	23 Oct, 6:00 pm / 2010
	With his powerful, expressive voice and smooth guitar playing, Manuel Argudín sings Cuban trova songs of all time.

	Rumba Palacio de la Rumba	Fri, Sat & Sun; opens 6:30 pm / 2010
	Lovers of real rumba meet Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays every week to enjoy performances by rumba musicians and dancers.

	Gala a Orula Casa de África	5 Oct, 3:00 pm / 2010
	Gala performance dedicated to the god Orula with the performance of Los Nanis.

	Peña de Aceituna sin Hueso Centro Cultural Fresa y Chocolate	3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Oct, 7:00 pm / 2010
	Not to miss. The popular Aceituna sin Hueso band mixes elements from Cuban music with flamenco, rock, Celtic, Arab, and Hindu musics.

	Concierto Museo de Bellas Artes, Edificio de Arte Cubano	31 Oct, 5:00 pm / 2010
	Concert-tribute from art schools to César Portillo de la Luz, one of the founders of filin and composer of many memorable songs.

	Concierto Grupo Sierra Maestra Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Edificio de Arte	9 Oct, 7:00 pm / 2010
	Concert by the popular band Sierra Maestra, who are determined in keeping alive the pure sounds of son, with their 2010 Latin Grammy-nominated album, Sonando ya.

	Iglesia de San Francisco de Paula Temporada Septiembre Barroco	7:00 pm / 2010
	1st Oct 2010 The Coro de Cámara de Matanzas, directed by José Antonio Méndez, will sing sacred pieces from different periods and styles, plus Latin American lyrical compositions. 8 Oct 2010 The Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble, directed by Teresa Paz, will celebrate Columbus Day with a program based on Spanish music. 15 Oct 2010 Performances by the Ars Longa Early Music Ensemble, directed by Teresa Paz, with Renaissance and Baroque music. 23 Oct 2010 Madrigals from the 16th century, works from the 18th century by Cuban composer Esteban Salas, and from the contemporary Cuban musician Tulio Páramo will be performed by Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine, directed by Leonor Suárez.

	Oratorio San Felipe Neri	7:00 pm / 2010
	1st Oct 2010, 11:00 am Liuba María Hevia, well known for her extensive and beautiful repertory of children’s music, will celebrate the International Older Adult Day with specially dedicated songs. 2 Oct 2010, 4:00 pm Concert by the Italian tenor Dario Balzanelli, accompanied by pianist Pura Ortiz and soprano Milagros de los Ángeles. 7 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm . Performances by the National Choir of Cuba 14 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm Soloists from Teatro Liríco Nacional will approach the topic of vernacular theatre in their songs. 21 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm Claudia Lastra, Danae Álvarez and Oscar Verdeal 23 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm The Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana Orchestra will play works by Cuban composer Edgardo Martín. 28 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm A second meeting with operatic singers. 30 Oct 2010, 7:00 pm Voces Nuevas, a program for discovering new talents of operatic song.

Theatre

	Tío Vania Sala Hubert de Blanck	Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5 pm
	The Hubert de Blanck Theatre Company presents a classic of universal theatre, Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekhov, Russian dramatist and short-story writer, who is one of the foremost figures in Russian literature. The play is a profound ethical and psychological query into the behaviour of the play’s characters, who are being crushed by a petty and monotonous society that is disintegrating.

	Talco Sala Argos Teatro	Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5 pm
	Written by Cuban playwright Abel González Melo and classified by some critics as “dirty realism,” Talco, which opened in Miami in March this year, once again explores Havana’s underworld—a subworld of prostitution, drugs and all kinds of people who live on the fringes of society. The rundown El Mégano movie theatre serves as setting where the events that lead to despair and death take place. The program for the Miami opening warned the public that “its strong sexual content and its explicitness both verbally and physically, the scenes of violence, may make some people in the audience feel ill at ease. We beg the audiences to take these issues into consideration before coming to the show.”

	Un hombre es un hombre ya Sala El Sótano	Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm; Sun, 5:00 pm
	Theatre critic Yerandy Fleites has said of Un hombre es un hombre [A Man Is a Man] by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht: “This is a play that is being produced these days in many theatres of the world. Motivations abound. The--simple or complex—fact that the dramatics of this play is based on something as thorny as the militarist universe is reason enough to delve into the many diverse concerns of man today…But although the magnitude of the play lies without doubt on war, its real intensity…lies in Brecht’s objective questioning on man’s morality, whether in times of peace or war, in a factory, in outer space or at a florist’s; the important thing is man and his nature, his ability of making choices, his responsibility for being a social being…”

	Pesadilla campesina Casona de Línea	Tue, Wed & Fri, 8:30 pm
	Based on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pesadilla campesina, by playwright Maikel Chávez, a regular collaborator of Teatro Pálpito, takes place in a hamlet located in the Escambray Mountains, in Central Cuba. The Shakespearean characters have assumed the almost unpronounceable names that have become popular in Cuba today—Yunisleidis, Yurisán, Orisbel…—who surrounded by elements from the region’s mythology, fight against every kind of adversity in order to save love.

	Ensayo para siete (closed on 5, 6 & 7 Oct) Sala Adolfo Llauradó	Tue, Wed, Thu, 6:00 pm; Oct / 2010
	Espacio Teatral Aldaba opens this month with Ensayo para siete, a comedy by Polish playwright Boguslaw Schaeffer, directed by Carlos Pérez Peña and Irene Borges. The play uses the recourse of theatre within the theatre to make audiences meditate, laugh and dream.

Events

Dance

	La Carmen Teatro Mella	23-25 Sep, 8:30 pm; 26 Sep, 5:00 pm
	Performances in the capital by the Ballet Contemporáneo Camagüey Endedans with La Carmen, choreographed by Tania Vergara, who has said about her controversial piece: “The peculiar thing about my version is that the main character is not a woman, as is usual in most Carmens. The seductive, passionate and deceitful character is a man. From the original script, it has retained the yearning and the need to be free, of not committing himself to any of his conquests, and defending his ideals at all cost. Vengeance and death are also present. I believe that the corps de ballet marks my view of the homosexual theme of the ballet. The group refers to society’s behaviour towards these people. I emphasize the work on the corps de ballet as a prejudiced society that manipulates, judges and stipulates the fate of the characters.”

	Ballet Español de Cuba Gran Teatro de La Habana	17, 18, 24, 25 Sep, 8:30 pm; 19, 26 Sep, 5:00 pm
	Choreographed by leading dancer Irene Rodríguez, Emigrante tells the story a Spaniard who, like so many other fellow countrymen, came to Cuba in the early 20th century to try his luck, falls in love and decides to stay on the island. This theme leads to the fusion of Spanish and Cuban dances, which characterizes this company.

	El Patio de la Rumba El Palenque	Sat, 3:00 pm
	El Patio de la Rumba: weekly gathering with dancers and musicians of the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional and guests, dedicated to one of the most popular musical and dance genres in Cuba,

	Ballet Español de Cuba Gran Teatro de La Habana	17, 18, 24, 25 Sep, 8:30 pm; 19, 26 Sep, 5:00 pm
	Choreographed by leading dancer Irene Rodríguez, Emigrante tells the story a Spaniard who, like so many other fellow countrymen, came to Cuba in the early 20th century to try his luck, falls in love and decides to stay on the island. This theme leads to the fusion of Spanish and Cuban dances, which characterizes this company.

A PREVIEW OF THE COMING MONTHS

Premio de Musicología y VI Coloquio Internacional de Musicología

	Premio de Musicología y VI Coloquio Internacional de Musicología Casa de las Américas, Havana 1-5 November
	Organized to showcase the best and most original research on musicology in Latin America, this event includes lectures, workshops, concerts and recitals.

	Semana del Autor Casa de las Américas, Havana 16-19 November
	Continuing a tradition that began more than 40 years ago, Casa de las Américas organizes Author’s Week, an annual meeting that focuses on a prominent figure of Latin American letters, as has been the case of Argentinean Ricardo Piglia, Nicaraguan Ernesto Cardenal, Brazilian Rubem Fonseca and Chilean Pedro Lemebel. The event includes book launchings, readings and discussions with the authors.

	Baila en Cuba La Habana 21-26 November
	This world meeting of casino and salsa dancers and dance academies includes dance lessons, guest speeches, short courses and choreography workshops.

	Jo Jazz Teatro Amadeo Roldán, Ciudad de La Habana 23-27 November
	Jo Jazz-Joven Jazz or Young Jazz-takes place prior to the Havana International Jazz Festival as a competition for young musicians. Proposed by five-time Grammy winner Chucho Valdés in 1998, this competition for young jazz singers and composers from 16 to 30 years of age has had contestants who today rank among the most outstanding in the musical panorama of the Island.

Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de La Habana
Havana
30 October-7 November, 2010

Founded in 1984 and presided by the composer and conductor Guido López Gavilán, the Havana Contemporary Music Festival has been honoured with the participation of important musicians, including Luigi Nono, Krystof Penderecki, Hans Werner Henze, Luis de Pablo, Marlos Nobre, Alfredo del Mónaco and Xavier Montsalvatge, just to name a few. This is a good opportunity to catch up with the latest trends in current Cuban and international classical music.