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Whatever you are looking for in Havana: tropical sunshine, salsa, a particular style and philosophy of life, you are sure to enjoy yourself here. Art lovers will discover a rich art scene, which has taken and developed ideas from all over the world and blended them with its own. If your idea of happiness is simply having a laugh in a bar or night-club, you have come to the right place: Cubans are famous for their open and fun-loving character. If its music and dancing you're after, you will be spoiled for choice. Just as an example of the extraordinary variety on offer, there are about ten dance and theatre shows every week in Havana. You can catch new and old shows from companies such as Buendía, with its excellent reputation for physical theatre, El Público, which regularly fills the citys biggest theatres, Hubert de Blanck, which in the last few years has staged major works by Lorca and Cuban playwright Abelardo Estorino), or Danza Abierta and Danza Contemporánea, two of the citys best known contemporary dance companies. One of the most important venues for dance and drama is the Gran Teatro de la Habana in Old Havana, whether the main García Lorca auditorium or the Antonin Artaud and Alejo Carpentier studio theatres. In the Vedado there are a number of theatres: the National Theatre (Nacional), which has two main auditoriums, the Avellaneda and Covarrubias, and a smaller one on the ninth floor; the Bertolt Brecht, with two auditoriums; the Hubert de Blanck, home of the theatre group of the same name; and El Sótano, home of the Rita Montaner Company. These last two also put on productions by other companies. There are also two cinema-theatres in the area: the Trianón, which mainly stages work by El Público, and the Acapulco. Several companies are based in venues here: Buendía, the Studio Theatre, based in the Casa de Línea, and Teatro del Obstáculo, among others. Old Havana has the cinema-theatre Payret and the Casa de la Comedia. In other districts you will find the cinema-theatre Los Angeles, the Karl Marx Theatre and the Raúl Gómez García Theatre. There are sometimes shows at alternative venues and spaces such as the Parque Morro-Cabaña, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the Café Cantante, Mi Habana, Los Jardines del 1830, and some hotels. As for ballet, you can watch performances by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, under the direction of Alicia Alonso, the Ballet de Camagüey and the Ballet Español, on the García Lorca stage of the Gran Teatro de la Habana, the National Theatre, or the Karl Marx. For musicals try the Gran Teatro de la Habana, which is also the official venue of the Cuban National Opera. The shows in these venues are usually Cuban, but foreign companies also appear from time to time. In the last few years visitors have included Darío Fo, Eugenio Barbas Odin Theatret, the Colombian company La Candelaria,, Philip Gentis company from France, and Julio Bocca. For classical and choral concerts the best places are theAmadeo Roldán, home of the National Symphonic Orchestra, and the Basílica Menor de San Francisco de Asís. Traditional Cuban music, now back in fashion around the world, can be heard all over Havana at regular gigs such as Échale Salsita at the Ignacio Piñeiro Music Centre, Chan Chan at the Casa de la Amistad, Changüí Habana and Tiempo de Son at the Julián del Casal Arts Centre, or Vocal 3 and their guests at the Museum of Colonial Art. Other venues for traditional music are La Tarde bar, the Bolero Room at Dos Gardenias, and the Casa de la Trova. As with the theatre, most of the music on offer in Havana is Cuban but there are occasionally concerts by foreign guests such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Fito Paez, Ana Belén, Joaquín Sabina, Luis Eduardo Aute, the Gustav Mahler Symphony Orchestra, pianist Daniel Barenboim and jazz stars such as George Benson, Wynston Marsalis, Roy Hardgrove and Michel Camilo. Cubans are great film buffs and, while Hollywood movies are only shown on TV, there is always something worth seeing. The best choice is to be found at the Charles Chaplin cinema, which, besides being one of the largest arts film houses in Latin America, has the most modern equipment and facilities. Here you can see seasons of films dedicated to particular directors, countries, decades, or themes. The centres Charlot video room has its own separate programme. La Rampa cinema also shows arts films. At other cinemas, of which there are over fifty, you can see old and new Cuban films, as well as some from other Latin American countries, and contemporary cinema if you happen to be here during one of the festivals. These cinemas include the Yara, the main venue in the Vedado, the Riviera, 23 & 12, Trianónand Acapulco, all in the Plaza area, the Payret, Actualidades, Ideal and Cervantes in Old Havana, and the Alameda, Los Ángeles, Ambassador, Lido and Cinecito in other areas. The only way to see recently released commercial films in Havana is by going to a video venue, but, except at the Charlot which has digital facilities, these screenings are on televisions rather than large screens. If you want to get to know a little more about the history of Cuba, there are many places you might find int eresting. Try the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, where you will be able to see Colonial and early Republic art and history exhibitions. The Museo de la Revolución gives you the chance to learn all about Cuban history from 1868 onwards. You mustn't miss a visit to the Casa Natal de José Martí (the house where he was born), where personal belongings of the man known as El Apóstol de Cuba (the Apostle of Cuba) are exhibited. If you are into archaeology and anthropology, the Gabinete de Arqueología is the place to go, with aboriginal Cuban and Latin American exhibits. The Regla and the Guanabacoa Museums are also interest ing from this point of view, with exhibitions of Afro-Cuban culture. Given that the Fine Arts Museum is going to be closed for some time due to refurbishment, the best venues for art exhibitions are the Centro Wilfredo Lam, with several temporary international contemporary art exhibition, at the Hurón Azul, where the most famous paintings by Cuban artist Carlos Enríquez are to be found, and the Casa Fundación Guayasamín, where the artwork of the Ecuadorian artist is exhibited and sold.
There are also many temporary exhibitions on at smaller galleries such as 23 & 12, Servando Cabrera, Habana, Domingo Ravenet, Galiano, Fay ad Jamís, Her Car, Cancha Ferrant, Teodoro Ramos, El Reino de este Mundo in the BibliotecaNacional (the National Library), Ima go y Orígenes (in the Gran Teatro de la Habana), Fundación Ludwig, and Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño. For decorative arts, the Museo de Arte Colonial is the place to go and see exhibitions of furniture, porcelain, glass-work and all s orts of objects from the colonial period. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza also offers interesting permanent exhibitions of Cuban ceramics from the 40s to the present. The Museum of Artes Decorat ivas (Decorative Arts) is obviously a must if you are interested in this genre with European and Oriental collections dating from the 16th century up to the present day. In other museums you can find exhibitions related to Arabic culture, African cu lture and Latin American culture in general. You can even take a peek at Hemingways belongings, admire the medals won by Cuban sportsmen and women, learn something about the history of science in Cuba, or see exhibitions of Napoleonic weapons and objects. Besides the permanent exhibitions, all these museums and galleries also have temporary foreign exhibitions. However if you don't want to spend all your time indoors there are many places to go to in Havana where you can enjoy the open air. The Zoológico Nacional and the Zoológico de la Habana, the , ExpoCuba, the Acuario (Aquarium), Lenin Park (where there are all sorts of shows and activities for children) and the Morro-Cabaña Park are all great options for those who like the outdoors. When night falls, Havana also has much to offer. Try one of the most famous restaurants such as La Bodeguita del Me dio, La Mina, La Zaragozana, Castillo del Farnés, El Patio and Floridita, where you can savour traditional Cuban food, as well as food from all over the world, while listening to live music. If you?d rather go to a bar than a restaurant then try the most populars: Monserrate, Café Al Capuccino Havana, Las Cañitas, Delirio Habanero, Café Paris, El Patio and Cocktail Blue, all of which also have live music and a great atmospher e. For a bit of cabaret, try Tropicana, (the most famous venue for Cabaret since the 50s), or alternatively Parisién or Chévere. If you feel like dancing salsa to the sound of a live orchestra then there are a whole host of places to visit amongst them the Salón Rosado Benny Moré de La Tropical, the Turquino cabaret at the Hotel Habana Libre Trypp and La Cecilia, all of which places where you can be sure one of the best salsa bands in Havana will be playing. Listen out for: NG la Banda, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, El Médico de la Salsa, Las Anacaonas and Los Van Van. There are also many discotheques in Havana. Try Havana Club, Ipanema, Discobar, Salón Rojo, Disco-Karaoke or Los Caneyes del Papa. If its jazz you fancy, try La Zorra y El Cuervo or Jazz Club. If you like rock then El Patio de María. El Gato Tuerto, Pico Blanco, Los Jardines del 1830 and Rivera Azul are all worth trying. There are also places where you can go sailing, fishing or diving in Havana. The best places for this sort of activity are the Hemingway Marina and the Veneciana Marina, and the Playas del Este (beaches to the East of the city) such as Bocaciega, Santa María and Guanabo. After all this, you may have realised there is rather a lot to do in Havana, whatever your likes and preferences. At any rate, one thing is sure: you will never find it lacking in good music, good theatre, art exhibitions and a buzzing night-life. (For more information regarding the weekly cultural programme you can go to Buró de Información Cultural (Cultural Information Bureau) in the Gran Teatro de la Habana, Calle Paseo y San José, Old Havana). |
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