Music

VIDEO: The Grammys, the Lucas Awards, and the “Bailando” Controversy

December 26, 2014

The global super-hit picked up three awards at the Latin Grammys, and it’s the longest-running Number 1 on Billboard’s “Hot Latin Songs.” What happened with the Bailando video at the Lucas Awards?

Cubans in Paris, Cubans at Home

January 30, 2014

Cuban music took the world by storm in the 1920s and 30s, and found a special welcome in Paris. Last month the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) offered a rousing program that interwove the concert hall, the nightclub, and the theater, with music by José White, Eliseo Grenet, Ernesto Lecuona, Luis Casas Romero, Alejandro García Caturla, Sindo Garay, and Miguel Matamoros. The show also featured songs by Moisés Simóns, including excerpts from his rarely performed 1934 operetta Toi C’est Moi. NYFOS director Steven Blier reviews the history of this music in his informative program notes.

Rochy: Hit Music and Social Change

December 26, 2013

For many years, Rochy Ameneiro has been one of Cuba’s most acclaimed singers. Now, she’s putting her popularity to work for social change, especially in combating domestic abuse and other violence. Here’s the latest on her work with the Todas Contracorriente (Against the Tide) campaign.

Lucas Awards 2013: Baby Lores, Buena Fe, and El vuelo del moscardón

December 24, 2013

Havana’s music video industry continues to produce some of the most interesting video clips anywhere, and they hit the spotlight with the annual Lucas Awards, presented late last month in Havana. As a holiday celebration, here’s a quick look at some of the top winners for 2013—with videos, of course.

Update: Art and Music in Havana, plus Tokyo, London, Guadeloupe, and the U.S.

December 17, 2013

Four interesting shows and a jazzfest unfold on the island, Abel Barroso and Sandra Ramos open in Tokyo, Yoan Capote solos in London, Carlos Estévez comes to Guadeloupe, and several shows explore intriguing themes in Miami and greater L.A.

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This spring, New York University hosted a panel of young filmmakers from Cuba, who brought a range of fresh perspectives on life on the island. Havana journalist Lidia Hernández Tapia recaps the presentation and highlights notable films.

Nkame in New York: Belkis Ayón at El Museo del Barrio

Last fall, Nkame: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón made its US debut at the Fowler Museum at UCLA—the artist’s first museum exhibition outside Cuba. Now it’s on view in New York. Here’s a look at the show at El Museo, with excerpts from the exhibition essay by curator Cristina Vives.

Cuban Art Shines at Art Basel 2017

After two days of invitation-only viewing, Art Basel opens to the public today. Here’s our roundup of where to find notable Cuban art and artists in the gallery stands, curated sections, and special events of the art world’s flagship contemporary fair.