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A colorful country like Cuba is has an equally vibrant calendar of events. The people of Cuba believe in simple joys and festivities that make life vivid and lively. The busy Cuban calendar of events brings to life the art of merry-making, dancing and music whether in its traditional or contemporary form. So plan your trip to Cuba according to the long list of events and do not miss out on real celebrations.
International Low-Budget Film Festival
14-20 April, 2008
Venue: Gibara, Province of Holguín
The event has been held in the small town of Gibara since 2003. Besides the competition that rewards fiction and documentary films, there are meetings, concerts, recitals and art exhibitions.
Romerías de Mayo
2-8 May, 2008
Venue: Holguín city
The festivals started in 1993 as an initiative by a group of young artists to organize this popular festivity with the arrival of spring. Every year musicians, actors, researchers, artists, writers and dancers come together to share their artistic endeavor all through days and nights to exhibit diversity of their talent.
Theater in May
9-18 May 2008
Venue: Casa de las Américas, Havana and provinces
The Latin American Theatre Festival sponsored by Casa de las Americas in the 1960s went international in 1964. The festival features the performances of the most important Cuban theatre companies as well as renowned Latin American groups along with workshops and lectures by experts from Cuba and abroad.
Cubadisco International Fair
17-25 May, 2008
Venue: Different areas of Havana
The fair began in 1997 to bring to national and international attention about Cuban recording industry with concerts, recitals, symposia and exhibits.
International Cubanima Festival
28 May to 1st June, 2008
Venue: Havana
Organized by the Animation Studios of the Cuban Institute of Cinematic Art and Industry (ICAIC), this festival includes a competition of short and feature-length films produced for the cinema or television from 2006 to date, plus a program of workshops, theoretical meetings and exhibitions related to the making of films for young audiences.
Spanish Imprint Festival
1-8 June, 2008
Venue: Gran Teatro de La Habana and other locales in Havana
This festival was founded by Cuba's prima ballerina, Alicia Alonso, in 1989 to give due acknowledgment to both traditional and contemporary Spanish cultural influence on the island. Cuban and Spanish soloists, theatre companies, dance ensembles and music groups come to perform in this event.
International Digital Art Salon
8-12 June, 2008
Venue: Centro Cultural Pablo de la Torriente Brau, Old Havana
This exhibition was held for the first time in 1999 with the aim of offering "a space to exhibit and reflect upon" a new form of artistic creation which explores the potential that new technologies offer in creating art.
"Fire Fiesta" Caribbean Festival
3-9 July, 2008
Venue: Santiago de Cuba
Initiated in 1980, this annual popular festivity of Caribbean cultures focuses on issues related to the preservation, development and dissemination of Caribbean cultural diversity, as well as actions that could contribute to the unity of the region and promote a cultural exchange with the rest of America and the world.
Santiago de Cuba Carnival
July
Venue: Santiago de Cuba
Carnival festivities in Santiago de Cuba go back to the late 17th century with the annual procession on the feast of Santiago Apóstol, the patron saint of the town. During the carnival, the whole city seems to move to the rhythm of music that leads dancing crowds down the steep roads of the city.
Havana International Rap Festival
August
Venue: Havana and its Alamar suburb
Hip hop became a sensation in Cuba during the 1990s when this festival was born. Since then, the event has attracted an increasing number of local as well as international hip hop artists from other countries. More recently, the festival has also included rap dancing, graffiti artists, a series of films and a colloquium with discussion of hip hop culture and issues regarding this type of music.
Varadero Jam Session
11-14 September, 2008
Venue: Varadero
Started in 2007 and presided by Chucho Valdés, who is considered one of the best pianists in the world and a major figure of world jazz, the Varadero Jam Session is a spectacular festival of improvisation, with important Cuban and foreign jazz musicians jamming away for the enjoyment of jazz lovers.
International Matamoros Son Festival
16-20 October 2008
Venue: Casa de la Trova and teatro Heredia, Santiago de Cuba
This festival, which is a tribute to the Santiago de Cuba-native Miguel Matamoros, is a meeting of soloists and bands from all over the island, as well as other countries. Concerts, lectures, dances, workshops, book and CD launches, as well as a Cuban popular dance competition take place.
International Havana Ballet Festival
24 October - 6 November 2008
Venue: Gran Teatro de La Habana and other theatres in Havana and various provinces
Presided over since 1960 by the legendary Alicia Alonso, this festival brings together international soloists and companies alongside the Cuban National Ballet in Havana and other venues across the island.
First Theatre Biennial of the Caribbean
November 2008
Venue: Havana
The event focuses on small shows of any of the different types of theatre performances, which reflect identifying elements of the culture of the Caribbean, both the traditional manifestations and the most contemporary, created in the countries of the region or elsewhere. Collateral activities include book launchings and film showings.
Jo Jazz
27-30 November, 2008
Venue: Teatro Amadeo Roldán, Havana
Jo Jazz takes place prior to the Havana International Jazz Festival as a competition for young musicians. Proposed by 5-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.
New Latin American International Film Festival
2-12 December, 2008
Venue: Havana movie theatres and other venues in other provinces
Since 3 December 1979, Havana has been the venue for the immensely popular New Latin American International Film Festival.
International Craft Fair
5-14 December 2008
Venue: Pabexpo, Havana
Held as a way of expressing the identity and cultural diversity of different countries, this fair has promoted arts and crafts attracting thousands of visitors each year. Lectures, exhibits, fashion shows, sales and the crafts themselves offer an opportunity for interaction and exchange between artists and the public.
Charangas de Bejucal
December 24, 25, 26 and January 1st
Venue: Bejucal, Province of La Habana
The charangas are related to Christmas celebrations, when white Catholics and black slaves would take to the streets with their musical instruments to pay tribute to their deities. The festival is attended by hundreds of visitors who enjoy the fantasy and creativity of designers, engineers, painters, musicians, choreographers, and dancers whose talent guarantees the vitality of one of the oldest popular celebrations in Cuba.
By: Shuchita Bist
GOWEALTHY.COM © 2008
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