Translating Cuba

Havana, Cuba – A genuine artist departed the far east on March 27, 2007. Not exactly the east where he was born, but that to which people flock to the presence of the supreme architect of humanity. For Cubans, this date would mark the death of all who knew him as “The Guayabero”.

Faustino Oramas began in the sextet The Tropical at an early age, say some he was fifteen when he wrote his most famous composition, that gave this troubadour his nickname, “The Guayabero”.

For over seven decades this artist toured the world, appearing on different stages. Teaching the art of genuine double tune, artistic work that distinguished him among the singers of all time. This genuine musician from Holguin knew how to pick the best of traditional Cuban music and give it rhythmic beats and add his usual mischief to improvisations.

His musical work made great contributions to the rescue of our musical roots and our troubadour tradition and was an unparalleled contribution to the musical mood.

The Guayabero even still is walking the streets of a city where he was born, carrying his guitar and Cuba, like the rest of the world, feels his presence every time we hear one of his compositions.

November 19 2012

Free enterprise is not a term that is mentioned in the new process of “updating the model,” but you just have to give a little nodto “the factors” in constructing your own socialism now that the Frankenstein of socialism, which according to them is being built in Cuba, seems to be delayed. There are some new entrepreneurs who are serious.

A 3-dimension cinema has appeared, with prices that seem would attract no customers, but they do; a city of two million inhabitants has several hundred happy citizens who don’t have to count their pennies at the end of the month.

Asking for directions to a friend’s, they pointed to a door at the end of a pleasant terrace equipped as a tapas bar. Going through that door was like entering a parallel world. The place is equipped with the best, down to the slightest detail, the menu and the bill are presented on an iPad. In fact, when the iPad gets to the cash register it has to be transcribed because the technology doesn’t go that far, but the effect on the customer is devastating.

A popular snackbar made stickers for cars, and those who return with the sticker on the windshield received a discount. The stickers, I was told, were ordered withdrawn because private businesses are not allowed to advertise. On their own, or with the knowledge of what had happened to the snack bar, some clever person got a bullhorn and advertised from a vintage car, an impeccable almendrón. What did they advertise? Movie showings in 3D with a matinée of children’s films at a reduced rate. So there’s competition for the guys with the iPad.

Until now inventiveness, “the struggle” has been banned. This is the real parallel world.

December 17 2012

Yesterday we commemorated the 64th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of Human Rights by the United Nations of that time, in the creation of which there was an outstanding Cuban representation.

The authoritarian authorities of our country, who already for more than half a century have appropriated and pretend that it really belongs to them, have set aside, according to their own interests, the importance of this date, accepting now a discreet approach from the media and organizations controlled by the regime at the celebration of the event.

On the other hand, they have undertaken coercive and punitive measures they think are necessary to prevent an independent civil society, the political and peaceful opposition and whoever opposes them from publicly demonstrating that day, because they know like the violators they are,that civil society not only will celebrate the date, but will demand the recognition and implementation of these violated rights of the Cuban people.

Arbitrary arrests, demonstrations of rapid response paramilitary groups, public parks occupied by government activists, the phones of people related to the opposition have been cut off, police visits to the homes of opponents with the intention of intimidating them, are some of the measures implemented by the repressive police organizations to discourage and prevent these citizen actions.

Meanwhile, the working committees of the National Assembly is meeting on the eve of the great and last annual day of this 2012. The attempts to create an economy the works, that is sustainable, while at the same time ensuring the dynastic succession and perks seems nothing more than to progress towards discouragement, corruption and vested interests of the government bureaucracy. In addition they remain silent on changes that need to be made in the field of human rights that are based on the ratification and implementation of the Covenants on Civil and Political rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations.

The need to realize real social and political changes is more than obvious if we really aspire to retain a sovereign independent Nation in the near future for all Cubans. This necessarily should include firm respect for diversity and plurality of the citizenry, and from it, project the imperative and urgent National Rule of Law, endorsed by a new and plural Constitution of the Republic of Cuba.

Human rights belong to everyone and each one is like an indivisible beam and only with this can the Cuban nation be reborn in the true virtue and the necessary hope for the future of the country of all.

December 17 2012

While I was having a conversation with the poet Rafael Alcides on “the human and the divine,” something we do regularly, he reminded me that the terms right and left, as applied to different political positions, appeared in Cuba at the beginning of the 1920s as a reaction to the Russian revolution of 1917. Never before in our history had they been used, having been preceded by annexationism, reformism, autonomism, independentism and, after the establishment of the Republic in 1902, by liberalism and conservatism. At the end of that period, the 1920s, they carried a certain weight, and their use reached a climax with the fall of the regime of Gerardo Machado in 1933 and in subsequent years with the legalization of the Communist Party, rechristened the Socialist People’s Party to make it more palatable to the masses.

These terms were only used, however, by communists in their propaganda, referring to themselves as being of “the left” and generalizing all their opponents as being of “the right.” In reality it was a minority party, one whose orthodox true believers led the way in the national political arena. The change came about in 1959, “the year of the accident,” when the state was proclaimed to be “leftist” and imposed its political, ideological and economic concepts on all of society. Subsequently, it tried to portray the left as the sum of all that was progressive, new, humane and good, and the right as the sum of all that was archaic, obsolete, brutal and bad. But life, that supreme judge, showed that neither left nor right were what they proclaimed themselves to be. The former showed itself to be a fraud, becoming fossilized, and the latter, reinventing itself over time, consolidated.

To speak of left and right in today’s globalized world is very anachronistic, a topic suitable for dilettantes, now that both have been bypassed by history. The terms have become so intermingled that any differences are discernible only in their extreme forms. Those who support democracy, development, and solutions to political, economic, social and environmental problems are “progressive,” while those who cling to totalitarianism, lack of freedom, backwardness and stagnation are “retrograde.” Trying to maintain this dichotomy of left and right at all costs, taking advantage of their historic meanings and even trying to inject new life into them, is a task doomed to failure.

December 16 2012

I know I’ve repeated this little joke too many times, but I stress the question. What is the prediction coming out of the polls in regards to the name of the next Cuban president?

17 December 2012

Tiny plastic trees peek out here and there, with garlands saved from other years and a wire star at the top. Superb conifers with every little detail, placed in the lobby of some grand hotel or in the living rooms of residences in Miramar. Lights, colors, melodies that play over and over without end. On a street in Nuevo Vedado neighbors compete to see who can most-strikingly decorate their balcony railings or garden hedges. But there is also house after house, thousands of them, without a single detail relating to this December holiday. Perhaps because of atheism, or for lack of resources, or simply apathy towards the celebration.”Celebrate what?” many would say if asked.

This Christmas self-employed workers have made the year-end festivities their own. In the food stalls, the tiny rooms where trinkets are sold, and the private restaurants in Havana, there is a determination to decorate the spaces with images of Santa Claus, glass balls and twinkling lights. An explosion of colors and carols in the private service sector marks a big difference from the State-run counterpart. As if the excess of details and ornamentation were another way to distance themselves from the depersonalization of the many sites run by ministries and institutions. These visual excesses of today are very likely the popular response to all those Christmas eves celebrated in whispers, or totally ignored, in which a tree with a nativity scene constituted evidence of “ideological deviation.”

They also bring to mind a circular, today attributed to Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, banning Christmas trees in public places. A failed attempt to continue to regulate the way in which we say goodbye to the old year, one which, fortunately, could not be sustained for long. Those excesses of proscriptions and false austerity have led to the current exuberance. Many want the image of the Virgin and child in their living rooms, even if they don’t know whether to put hay or snow at the foot of the manger. On all sides there are bright red flowers, blinking lights, and plump faces topped by pointy hats. So many Decembers between the swings of “no we can’t” or “yes we can” have nurtured this Christmas frenzy. Now few want to leave the garlands safe in their boxes, or the five pointed stars in the back of some drawer.

17 December 2012

Havana, Cuba. The recently opened International Art Fair in Havana captures the attention of the people of the capital and foreigners. Shelves crammed with the artwork of artists from Cuba and other latitudes are enjoyed by visitors who leave satisfied having seen trash creatively reused.

One of the artists of this show is the Cuban Irenardo Fidel Córdova Pérez who distinguishes himself by his artistic work to convert recyclable materials into works of art. For the last fifteen years Irenardo has given to those who visit the island a miniature world of the old cars that often can be seen only in museums or on an island like ours.

I do not know the ambitions and projects of this Cuban artist who dedicates to his work only the hours he isn’t working as an employee of the Palace of Conventions in Havana, I just know it is a pleasure wheneverhe  returns to the streets of Cuba one of those miniatures that he builds.

December 10 2012

Since the arrests which grew out of a tragic event—the premature deaths of Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero—it has increased. Especially the stalking near the house of Antonio Rodiles, headquarters of State of SATS.* This time they were not content to hinder access to the residence. They also arrested people who, affirming their rights as citizens,insisted on being allowed to go there. After being prohibited by authorities from continuing on, two of the more impetuous young men decided to go along the shoreline. Rodiles’ house sits by the sea and only a big chain link fence, rusted by time, separates it from the ocean.

Some people were already inside, either because they arrived before the operation had begun, or because they passed unnoticed through the police cordon. They were suddenly startled by the sight of these two men—completely dressed but soaked—who climbed over the fence, trying to enter the premises. At first everyone thought the police operation was being carried out by sea, but they immediately recognized the two young men and let them in. The host loaned them some of his clothes so they could dry off, change and join the meeting.

With this and recent events very much on everyone’s mind, we were afraid we would be confronting a similar situation on Friday, September 7. We were to meet at the house of Yoani Sánchez for the release of the sixteenth issue of the digital magazine Voces, which is dedicated exclusively to the memory of Payá,who, along with Cepero, lost his life in a very controversial automobile accident.**

Many of us were mentally prepared for a “political stalking.” But when we arrived, everything nearby seemed normal. Even those “shady types,” the sight of whom has become routine for us, did not seem to be around. I am sure they were there, but were keeping a low profile.

When my husband and I arrived, there was already a group of people in the apartment. The living/dining room had been converted into a makeshift cinema. They were about to show a short film of the eulogy and internment of Payá, as well as images of masses said in his memory at the church in his neighborhood, where he was much loved and admired. Before the film began, Reinaldo Escobar read a brief but emotional message from the wife of the deceased, apologizing for not being able to attend.

Later, the journalist and blogger Orlando Luís Pardo Lardo, as is customary, presented the latest issue of Voces. Finally, some sample copies, courtesy of a collaboration among friends, were handed out to those in attendance.The children who were present provided a happy note that helped dispel the sense of nostalgia that was the prevailing mood of this gathering. Everything was very pleasant, but in an instant this cozy atmosphere was interrupted by an unexpected and unpleasant visit.

* Translator’s notes:

According to its website, State of SATS “hopes to create a plural space for participation and debate, where open and frank debate is exchanged. The project sponsors panel discussions, forums and other events that are filmed and broadcasted on the Internet.”

**On July 22, prominent Cuban pro-democracy leader Oswaldo Paya and activist Harold Cepero were killed in a car accident while on a trip to the east of Cuba. Many Cuban dissidents suspect foul play may have been involved. Paya’s daughter has declared in an audio clip that a second car provoked the crash.

Site manager’s note: Somehow this post never appeared, despite having been translated in September. Apologies for the delay.

September 8 2012

Havana, Cuba. 10 December 2012. By Ignacio Estrada Cepero.

By agreement the National Executive of the Cuban League Against AIDS, at a meeting held on Saturday 24 November, decided to award its 2012 Annual Solidarity Prize to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation led by the attorney Elizardo Sánchez Santa Cruz.

The award recognizes the excellent work carried out by the team of Human Rights observers within Cuba in support not only of the Cuban community that lives with this disease, but of all sectors of society. For this they have been honored with this award.

The prize ceremony will take place this Monday, 10 December, in Havana, to mark International Day of Human Rights.

December 10 2012

Fooling Nivaldo, 71, is not an easy task. When the old man goes shopping, in his inseparable shopping bag he carries a portable scale. As he rummages through the meat, fruit and vegetables covered with dirt on the metallic trays at the farmers market, the problems arise.

At the checkout, the traders try to scam him, charging more for the products than they weigh. Demanding his rights has given the old man a reputation for stinginess and unfriendliness.

“Yesterday I got twelve pounds of pork oat 23 pesos a pound, when I checked the weight it was 2-1/2 pounds under. It’s common. At every market there are State scales to check they’re selling you the exact weight, but they often rig them. It’s a national epidemic. Fucking people over is like a sport,” says Nivaldo, while rushing to get home before the clouds burst.

Scamming and adulteration food and other items is an old story. In many hard currency shops and snack bars, the principal mission of the staff is to “fine” (i.e. cheat) the customer. There are new methods. Others are clumsy bungles.

In the Island of Cuba Mall, a stone’s throw from the National Capitol building, Luisa, 46, reached into the meat fridges and pulled out two packages of chicken thighs, where it showed the price according to weight.

She added it up. One package cost 2.60 and the other 2.40. In total, 5 convertible pesos. The math doesn’t fail. But in Cuba numbers are magic. Quietly, the cashier sealed the two packages and put the in a nylon bag and said they were 5.30.

Luisa explained that there must have been a mistake. She opened the sealed packages and showed them. The cashier admitted it and replied that “it was the fault of the cash register.”

If you don’t look after yourself, the vendors will blatantly cheat you. Marco, who works in a hard currency supermarket, offers a justification. “We earn very little. The way we get money is to “fine” the customer. Those who work in this sector invest hundreds of dollars to get a place. The thing is hot and we have to go home with money. We also have families.”

The question Marco preferred not to answer was: if the customers are not at fault for their low salaries, why don’t they complain to the union and mount a loud protest in the Plaza of the Revolution.

Ah, no, this they would never do. They could go to jail. Given the lack of legal mechanisms that allow service workers to demand better salaries, the solution is to discharge their repressed anger in the pockets of the consumers.

In the hotels, discos and restaurants where the tourists usually go, the “fines” increase. Many managers of tourist restaurants have a doctorate in the subject. Looking at the credit cards and details like expensive watches or an Apple laptop, they calculate how much money they can skim off.

A few days ago three habaneros living in Miami arrived with several friends at a hard currency snack bar to drink beer in style. On the fly, the employee caught they were “Cubans from the other side.” Every so often, while collecting the empty beer cans, he talked about the Major Leagues. He established empathy with them. After 11 at night, inebriated, happy to share with attentive staff, singing boleros and taking photos, they paid 130 CUC. An excessive amount.

Right now, the Cuban-Americans are the best clients. They leave good tips. And if the guy gets drunk, the “fine” is even more.

To deceive the customer is latent in all sectors of the national life. If you walk down any street in Havana, you will see a multitude of plastic tables of the State food service offering pork sandwiches for 5 pesos, servings of fried rise at 15 pesos and fried chicken at 1.60 an ounce.

I have always been amazed by the capacity of the tropical bureaucracy for absurd formalisms. Every little table has a weight and a sign that indicates the grams of each product a consumer should have.

A dapper “chef” picks a greasy pork leg, skin with strips of meat and dried fruit. He weighs it and puts the hash in a round pan. Does each consumer have to walk around with a portable scale to verify the exact grams? The old Nivaldo does. But the vast majority don’t worry about weighing what they buy.

We Cubans are not used to being scammed. An “extra payment” we accept with discipline, like everything in Cuba. From listening to a speech promising a bright future that never comes, to buying our 80 grams of bread every day that almost always weighs about half that.

In street slang, duping customers is called “fighting/” It’s a vicious circle. You fuck me over from behind the bar, and late I overcharge you 20 CUC for a medical checkup.

It’s a kind of pact. We fuck each other over. Few have the courage to point out those guilty of transforming our lives into a competition to see who can hurt others the most.

The loss of values has been one of the greatest damages caused by the Castro’s in their 54 year reign. To recover them will be very expensive.

Photo: Sale of pig’s liver at a Havana farmer’s market, taken from Worldisround.

December 5 2012

Now that the Endless Poetry Festival has passed its first hours without any considerable and visible repression, I want to make my contribution to this urban tribe that has taken the streets for themselves. From Miami I read in front of a camera to insert our voices and faces among their and we were one, yet diverse.

The photo you see with this post was taken in 2006 in the city of Holguin, the boys of Omni-Zona Franca were making an alternative tour of the provinces and one afternoon we went on a spree to see the oldest house in the city, made of adobe and straw, we sat on the ground in a park and counted cars and beautiful girls passing by. We read, we said many things, but the poetry that filled the air that day was an act of tolerance that continues today.

In some ways those of us who are in this photo (from left to right) have taken different directions and postures towards life, however poetry has saved us from the exclusion and hatred, from the lies and the unreasonableness of believing ourselves superior beings, so we have a kind of truth which raises us above others:

David D’Omni continues his music and his art against evil spells, he is in Havana-New-York-Berlin-Alamar, he has his left hand on the poet and essayist Ronel Gonzalez who digs a well every week to drink better water in the Holguin God gave us. Behind them there is a gentleman whose name I never learned and next to him is Hendrix, a film student in that city. Luis Eligio with his energy covers my back, as I looked like I was going to shoot up into nothingness

Michael Hernandez was about to go live in Texas and never write poetry, somehow this is a funeral ceremony. Amaury, not looking at camera, seems to be entertaining some mischief just before being frozen forever in that image that united us for a second.

Poetry saves. Does poetry save? Well, we already know, now: “Love your rhythm, rhyme your actions, Poetry is you!”

December 14 2012

The television news shows the agony of the victims of Hurricane Sandy and the Culture Department of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) is determined to offer its parishioners some entertainment … a force of ridicule.

The children’s theater company ’The Beehive’ even made it to the cities of Holguin and Banes and although they brought their stories, games and songs we still see those affected by the cyclone making miracles cooking on wood stoves, looking for something to eat for the day or stuck in long lines for the paperwork to get materials to repair their shattered homes.

The popular pop duo Buena Fe (Good Faith) arrived in a Santiago de Cuba devastated by the October storm and now the scourge of the cholera epidemic and had no other remedy than escape, offered by a little music and the cheapest alcohol, and the enjoyment of a show that this time wouldn’t cost them a penny. But how much enjoyment is there in crowded conditions, destruction and despair?

November 29 2012

Individual with mental retardation, used as a member of the Rapid Response Brigades in San Germán, Holguín. Responsible: MININT Delegate Grognier Gallardo Parra.

Lt. Yazmanis Suárez Ramírez, “Confrontation” official in San Germán, Holguín.

Victor Zamora, unlicensed self-employed. Member of the Rapid Response Brigades in San Germán, Holguín.

November 12 2012