Cuba is...
- Written by Susana Guerrero Fuentes
- Published in Opinion
- Hits: 5630
The history books narrate that on October 20, 1868, the plaza of the city of Bayamo was full of people; Perucho Figueredo, on his horse, began to sing the notes of La Bayamesa – today our National Anthem – and in the midst of the insurrection, the song was followed with fury by the people.
Neither Perucho nor the people of Bayamo could imagine that the event would mark a milestone in the development of Cuban identity and that more than 100 years later the date would be chosen to celebrate National Culture Day each year, as a symbol of the birth of the rebel nation and essence of the cultural evolution of the Island, which goes from its roots to the present.
Certainly, culture itself encompasses the abstract and the material; It cannot be defined only as artistic creation, but includes elements of human spirituality, geographical factors and social development.
Perhaps the most popular image of Cuban culture, especially from foreign perspectives, refers to rumba, rum, tobacco and coffee, the natural landscapes or the warmth of its people; For Cubans, on the other hand, it is more common to appeal to everyday life and the well-known analogy of “ajiaco”, since Cuba is, without a doubt, a little of everything.
It is the picaresque of humor, Silvio's song, Martí's verses and the domino table. It is also a casual conversation with your neighbor, the " rueda de casino" at any impromptu party; It's seeing the Strawberry and Chocolate film again on a Sunday and remembering a farewell...
Cuba is, in short, where a little calm and a lot of movement come together, the beautiful muse of the artists and the eternal love of the Cubans, wherever they are in the world.
