Cuba - Lonely Planet [88]
May
Cubadisco An annual get-together of foreign and Cuban record producers and companies, Cubadisco hosts music concerts, a trade fair at the Pabexpo conference center and a Grammy-style awards ceremony that encompasses every musical genre from chamber music to pop.
Festival Internacional de Poesía de La Habana An opportunity for poets from around the world to convene in Cuba as part of an international cultural exchange, this festival is organized by Uneac (Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba) and bivouacked in the Convento de San Francisco de Asís.
June
Festival Internacional ‘Boleros de Oro’ Organized by Uneac, the Boleros de Oro was created by Cuban composer and musicologist José Loyola Fernández in 1986 as a global celebration of this distinctive Cuban musical genre.
August
Carnaval de La Havana Parades, dancing, music, colorful costumes and striking effigies; Havana’s annual summer shindig might not be as famous as its more rootsy Santiago de Cuba counterpart, but the celebrations and processions along the Malecón leave plenty of other city carnivals in the shade.
Festival Internacional ‘Habana Hip-Hop’ Organized by the Asociación Hermanos Saíz (a youth arm of Uneac), the annual Havana Hip-Hop Festival – headquartered in the rough Havana suburb of Alamar – is a chance for the island’s young musical creators to improvise and swap ideas.
October
Festival Internacional de Ballet de La Habana Presided over by long-standing dance diva Alicia Alonso, the International Ballet Festival brings together dance companies, ballerinas and a mixed audience of foreigners and Cubans for a week of expositions, galas and classical and contemporary ballet.
November
Jazz Festival Intrinsically linked to Cuban jazz maestro Chucho Valdés, the International Jazz Festival has been around for nearly a quarter of a century. Staged in the Casa de las Américas, along with the Karl Marx, Mella and Amadeo Roldán theaters, the event draws in top figures from around the world for some truly memorable concerts.
December
Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano An internationally renowned film festival held in cinemas across Havana that illustrates Cuba’s growing influence in Latin American cinema worldwide. For more information, see www.habanafilmfestival.com.
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Many of Havana’s hotels are historic monuments in their own right. Worth a look, even if you’re not staying over, are the Hotel Sevilla and the Saratoga (located in in Centro Habana), the Raquel, the Hostal Condes de Villanueva and the Hotel Florida (all in Habana Vieja), and the iconic Hotel Nacional in Vedado.
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Habana Vieja
BUDGET
Casas Particulares
Noemi Moreno ( 862-3809; Cuba No 611 apt 2 btwn Luz & Santa Clara; r CUC$25-30) Two simple, clean rooms sharing a bath, Noemi’s got a great location behind the Santa Clara convent. If she’s full, apartments 1 and 4 also rent in the same building.
Casa de Pepe & Rafaela ( 862-9877; San Ignacio No 454 btwn Sol & Santa Clara; r CUC$30) One of Havana’s best: antiques and Moorish tiles throughout, two rooms with balconies and gorgeous new baths, excellent location and great hosts. The son also rents a charming colonial house at San Ignacio No 656 (same price).
Migdalia Carraballe ( 861-7352; Santa Clara No 164 btwn Cuba & San Ignacio; r CUC$30) Handily placed two blocks from Plaza Vieja, Migdalia has three rooms available but can only rent two at once. The two with balconies overlook the Santa Clara convent. Climb the staircase to the 1st floor.
Pablo Rodríguez ( 861-2111; pablo@sercomar.telemar.cu; Compostela No 532 btwn Brasil & Muralla; r CUC$30) Another lovely old colonial classic, this one with some original frescoes partially uncovered on the walls. It would be worth millions elsewhere, but here you can rent one of venerable Pablo’s two rooms with en-suite bath, fan and fridge for a giveaway CUC$30 per night.
Juan & Margarita ( 867-9592; Obispo No 522 apt 8 btwn Bernaza