Valuable Learning of Cuban Art and History

 

I had been very eager about going to Cuba. It seemed like such an exotic and unknown place. For me this was an exciting factor. What I was most fascinated by was Cuban history and the condition of the Cuban people today. Typically in the past I hear information from an American or Western perspective, so it’s intriguing to go to somewhere with different views. I had this believe going into this journey that I’d come out with stories to share for a lifetime. Anywhere I am, I have a very unique story to share. I really appreciate the opportunity of getting to visit Cuba to observe a different form of society, learn about influential art, view Cuban perspectives, get more informed on Cuban history, and enjoy some immersive experiences.

    The airport in Havana was very modest. Just immediately upon arriving in Cuba I noticed the influences from the Soviet era. At the airport I noticed a distinct smell reminding me of times I’ve visited Eastern Europe in the past. So many details were similar, for me this was a comical observation. One remark a fellow student made was that the airport “looks like a prison”. There was imposing barbed wire surrounding the building perimeter. I had come to find that many buildings in Cuba of a very government look. Many buildings were old without much change in years. Leaving the airport the group met our bus driver for the week Jordan and our tour guide/ translator Anais. Both wonderful people. The lessons about Cuba began immediately upon our entrance to bus. Anais shared details of Cuban history, government, and locations. This helped the group to get more familiar with our surroundings for the coming week.

 

I immediately noticed that the quality of roads and homes in Cuba was much weaker than in the United States. Poverty and lack of funds has led to deterioration and erosion of older constructions. Living conditions of the people was visibly more stressful with sever resource scarcity. Vehicles in the streets were very old coming from all the way back to the 1950’s.

 

Next was arriving to the home with my host family. I’d be staying with Lili for the week. She is a wonderful person. While I was in her home I felt a lot of maternal care and attention. It made the experience very welcoming to have such a wonderful “host mother” for the week. The home was very accommodating with a gorgeous rooftop view and seating area. I was eager to take pictures, viewing my first Cuban sunset. The sight atop was exceptionally beautiful. I could see the tallest building in Cuba, a building still in construction. This building will become a hotel with money from foreign investment. Most of the modern constructions come from outside money, and only the rich can access the services. Local Cubans working paycheck to paycheck can’t afford to enjoy the services at the beautiful hotels.

 

My first meal in Cuba was very filling. Despite resource scarcities, there are substitutes found for food to maintain a complete meal. I really enjoyed getting to experience different food that is exotic to my culture. I believe it is key to the immersive experience. Rice was served on the first meal, and it would appear at every home meal. The next morning breakfast also had rice, which was served with some local fruits. Similar to America, Lili offered traditional egg styles such as over-easy, scrambled, sunny side up, etc. Breakfast was very hydrating, I noticed how much more dependent I became on water from fruits and vegetables.

 

The first educational visit was to Casa de Africa. I was eager to visit this location as it was the specific site in Cuba, I was assigned to write a blog report about. It was interesting to hear about place I previously researched. The group met an elderly historian/ professor. He taught us about Cuban history and how it relates to slavery and African descendants in Cuba. This museum received donations from famous historians and rulers, including Fidel Castro. There were several depressing themes throughout the museums. Slaves and their descendants suffered through a lot. There was imagery of slave hardships, torture devices, relics, etc. Another major then of the museum was slave descendant religion in Cuba. These religions are practiced in Cuba to this day. They have their unique gods such as the “macho” god and the “fertility” goddess. There were also instruments from the tribes such as a large drum set. This had a designed used for communication between locations, reaching miles away. The elderly historian was very passionate about messages regarding civil rights and equality. Later connecting his points to Castro. He expressed a message about Castro’s goal of seeking unity and equal treatment in Cuba. He was a proud Castro supporter and witnessed his reign. I find it very fascinating to have an opportunity to meet a Castro supporter as it is not a common interaction I can have in the United States. I can learn and hear different perspectives, aiding to understand why history unfolded the way it did. This museum was very informative on Cuban history and the goals of Castro. I appreciate the passion of the museum historian. At the end of the museum tour, we received a dance presentation in the traditional Afro Cuban styles. The dance was very energetic, comical, and vibrant.

 

After visiting Casa de Africa, we had some free time. Then we got pick up by the bus to go to a fancy dinner at Hotel Nacional. This restaurant had a dress code and a set meal order. This fine dining was what I imagine high society got to experience in Cuba regularly back in the 1920s and 30s. At this point, I noticed a common them in meals. The meat was commonly shredded and spread out. Meat was a very scarce resource in Cuba. The economy has struggled for some time especially with the embargo. Farmers do not have the money to build strong livestock. Animals throughout Cuba are very skin. Honestly, a very depressing common site there.

 

Next, we went to the Hemingway House. I was anticipating going to this site as I have previously seen Hemingway’s home in Key West, Florida. I was eager to compare and contrast the two. Both homes had architecture from the same era but were designed a little differently. In Cuba, the Hemingway home is only one story with an accompanying tower. At both locations there is a pool. The most notable difference was the presence of cats at the Key West home. The Cuban Hemingway House had some sad history as he loved to be there. After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, American restrictions forced Hemingway to leave Cuba. The Cuban government including Castro, gladly would’ve welcomed Hemingway. But would’ve have to give up being an American. Shortly after the Cuban revolution Hemingway took his own life. Losing his home in Cuba was one of the last straws for him. He has been struggling with mental illness for some time along with substance abuse. He lost a place he loved.

 

After the Hemingway house we got visit the Galleria. There we got to see a Cuban rumba performance and some locally made paintings. The artworks were vibrant with several bright colors. I received a mini-tour with some more historical and cultural context about Cuba. I was coming to realize how art was a major interest and passion in Cuba, being a hopeful means of success and international travel. I purchased a small work from a local artist at the galleria. We then got to witness a rumba performance. It was very difficult for me comprehend what was occurring. The crown was into it though. The audience was very passionate with some going to the stage. Dance, music, art go to become a common popular theme throughout my journey in Cuba.

 

We had free time for the evening until the bus came to pick us up for the colonial era canon ceremony. There is a nightly event overlooking the city of Havana in an 18th castle. It a is canon firing honoring the old military. The uniforms of the soldiers were very similar to would be seen on a British redcoat. There were differences in color, but the uniform shape, shape, hat, wig, and shoes resembled that of what was worn by British soldiers during the era. This canon firing can be throughout Havana. Locals Cubans told me that they could hear the canon firing every night from their homes. Walking in the castle was very fascinating. Everything has been maintained so well. Between the castle, the ceremony, and the uniforms; I felt I was in an 18th century Cuba. A unique and unexpected experience. Typically, I think Cuba purely in the modern era. But there are hundreds of years of history and different eras in Cuba.

 

The next day the group went to see a music history presentation by Alberto Faya. This session was very informative on both Cuban history and music. The history was shown in chronological order, sending powerful messages on how Cuba came to be. There was mention of the indigenous people living here before Spanish arrival. Similar to the Native Americans in North America, they were exploited and wiped out over the initial years of European arrival. This part of history was sad. Faya appeared glum when expressing the details. After the natives were exploited, next came the African slaves. This section of history connected to many points at Casa de Africa. Africans sold other Africans to Europeans to be brought to the Americas. These Africans were exposed to harsh conditions between the voyage and when landing in the West. Slaves in Cuba received harsh treatment similar to the United States. Torture and cruel conditions were common. Hearing about slave history once again but from the Cuban perspective was very enlightening. I recognized many similarities to slave history in the United States. Many themes were the same. Faya successfully expressed the history through his instruments and music in the slideshow. There was a diverse set of Cuban and foreign music played to show how music in Cuba took influences from Europe, Africa, and China; then evolving into the music it is today. I even got to exchange a few words with Faya. Apparently, he knew some Russian and we both spoke in the language for a little bit. Older Cubans have more Russian/Soviet exposure than the younger generations. I saw many older Cubans dressed in similar styles to what I would see in Eastern Europe. I remember seeing a strode owner writing his sales in Russian cursive. This was very fascinating to as I once knew how to write in Russian cursive as a child. The Russian/ Soviet connections were a very fascinating part of the trip. Eventually the history and music arrived at the 20th century with a lot more modern and familiar style. The means I which the history was presented was very powerful. Faya did well at depicting emotions to express historic events, playing moving music, and showing relevant images. I really enjoy these informative meetings as there is a lot Cuban history to be learned, for me a very fascinating part of the trip lectures.

 

Our next stop was focused on learning more about Cuban film at Fundación del Nuevo. I’ve watch many movies in my life, and I feel I have a great appreciation for cinema. Hearing about films recorded and actors who were at the site was really intriguing. I even got a new film recommendation “The Survivors.” This family was based on Russian family in Cuba. Once again, another connection to Russia and the Soviet Union. This location had a lot of historical connection from the pre to post revolution era. After the revolution in Cuba, the government was seizing properties from the wealthy. People either left and stayed, the government took a lot of property from the elite classes. This reminded me a lot of when the Soviet Union rose to power in 1917. My grandfather had Russian ancestors who owned a lot of capital in Krasnodar, Russia. To avoid death, my relatives gave up their valuables to the Soviet state. It is such an eerie concept to me. To think of myself in the position of one of these revolutions. All of the sudden everything I’ve worked for in life in gone. That would be so heart breaking and devastating. Also at the Fundación del Nuevo, Anais, spoke more on modern Cuban history especially emphasizing the difficult times during the 1990’s that she personally experienced. When sharing information about this time I could see that Anais was sad while speaking. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba suffered major resource shortages and famines. For decades, Cuban had been heavily reliant on the Soviet Union for support. The United States imposed embargo and sanctions against Cuba making it very challenging for Cuba to form diplomatic relationships. Still to this day, Cuba depends heavily on Russia; with China assisting too. The Cuban struggles during the 90s is similar to what was occurring in North Korea and the post-Soviet nations. North Korea saw grueling famine resulting in high death tolls. Many post-Soviet nations faced economic downfall and mass poverty. Between Cuba and these other countries, their economies collapsed when the Soviet Union ended, due to the dependency on the USSR. It was not until the 2000s that Cuba started seeing some economic upturn, leading to some optimism after a devastating time period. Then in 2020 COVID-19 hit the world and that sent Cuba way back, reducing significant progress. The visit to the cinema providing a lot more context on modern Cuban history. It seems a lot of film and art in Cuba is focused on the current events, history, and condition of the nation. Many works have a message to the viewers about their perspectives. Artists in Cuba often take great risk in expressing themselves. Some are making efforts in favors of the government ideals, while others are forms of protest.

 

The next morning the group visited the ISA National Arts School. This is the premier art school in Cuba. It is highly competitive for artists to enter and graduate through the levels. The potential artists are challenged to come up some works to submit for various entrances and exams. Students can choose their artistic niche, dedicating themselves to their passion. Those who go through the system get more opportunities to have funded international travel and art exhibitions. I’ve noticed throughout the trip that art in Cuba has a major focus and passion. It’s appears to be one of the few opportunities that Cubans have to travel internationally and sell at higher prices. The Cuban government simultaneously invests in the arts and academies. There is strong artistic passion in Cuba, I met several artists throughout the trip. While at the ISA, we  went to a couple art studios meeting some of the artists. We entered the first gallery where there was a lot of painted sculpture art. A lot of the art took inspiration from the human body. A lot of art in Cuba emphasizes parts of both the male and female body, including the reproductive organs. In the gallery many of the sculptures took the shape of a body part. Even the buildings at this art academy focused on the body. The art gallery we were inside was meant to be in the shape of a woman’s breast. When we went to another gallery, it was also in the same design. This time the artist there had art in simple Soviet blocky designs and some paintings with animals. I recognized the Soviet inspired art and mentioned it to the artist. He was excited to see that I was correct. The artist pointed out to me in a book where and when the art he made was inspired from. There were many similarities between his work and that of Russian artists. This art uses a lot of simple shapes and colors. A lot of his work was in black and white. This style of art originated in Russia after the Soviet Revolution. I once again made another connection between Cuba and Russian history. It’s so fascinating to me to be in the western hemisphere, while in a place with so much Russian/Soviet influence. It’s a unique experience to have, especially in a Spanish speaking country.

 

After visiting the prestigious art academy, we went to Fusterlandia. This site was as building that was art itself. An artist made a colorful tile construction for local and tourist attraction. It is a beatific site for taking pictures. The artist dedicated years of his life to building this multi-level tile structure. At the top level, there is a gorgeous overlook view. The group made sure to get some pictures there. This site had become an attraction with other artists setting up stations selling their own works to tourists. A theme I noticed amongst artist selling their works, is that they often prefer to receive US dollars or Euros for payment. The Cuban Peso is the national dollar of Cuba. However due to the embargo and sanctions, the Cuban Peso is worthless outside of Cuba. And local artist can charge foreigners at higher rates if they ask for US dollars and Euros from tourists. Foreign dollars are highly desirable in Cuba. Especially because Cuban cannot rely on the peso to maintain its currency strength. Any day the government could completely change the value. In some parts of the world, people hold on to valuables such as gold and jewelry. When the government currency could default, less people hold onto the money. Demand for foreign dollars throughout Cuba was very high. Whether it was at a restaurant, store, vendor, and  locals. When I needed to exchange money, it was fairly easy. Local people give favorable rates. I imagine it being a significant challenge to exchange money the other way. Being a limiting factor, holding back the Cuban people. Since Cuban Pesos are worthless in other countries, Cuban people cannot afford to easily leave on their own finances. Cuban people in general have very little money, as the government collects the vast majority of worker paychecks. This is a restricting factor to Cuban lives. Throughout the trip resource scarcity was brought up multiple times. One result of this is high inflation. There are so many financial elements holding back the Cuban people. It’s unfortunate to see that there are so many limitations on their opportunities.

 

The following day we went to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana. The museum tour emphasized the value of art in Cuba and powerful messages they hold. Many shared historical events and context. The tour displayed atrocities by the Spanish in Cuba before the times of independence. There were also dedications of the eras during the rulers such as Bautista and Fidel Castro. Some of the paintings were anti-government. This surprised me as I did not expect to see this kind of material at a government museum. This museum also depicted several images of the human body. This visit provided an example of how emotional Cuban art can be. With many themes around depression. Cubans have faced many hardships throughout their history.

 

On one of our final days, we visited a tobacco farm in Viñales. An interesting fact I learned was about how originally the government purchased 100% of farmers crops, but have now reduced that to 90%. It is intriguing to see the government change its policy some. Favoring more incentive driven behavior. The farmers shared that the government regularly pays them for their crop at a fair price.

 

I find Cuba to be a very fascinating place to visit. There is so much information and learning to be had there. I gained so much more knowledge on history, the economy, social issues, art, forms of government, culture, etc. A truly inspiring trip. I feel like Cubans want to teach Americans about Cuba. So the Americans and go back and inform others about the situation in Cuba. Such as the poverty, economic hardship, the embargo, etc. I found Cuban people to be very kind and welcoming.