© 2024 Maine Public | Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.
Maine Public's first cultural travel program explored Havana in March of 2017. Maine Public's CEO Mark Vogelzang and nearly 20 Mainers experienced Cuba together at a particularly exciting time as the U.S. had re-opened its embassy and cultural travel for Americans, and as the Cuban government and institutions were changing in response to the freedom of the Internet and the exit of their revolutionary heroes, Fidel and Raul Castro. The value of meeting and learning from the people of Cuba (and seeing first-hand their contradictions and challenges) allowed the entire group of public radio and television fans to understand substantially more about Cuba than the group knew prior to this travel experience.

Cuba - Entry Two

Monday in Havana was all about art and music...the morning began with a history/ political lecture by a former Cuban Ambassador to the European Union. The economic and political reality in Cuba is dominated by the US and the embargo (still called here the "blockade"), but it sparked questions and conversation.

Soon after we set out to learn about printmaking at the Taller experimental graphic cooperative, saw the religious iconography of the central Cathedral square, and plenty of examples of vibrant street art and music (...as well as playground sports).

Later in the day, a highlight was the jazz professor Alberto Faya and his ensemble in a private concert of retrospective survey of music in Cuba. Stellar musicianship with his son David on bass, and a 23 yr old pianist who wowed us with his virtuosity.

We're listening and learning and watching....