We just want to devote this first edition of soycubano.com newsletter in 2005 to popular festivities and some elements of the city, its rhythms, architectural styles and sounds. Share with you the joy due to the acceptance of our Cuban culture products around the world and as usual, make brief comments on some daily cultural events of the island.

Cuba boasts diverse popular festivities showing the Cubans` joy, signature feature of their idiosyncrasy. Among the most lovable festivities we can highlight the carnivals, the patronal and country parties, parrandas, charangas and other celebrations of singular character having African antecedents.

These parties of popular tradition were generally involved in its origins with the festivities calendar devoted to the Catholic Church saints and its derivations in the popular religiosity.

The properly so-called ‘'fiestas patronales'' (patronal parties) started in Cuba since the time of the Spanish crown presence in the island. They always consist in a procession followed by a party, verbenas, guateques, fairs, according to the situation. The most relevant festivities were devoted to our Señora de la Caridad del Cobre, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and San Juan Bautista.


Singular feature showed the ‘Romerías” and among the most notable, it's worthy to mention those held in Holguín under the name of ‘'Romerías de Mayo'', being popular parties of multiple cultural expression and color, revived along the last years.

Carnivals are among the most popular and massive celebrations. They are Cuban traditional parties having seeds in the parties celebrated by Hispanics and their descendants.


According to the old tradition in the peninsula, carnivals possess own elements such as costumes, coaches, comparsas and parades among others.

With its diverse denominations: Carnivals, Romerías and Charangas, etc, these popular festivities are enriched with modernity, keeping the best of the tradition.

Art Decó in Havana.

The presence of the architectonic manifestation known as Art Decó, allowed the emergence under the Caribbean sun in Havana of the style created by Charles Couybre which appeared after the crisis as consequence of the first world conflagration around the second decade from the last century as a different cultural manifestation.

The style gained followers around diverse points of the globe, for this reason is present even in buildings in United States or in the cities of the remote Australia . Cuba was not an exception to accept it as part of its urbanism coexisting with colonial elements in a perfect coherence before the visitors` eyes.

In a central zone of Vedado, exactly in 11 and L, a magnificent building can be observed the building López Serrano reproducing the North American Empire State or the Casa de las Américas of sober façade, dragging all those interested in exploring the continental culture in its seat located in 3rd St and G.

Another special place due the presence of Art Decó lines is the Casa de la Amistad House situated at Paseo St. between 17 and 19, summarizing the memory of the love story for Catalina Laza, for whom her lover brought sands from Nilo River and embellished the mansion with Lalique lamps.

In the center of the city there is the America Theater typifying the style, while in Playa we can find the cultural complex Arenal improving its typical installations for future meetings of specialists of this architectonical manifestation present in so many other parts of the world due to the warm acceptance in this environment.


Due to the general beauty and appropriated restoration of Bacardí building, casually placed near the National Fine Arts Museum , it is considered the paradigm of Art Decó in Cuba. In one of its walls, there's a recognition delivered by the New Yorker association working in the protection of this style settled precisely at the Empire State of this North American city.

(Books on Cuban Architecture in our Online Shop)



By: Miralys Sánchez Pupo.

The Sound of the Cities. Elmer Ferrer and his Metrópolis CD.

Elmer Ferrer, guitarist and composer born in Sancti Spiritus on 1973, possesses a wide professional career in favor of music, boasting an amazing path of success. His presence has been noteworthy at recordings, tours, concerts and ‘'descargas'' along with such name bands and soloists as Estado de Animo, Santiago Feliú, Gema y Pavel, Habana Abierta, Equis Alfonso, Rochy, Juego de manos, Interactivo, Noel Nicola, Habana Ensemble, y Pasaje Abierto, just to mention a few.

Elmer has charisma enough to play and perform in albums and concerts, tours or ‘'descargas'' of all those surrounding him, in this way, his flexibility and eclecticism has netted him the appearance in more than 15 sets as solo artist around the last two years.
The guest contributor for diverse bands and singers, highlighting David Alvarez and Juego de Manos in the cut ‘'Habanera Sola'', or in Temperamento`s ‘'Elengó'' CD or even in the Habana Abierta`s ‘'Veinticuatro Horas''; is still enhancing his profile to head his debut album ‘'Metrópoli'', sound base for his international take off as solo artist.

This CD is featuring good cuts to be acclaimed for all those lovers of the six chords. Its language deals with Jazz Rock, Flamenco, Hard rock, Heavy metal, Traditional Jazz, R&B and chords quartets.

‘'Metrópoli'', winner of 2003 Cubadisco Award as Best Opera Prima, is a Unicornio Label production gathering the sound of the cities. The CD is boasting the music of Ferrer himself plus orchestral arrangements shared with pianist Alexis Bosch, starting on Jazz, it spreads its wings to other genres such as Flamenco or Folk.

Talented musicians teamed him up in this recording adventure: Robertico Carcassés (piano), Jorge Alexander “El Sagua”(electric bass), Oliver Valdés (drums), Alexis Bosch (piano), Juan Pablo Domínguez (electric bass), Ruy López-Nussa (drums) and Emilito del Monte (percussion), Cesar López (saxo), Carlos Averhoff Jr.(tenor saxophone) and Alexander Brown (trumpet).

‘'Metrópoli'' is a CD of confessions, love confession (...) blood injection launched to the mainstream by this album to mark new horizons (...)

Courtesy of Toni Basanta.

Top Sellers of our online shop in 2004.

The recently-concluded 2004 was a favorable year for the positioning of SoyCubano`s shops within the dynamic and versatile world of Internet. Many persons from all over the world have acquired, through our service, products portraying the most genuine face of Cuban culture.

The fluid communication with soycubano.com`s friends has allowed us to know about the acceptance of the cultural product we offer, favorably assessed due to its authenticity and beauty, confirming also it is gaining growing strength for its quality and skills to capture the permanent attention of an interested audience.

Among the top sellers of the wide catalog our shops are proudly offering are:


Locos por mi habana CD by Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, notable team which recreates Cuban popular music approaching diverse genres, specially the beloved Cuban Son.

Buen Aniversario CD-ROM , produced with motive of the 15 anniversary of the peerless Cuban group of popular danceable music Charanga Habanera, featuring three musical video clips with three of the most acclaimed hits: Buen Aniversario, Vuelve junto a mí and El Boni, the latter was winner of 2003 Lucas Award and acknowledged as the most popular Video Clip of the Year. This CD-ROM is also available with Soy Cubano, Soy Popular CD here.

Video Estado de Gracia/De mi alma recuerdos by filmmaker Lourdes de los Santos, featuring two stories, the first one (2000), offers an introspective glance to the singer/song writer Silvio Rodríguez`s life and work and the second one (2002), having the notable contribution of Manuel Iglesias is featuring a nostalgic journey through present and past of Cuban Trova and Nueva Trova. Embellished by songs that have been landmarks with the Cuban song, not only of Nueva Trova but also works belonging to the Old Trova; this material won the 2002 Prize ‘'Tatu de Oro'' at the 29th Jornada de Cinema da Bahia. ‘'Pitirre'' Prize for Best Documentary Film at the 2002 Cinemafest Festival and Documentary Mention at the XXIV Habana Film Festival.





Movie Poster Vampiros en la Habana , created in 1985 by the outstanding designer Eduardo Muñoz Bachs, which is a jewel of the Cuban movie poster.





Cuban paintings in original artworks and photography will underscore among the new offers SoyCubano is readying for this 2005, which will surely be gratefully welcomed for all our visitors.

SoyCubano will be present at MIDEM, stand 12-24 under Cubadisco logo, featuring products coming from remarkable record labels of the island such as Abdala, Bismusic and EGREM. Cuban music will make its bow at the 39th International Festival of Music in Cannes , France , from 23 to 27, 2005. Contact us!

A newcomer set of Van Van Orchestra, to be soon at the markets via Abdala Label is entitled ‘'Chapeando''. The 12-tracks album features also two texts in which Miguel Barnet and Rogelio Martínez Furé talk about the importance of folklore in the national culture and the role of this team headed by Juan Formell within it as one of the toppers orchestras. The current Cuban plastic is also present with artworks by such evergreens as Ernesto Rancaño, K`cho, Choco, Zaida del Río, Roberto Fabelo, Manuel Mendive, Michel Mirabal and Guido Asenjo, embellishing this production and reinforcing the musical message.

Paradiso Travel Agency, specialized on Cultural Tourism, presented its Catalog of Cultural Events for 2005, highlighting this year the artwork of the name artist Vicente Rodríguez Bonachea. The business profile includes all the cultural events convoked by Culture Ministry in diverse manifestations of arts such as: theater, dance, plastic arts and music .

Necklaces are widely used in Cuba as personal objects and main elements in the ritual pertaining to the most popular Afro Cuban religion in the island: Regla Osha o Santería . In the book "Los Collares de la Santeria Cubana" you will find curious reflections about symbolisms and the religious use of this garment by the different cultural groups that contributed to conform the Cuban identity and the relation they have with deities from Yorubá and Aruaco pantheons.