By Lidya Esther Ochoa.
Photos: Amauris Betancourt.

Monument to the meeting
of the Old and New World
in Bariay.
Poets, oral story tellers, dancers, singers, actors, visual art artists and specialists from eight countries celebrated in Holguin the 16th anniversary of the Iberia-American House and the 516th of Christopher Columbus's arrival in Bariay.
Friends from Mexico, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, Canada and the United States made up the first international artistic brigade and performed in several municipalities of the province of Holguin affected by Ike hurricane , such as Gibara, Rafael Freyre, Banes and Antilla.
An international voluntary work was carried out precisely at Bariay beach, the place where Christopher Columbus and his sailors had the first contact with Cuban aborigines.

Troubadour Fernando Cabreja, and the Spanish flamenco Company "De orilla a orilla" from Badalona, Spain, acted in Bariay's amphitheater, as well as Zenda, a Cuban music band.
At the closing ceremony Tatiana Zúñiga, director of the Iberia America House, brought to mind the physical disappearance of Commander Camilo Cienfuegos, and she also thanked the token of solidarity by friends from Latin America, Canada, The United States and Spain, that came to Holguín. She also made the call for people to take part in the Festival of the Iberia-American Culture next year.

Show a Bariay Indian Village museum.

Zenda music band. De orilla a orilla and Zenda played together.

Alexis Triana, rep from the Ministry of Culture thanked foreign solidarity.

Born Swine with Elephant Trunk

Text and photos: Amauris Betancourt
amauris@radioangulo.icrt.cu

A swine with an elephant trunk was born last Wednesday afternoon in Los Almacigos, a village from the municipality of Calixto Garcia, 31 km east from the city of Holguin.

The swine, last of the three born pigs, died ten minutes later while the others remain still alive.

Mireya Morales Rojas, the animal owner, came to Radio Angulo Digital to show the curiosity to the world.

Cuban Company of Spanish Ballet Performs in Holguin

Text and photos: Amauris Betancourt.

The movie- theatre Ismaelillo played host to two concerts over the last weekend by the Cuban Company of Spanish Ballet during the celebration of the Iberia-American Festival held in Holguin to bring material and artistic solidarity to Ike-hurricane affected communities.

The prestigious Ballet Company was founded back in 1987, sponsored then by Cuban Prima Ballerina Absoluta Alicia Alonso, as Group of Spanish Dancing, later known as Havana Spanish Ballet and eventually, by resolution of Cuban Ministry of Culture, as Cuban Company of Spanish Ballet in 2 000.

Directed nowadays by one of its former premier-dancer, Eduardo Veitía, the company confirmed its presence in Holguín to act, too, in places hit by Ike hurricane.

The Cuban Company of Spanish Ballet includes in its repertoire not only classical and pop flamenco but also a fusion as representative elements of worldwide trends in the genre and has been awarded many national and international prizes in its almost 12 years.

“The Fanthom”, its last work, caught the eye of theatre-goers in this Cuban north-eastern city of Holguin where there are also companies interested in the genre.

Iberia America in Cuba

Text and photos: Amauris Betancourt.

Spanish flamenco group

"De orilla a orilla".
Iberia America cares for Holguin, Cuba, not only in cultural solidarity. Artists coming from different parts of the world and Cuba arrive to celebrate the 16th birthday of the Iberian-American House and to offer art to communities affected by Ike hurricane.

D'Akokan, Folk group.
The gala on the eve, moderate and humble but highly sensitive, show our common forefathers’ culture.

This year a “Meeting for the Iberian American Solidarity with Cuba” what it was before, and it will be again next year, the “Fiesta of Iberian American Culture.”

Tatiana Zúñiga, Director of the Iberia- American House.

Codanza, prestigious dancing company in Cuba.

Actress Norma Arencibia.

Soloist Lucrecia Marín.

Classic Guitar Band from Eliecer Travieso.

De Orilla a orilla

Vocal en Serio, vocal group.
Trouvadoare Fernando Cabreja.

Cuban National Day of Culture

By Leandro Estupiñan.
Translation and photos: Amauris Betancourt.

Cuba celebrates officially on October 20 the National Day of Culture: the past, the identity, the virtues and defects, the seasoning of food, the Cuban way of speaking Spanish: our Culture.

Perucho Figueredo wrote then in Bayamo, 140 years ago, the lyrics of our National Anthem; and Muñoz Cedeño, of mixed racial ancestry, orchestrated it. It happened in 1868, amid the patriotic environment of those days in a town where inhabitants would not doubt to set fire to before yielding it to the Metropolis.

The eve in Holguin, the legendary Avilés Orchestra saw to perpetuating the date with a concert. Its existence, filled with a history threaded in the Cuban countryside, serves to realize how important it is to keep up, and to pay homage to, traditions.

On October 20, the afternoon was suitable to remember why solidarity is a pillar of the Island. At the El Alba Profesional Art School's gallery, students and art-goers attended a painting exhibit. "Estructura (Structures)", its title, belongs to the Ecuadorian, living in Mexico
now, Xavier Léon Borja.

Leon Borja believes in collective art. His works aimed for assistants to finish up what he had started. It happened thus: his sketches ended up painted by the ones attending as observers. He goes in for democratic art. Something like that exercise inspired in the psychoanalysis that
surrealists called "exquisite cadaver."

Holguin has a whimsical conception of culture, trapped between aboriginal reminiscences and that day when three caravels broke the virginity of our naïveté.

October 20 is a date filled with all those meanings. Every minute leaves behind the existence's scratch; and existence is also to sing an unending Anthem.

Oldest Latin-American Orchestra Celebrates 126th Anniversary

Text and photo: Amauris Betancourt.

Holguin, Cuba. – Oct 19, the Avilés orchestra, probably the oldest of its kind in the world too, celebrated its 126th anniversary with a concert in front of Manuel Dositeo Aguilera's culture house in the even of, and as a salutation to, the Day of Cuban Culture. Gaston Allen, the orchestra's director for almost 30 years, was complimented by Ricardo Ronda, the municipal director of culture, and by the people attending the concert as well as relatives from ex-members of the band. The Avilés sang hit parades from the past and present-day songs included in its repertoire, while the Nocturno cabaret dancing company acted in the introductory part of the concert.

The deceased Manuel de Jesús “Koko” Leyva was recalled for his fruitful staying in the band as director, arranger and composer for the Avilés with “Qué lástima” versioned started with a trumpet solo the way the unforgettable “Koko” used to do.

Jazz piano player Vic Vogel, shows solidarity with Ike Hurricane’s victims

Text and Photos: Amauris Betancourt.

The Canadian piano jazz player Vic Vogel, stands out among the best nowadays.

He flew earlier over to Cuba, Holguín, to offer solidarity with Ike hurricane’s victims and to pay back a debt with his friend, the interpreter Alfredo “Chiquitín” Morales who had played many times in Canada invited by Vogel.

The jazz language is universal and its existence comes out of a personal harmonious experience enriched by the world cultural wealth. Vic Vogel has it clear. He showed it in a very humble but convincing way at La Periquera History Museum in the city of Holguin.

Vogel, on behalf of Canadian artists, donated medications to the Vladimir Ilich Lenin hospital, and said there would be more contributions.

Vic Vogel, depicts the Canadian jazz heritage.

Jazz Singer Sophie Lapierre's voice seduced accompanied by Vogel at the piano. The bolero interpreter Alfredo "Chiquitín" Morales, played host to the concert, in the same way percussionist Jose angel Palomino, Bass player Tony Pérez, trumpetist Gastón Allen and guitarist Misael Pino.

Yesterday, a most versioned piece from Paul McCartney, was interpreted by Sophie and Chiquitín.

Vic Vogel, awarded with the Angelote Distintion, granted only to personalities of the national cultural scope and to solidarized visitors with the Island, stated: “… it is much more important for me than the Grammy, because I know it is given heartfelt”.

Vic Vogel, the Architect of Jazz of Montreal, announced that he will come back to Cuba with an Canadian artists's delegation for next May Pilgrimages.