Sensitivity, passion, devotion, mystery, charm and eternal love are necessary elements in the artistic creation and at the same time, gifts and inspiring sources for every work of light and beauty giving by this marvelous human being that is the Woman, main reason of this SoyCubano`s edition.

Celina González was born on March 16th, 1929 at ‘'La Luisa'' farm, near by Jovellanos, a small town of Matanzas province, in the middle of a fertile plain having red earth. This information may be an important hint to understand what does spiritual syncretism represent in the expressive outline of the artist, the zone where she passed her childhood concentrates a black majority due to the fact that slavery was abolished in 1878 and many of these slaves kept on working in the same sugar cane plantations. At present, this Cuban region has Yoruba and Ararás religious and cultural traditions almost untouched.

Being a child, Celina listened to country melodies in which the Hispanic roots were deeply present, dealing also with melodies of African origin. This mixture got stronger when she moved with his family to Santiago de Cuba , there she drank from the most authentic Son waters and listened to the most famous improvisers.

Who always considered herself as Guajira -Cuban term used to name native people from rural zones and, as can be seen further, it is also a musical genre- after trying her first weapons in familiar parties, made her bow in 1947 in the radio. It was the most effective medium to prize her talent then. In these initial forays, she met Reutilio Domínguez by chance, a troubadour having already a story and between them a fluent of sympathy started becoming passion little after, since that very moment, their fates were linked in art and in the foundation of a new family. Since the, Celina and Reutilio Duet reached the pinnacle and aired great in radio Guateques and countryside parties.

This Duet left the farm to conquer the capital and became indispensable not only in radio but also in theater and movies, where more than one country stamp such as Bella Salvaje (1952) was brightened by these two perfectly-entwined voices. Around these years, the main offer in the menu was the guajira-son Santa Bárbara which many people identified as Qué viva Changó . Celina`s deep religious belief inspired her to create this song. She told us that the saint -or maybe the Orisha, because, due to a strange mystery of Cuban syncretism, in a single deity converge the catholic martyr and the Yoruba pantheon male- showed her in a dream, music and lyric of this song in a radiant appearance which would open up all roads of life to her.

Perhaps, not other further creation, with the exception of Yo soy el punto Cubano , can better define Celina's aesthetics. She is an amazing result of a perfect mixture, the guajira-inflected son and the guajira in son style. And it's just in the sones montunos made by her, made for her or soaked by her with montuno tones, where Celina evinced her undoubted excellence. Her prodigious voice entwined to Reutilio's, gave the exact view of a strong seed of an art which, coming from other lands, refined itself in time and insular spaces.

The legend in the early 50's jumped from Cuba to other Caribbean countries. This fact explains why despite the partial darkening Celina suffered a decade later due to the concurrence of diverse factors –split up with Reutilio, promotional decline of country folklore in favor of the strong pop wave and the broken of institutional relations of the majority of the Latin American countries with Cuba-, the remembrance of her art remained in the popular memory of many countries.

The renovated intention of giving the right dimension to the musical exponents supporting the national identity's speech meant for Celina, since the middle of 70's, a repositioning in the artistic hierarchy. New generations started to discover her, now in the company of her son Lazaro Reutilio Domínguez. Their bright attendance at the Jornadas Cucalambeanas -annual event held in the oriental city of Las Tunas , aimed at promoting rural folklore- and in Palmas y Cañas TV program, their performances and recordings with famous son artists and more recent troubadours supported their unyielding kingdom.

In the world places where she left her traces, Celina reinforced her style. Among 1980 and 1998, Celina visited Colombia more than 30 times, executing sometimes long seasons. Any Caleño, Catagines, Paisa or Bogotano hearing about her will surely state: ''Celina is ours''. A good example of her close relation with this country is De mi cosecha CD (1994) which was hired by the popular Cromos Magazine for its distribution to inundate in a few weeks all regions of this South American country with 110 thousands copies.

Europe has surrendered under her art. There, she has been acclaimed in London -Peter Gabriel placed her as a star in one of the WOMAD Festivals and in the Albert Hall she is still remembered for her work along with the fascinating Colombian Totó La Momposina-, at French and Spanish cities -spotlight at festivities for the World Football France 98-, at German and Swedish cities -in Stockholm she was picked to head the Divas of the World Festival, 1998-, BBC and Radio Exterior from Spain have devoted special programs to her.

UNESCO acknowledged her with the Picasso Medal and in Occidental Africa she received a Gold Disk in 1991, delivered by the famous promoter Daniel Cuxac for the selling of her new and old recordings.

Celina is more than El Punto Cubano, she is the symbol of Cuban people.

Art with a Woman Name

In music are already emblematic creations with such names as: Cecilia, Mercedes, Yolanda, Bárbara, Cachita, Longina, Irene, Carola, Aurora and some others, identifying well known tunes evincing the beauty and feelings present in the inspiring women. At the same time, images of Rita, Amada, Lucía, Teresa, La Habanera or La Bella del Alhambra, traverse the world through the peerless Cuban movie poster.

Cuban letters boast among its gems intellectuals having international recognition such as Dulce María Loynaz, unique woman Cervantes Prize of Hispanoamerica or Ena Lucía Portela, young writer awarded in 1999 with Juan Rulfo Prize of Short Story and in 2002 with Jaén Prize of Novel. Among the worldwide jewels of dance underscores our Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso.

CUBADISCO 2005

Cubadisco, party of Cuban discography, to be held from May 21 to 28 in Havana city, will feature Japan as Honor Guest Country, country having a solid music industry, keeping strong links with Cuban and Caribbean music. It will allow a deeper knowledge about the traditions of the Japanese musical culture and will be the proper space for the celebration of both countries` mutual admiration, strengthening the insular feeling that draws Japan and the Caribbean near.

Cubadisco 2005 will honor the Woman in the Music, acknowledging such peerless personalities and artists as Celina González , María Teresa Linares, Omara Portuondo , Digna Guerra , Teresita Fernández and Martha Valdés among others.

It will include also a wide schedule featuring artistic galas, prizes and a commercial fair.

Happy Balance for Concert Music

Piano is reigning in Havana around these days during the celebration of the III Ignacio Cervantes Contest and Festival of Piano, which opened last March 9 with the outstanding performance of notable pianist Chucho Valdés, winner of four Grammy Prizes and nominee for the 2005 EGREM Prize for his ‘'Irakere 30 Años''.

The Piano Festival of Havana will be headed by the prestigious pianist and Master Víctor Rodríguez and is an important space for the promotion and consolidation of Cuban music at international level and without a doubt give pride to the large piano tradition of our country.

Amadeo Roldán Theater and the Basílica Menor from San Francisco de Asís Convent are the seats of this notable cultural event, sponsored by Oficina del Historiador de la Ciudad de la Habana (Office of the Historian of Havana City) and convoked by Culture Ministry, Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and the Cuban Institute of Music.

The internationally famous Master Frank Fernández is heading the jury of Cervantes Contest, integrated also by international luminaries such as Dal Missier and Scherbakov, the North American with Cuban origin Salomón Gadles Mikowsky and Victor Rodríguez himself.

This event is undoubtedly giving pride to our music giving a happy balance to concert music. Jury declared empty the first prize, acknowledging the performing quality of French Eliane Reyes and Cuban Madaris Morgan, giving them second and third prizes respectively. Both shared also the Prize to the Best Performing of the Obligatory Work, in this case a musical sheet of the famous Cuban composer Roberto Valera.

Madaris Morgan , together with the Colombian Mauricio Arias received honor as the Best Interpretation of Cuban Music.

Exhibits Con Visión de mujer is featuring with painting, photos, ceramics, carves in wood, textile collages and works in cera and glass, a reflection among creators taking as starting point the female image. This exhibit will be on view up to next April 15 at the Havana-based hotel Ambos Mundos in a singular proposal where painters Zaida del Río, Lesbia Vent Dumois, Alicia Leal and Isavel Gimeno, among other twelve artists, offer a view full of creativity about the female environment.

2005 EGREM Prizes, event organized by this major label of Cuban music born in 1964, gathering in its catalog about 350 records and 7 thousand master tapes from passive archives, will be delivered in seven categories and is featuring popular artists like Chucho Valdés with his Irakere 30 años and notable orchestras such as ''Charanga Habanera'' competing for the Top Seller Prize here in Cuba and abroad last year.

The José Antonio Fernández de Castro Prize of Cultural Journalism in its 7th edition was delivered for two professionals giving pride to literary promotion and critic: Fernando Rodríguez Sosa and Leonardo Padura Fuentes Jury was headed by Jaime Sarusky, 2004 National Prize of Literature.

Since last March 15, Víctor Hugo, author of Nuestra Señora de París and Los Miserables, one of the most notable French novelists and poets from XIX century, has its Havana-based house. At the Neo-classical entrance, a head of Víctor Hugo worked on ceramics welcomes the visitor; this is a work by sculptor and painter Leo D`Lazaro, well known for his sculpture of Sancho, inseparable friend of Don Quijote. The place is part of the restored works from Old Havana, which was declared by UNESCO as Patrimony of Humanity and will be a center of culture, knowledge and friendship.