Music has been central to Cuban culture throughout the country's entire history. The birthplace of several genres including Rumba, Son, and Salsa, Cuba hosts many unique blends of different cultures in its artforms. Art and music can be seen almost anywhere, from expanses of street art to spontaneous salsa dancing in alleyways. In Cuba, music is meant for everyone.
Cuban education has also evolved to reflect the culture importance of art. Children are immersed in music and the arts from a very young age, many of them having talented parents who make a partial living on their artwork. Many teachers believe that starting as young as possible is ideal, and there are several schools that specialize in music education. Adriana and Andrea Gavilan were only six when they were approached to audition for a music school. Due to the prestige associated with music in Cuba, children often have to pass extensive tests before they are admitted and may begin studying.
Investing in Cuba's youth is a common theme throughout the country. One of the Nation's values is in supporting children, since they are considered to be the future of Cuba and the world. One artist even makes them his muses, painting photo-realistic murals of local children throughout Havana. His goal is to brighten up dilapidated buildings in the city, which are all too common. With no shortage of models or canvases, the artist has spent at least one year painting across Havana.
Cuban children and young adults have found few struggles expressing themselves through art. While there are many restrictions surrounding the content that is expressed, the youth are encouraged to pursue music, film, dance, and any other art form they would prefer. A cellist studying at the Instituto Superior de Arte applies her musical education, which focuses mainly on classical music, to pop and rock songs in a group called the Sweet Lizzy Project. Expression through hair has also gained popularity, particularly among men. Some barbershops have begun to specialize in elaborate hairstyles, basing many of them on figures from popular culture. The various and vibrant methods of expression emulate the concept that Cuban youths will not let their identities become generalized.
Questions:
1. In Cuba, music is a highly prestigious area of education. However, the arts are often some of the least funded classes in American education. How do you think our cultures have developed such contrasting attitudes surrounding art in our schools?
2. High investment in musical education reflects the Cuban value of preparing the youth to create a better future. What is another aspect of Cuban culture and what does it tell you about Cuban values?
Works Cited:
Boogalu. (n.d.). Cuban Music History. Hosted In Havana. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.hostedhavana.com/resources/cuban-music-history#:~:text=SHORT%20HISTORY%20OF%20CUBAN%20MUSIC&text=The%20roots%20of%20most%20Cuban,with%20the%20Roman%20Catholic%20church.
Cuban street artists Turns City Walls Into Gallery. YouTube. (2016, January 23). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/bw23wfZZf_o
Hairstyles on the streets of Havana: Cuba nomad stories: World nomads. YouTube. (2019, March 6). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/ANDOKmd7aV8
Public Broadcasting Service. (2017, October 6). Great performances: Music Education in Cuba: After the Revolution. PBS. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/music-education-cuba-tfhwnt/
Public Broadcasting Service. (2017, October 6). Great performances: Music Education in Cuba: Gavilan Twins. PBS. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/gavilian-twins-de8qt8/?continuousplayautoplay=true
Public Broadcasting Service. (2017, October 6). Great performances: Music Education in Cuba: Yanet the Cellist . PBS. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/cellist-dbek13/
Salsa pura cubana en Paseo del Prado de la Habana. #SalsaCubana. YouTube. (2017, April 16). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/HVczWZir0po
This post provides some really interesting insight into the tie between Cuban children, art, and music. I enjoyed how you stressed the importance of how Cuban education has also evolved to reflect the cultural importance of artistry at a young age. Art and music education is held in higher regard than it is here in the states due to tradition, music is held as a sacred part of everyday life, it is all around them and within them at all times.
ReplyDeleteI really like your first question, as it reveals a lot of differences in what we strive for as nations. Due to the economic value of art in Cuba, there are easily larger markets in the arts there, leading to prioritization of education in the arts as well. This makes me wonder as well: would education in the arts produce more creativity in the long run?
ReplyDeleteHello! I really like your first question! "In Cuba, music is a highly prestigious area of education. However, the arts are often some of the least funded classes in American education. How do you think our cultures have developed such contrasting attitudes surrounding art in our schools?" I think the main difference is that the Cuban government was willing to make music/art education a priority. The leaders of the Cuban government didn't need to ask anyone for promotion to make that investment they just did it. When the US government was not willing to make that investment. Also, how much music education students gets varies from state-to-state because of how our education system is set up. So, some US students will have a lot of arts education when others will not. The Cuban government created the sense of how important arts education is, but the US government did not. So, there is not that drive behind making sure students get arts education.
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