Dividing the festival in two phases was the solution its organizers found amid the difficult situation unleashed by Covid-19 worldwide.

Not to cancel the traditional festival in December, it was decided to hold an exhibition festival, from Dec.3 to 13, which has screened in this capital nearly 100 contemporary and high-quality audiovisual works.

The Latin America in Perspective and International Contemporary Panorama sections overfilled 23 y 12, Riviera, Yara, La Rampa and Acapulco movie theaters, of this capital, for ten days, where strict health measures were complied with and –to protect the audience- operated with reduced capacity.

The films screened in December were from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia, among other countries.

The second stage, film contest as such, will take place March 11 through 21, 2021, also including lectures, theme presentations and discussion and a debate on the Latin American youth film making.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

Fifteen shows by eight Cuban companies and seven from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Martinique, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, were presented in theaters in the capital, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, and Matanzas.

Both the visiting groups and the local ones performed their most recent stagings, and spectators could appreciate the plurality of discourses and themes being presented currently around the region.

In the words of Vivian Martínez Tabares, Mayo Teatral artistic director, a good portion of the pieces arriving this time “address controversial and pressing issues, of decisive relevance. This is theater for an uncomfortable time, always revealing.”

The outstanding critic explained how the Casa managed to attract “once again, a group of companies with varied artistic proposals, rigorous in their formal elaboration, and connected organically to social problems of their respective contexts, with proven experience in confronting spectators, and which thanks to their artistic rigor, are references in terms of high quality aesthetics and the diversity that results from the numerous expressive tendencies that characterize the region’s scene.”

Referring to the selection of Cuban participants, she insisted that the same principles and high expectations apply, stating, “We attempt to cover a broad spectrum of performance expressions, styles, and genres, and that groupings of proven experience and new groups coexist – tradition and experimentation.”

COMPANIES AND PERFORMANCES

Appreciated was the presence, after a ten-year absence, of actor and clown Hernán Gené (son of the eminent Argentine director Juan Carlos Gené), who brought to Cuba his Mutis, a one-man show based on the texts of William Shakespeare, which became one of the festival’s major attractions.

Two other one-actor performances were also noteworthy: from Martinique, Histeria, by artist Annabel Guèrèdrat, and from the Bolivian company LATEscena, Animales domésticos, by actor Piti Campos Villanueva.

Mateluna, from the Chilean company of the same name, staged and directed by Guillermo Calderón, is a testimonial, self-referenced work on the life of the group, showing the process of creation of a performance. The play is focused on the social situation and the judicial process surrounding the release of a former guerilla Jorge Mateluna, victim of false evidence – which the company refutes and condemns.

With an attention-grabbing title and content, El Divino Narciso, directed by Raquel Araujo, was presented by the Mexican group Teatro de La Rendija. According to program notes, “We started with Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz to arrive at our own take, provoked by the reading of El Divino Narciso, reviewing her verses over and over again, on the basis of our concerns as women living in a Mexico in constant transformation.”

The Brazilian company Ói Nói Aquí Traveiz, brought the performance ¿Dónde? Acción no. 2, that emerged from Viudas, a novel by Chilean Ariel Dorfman. With the lead taken by Tania Farias, actress and group leader, the play provoked debate and refection on the nature of the military dictatorship in Brazil, in an act of theatrical resistance of explosive beauty.

The performance begins with the women standing in front of empty chairs, asking each other: Where are those who disappeared under the dictatorship? The question still floats in the air today, unanswered.

Hij@s de la Bernarda, from Tojunto, Puerto Rico, directed by Rosa Luisa Márquez, is a piece inspired by La casa de Bernarda Alba, by Federico García Lorca, and the creation of the masterful Boricua Gilda Navarra. It was the first work of theater/dance presented at the San Juan Museum of Contemporary Art, where tickets were bought with food and medicine for those impacted by Hurricane Maria. The show included theater, performance, flamenco, and experimental dance.

Cuban groups added to the diversity exhibited by the visiting companies. Argos Teatro re-staged Diez millones, written and directed by National Prize for Theater winner Carlos Celdrán, and Santiago de Cuba’s Theater Studio Macubá, Caballas, directed by Fátima Patterson, another National Prize winner.

Two works by Teatro de las Estaciones, from Matanzas, were selected: Cuatro and Retablillo de Don Cristóbal and Señá Rosita. Also from this city’s Teatro el Portazo, presented was CCPC, La República Light, while participating from Holguín was the Trébol Theater with Jacuzzi, script, staging, and lights by Yunior García.

Teatro de La Luna’s Raúl Martín re-staged the work scripted by Alberto Pedro, El banquete infinito, and from the Centro Promotor del Humor, included in the program was La Cita, written by Andrea Doimeadiós, and directed by Osvaldo Doimeadiós, in which two young actresses, Andrea Doimeadiós and Venecia Feria, demonstrated “feminine and intelligent humor … and essentially critical.”

WORKSHOPS

Alongside the programming in theaters, the event included workshops organized around the theme of “Process-result,” chosen for this 10th edition of the festival. Martínez Tabares reported that this thematic axis was selected given the importance of both the process of creating a piece and the results obtained, as a reflection of a company’s work.

She explained that the result is what we see on the stage, but now groups are invited to artistically deconstruct the work from a conceptual point of view – addressing the methodology they used, the priorities in technical terms, that is, the problems of creation.

Workshops were led by dramaturges Rosa Luisa Márquez (Brincos y saltos. El juego como disciplina teatral and Raquel Araujom, with actresses from Teatro de La Rendija (Palabra y sentido. Sobre el trabajo del actor y el verso en escena), and the Brazilian collective Ói Nóis Aquí Traveiz, (in charge of Teatro Calle, Vivencia con la Tribu de Atuadores)

Over the course of these ten seasons, Mayo Teatral has provided an opportunity for dialogue amongst Latin Americans and Caribbeans, a festival for Cuban audiences, which has been able to enjoy the artwork of the continent’s principal exponents, such as La Candelaria, Yuyachkani, Teatro de los Andes, Matacandelas, and Malayerba – in perhaps not the most recent, but high quality works, for sure.

Mayo Teatral continued this history in 2018 with attractive stagings, organized moreover in such a way that the interested spectator could see them all during one spring month.

(Granma)

Speaking with GI, the instrumentalist and pedagogue added: “Secondly, it allows the personalities who visit us, like the composer David del Puerto and the promoter Diego Martínez, to appreciate the importance of culture in Cuba, where it is not a luxury, but central to the development of the country.”

His analysis of the impact of the Festival and Contest went further. “It influences the musicians and the public, because learning to listen to high quality music means we are going to leave improved, as it imbues us with a thirst for perfection.”

When questioned as to whether the fact that we have an International Festival indicates that the guitar in Cuba is both nationally and internationally recognized,Ortega responded: “That’s right, it has an excellent position. Internationally we have our great teacher, Leo Brouwer, iconic all-time figure of the guitar culture. In my personal opinion, he is the greatest musician that Cuba has produced to this day.”

This guitar festival was created precisely by Brouwer, a composer, conductor and guitarist, back in the 1980s. After a long break, the event made an outstanding comeback this year.

THE CONTEST AND ITS PRIZES

As Ortega told Cuban composer Juan Piñera, “Young people with impressive talent performed.” The jury was presided by Jesús Ortega himself, and included Piñera and Cuban guitarist Marco Tamayo; the composer David del Puerto, president of the Andres Segovia International Classical Guitar Competition, and Diego Martínez, both from Spain; and German pedagogue Karl Heinz.

There were a total of 16 participants from Poland, Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Costa Rica and Cuba, who during three rounds, held in the Semicircle of the National Museum of Fine Arts’ World Art building, and the theater of its Cuban Art building, had to perform baroque, Cuban, Latin American, virtuoso, and sonata pieces.

During the awards ceremony held in the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theater, the jury revealed that it had awarded the Second Prize and the Isaac Nicola Award to Carlos Miguel Ledea, a student of Cuba’s Higher Institute of the Arts, who received, among other rewards, a guitar specially built by the luthier David Chávez.

The first prize was shared between Spain’s Javier García Verdugo (a graduate of the Madrid Royal Conservatory and the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, currently undertaking a Master’s degree at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Mozarteum Salzburg); and the Romanian-German Mircea Stefan Gogoncea (with a resume that includes 165 awards and studies in Dusseldorf and the Royal Academy in London).

GISMONTI: HAPPY TO BE AT THIS FESTIVAL

Brazilian composer, pianist and guitarist Egberto Gismonti shared his happiness on attending the Festival with GI.

He used his ten-string guitar during the concert and explained: “It’s ten strings because I was originally a pianist. In guitar we need two hands for a sound, pressure and a capo. I was trained as a pianist, where each hand does a different thing, so I imagined that other chords would be perfect and I found a ten-string guitar. I started to practice and began changing the position of the strings, sharps with bass. The guitar is complex. Little by little I was transforming it, and it was also changing my way of playing the piano.”

All the pieces he played in the concert were his own compositions, with voice and piano added. “Each piece of music of mine is supported by a story. Each record of the many I have recorded, 70 in total, has a name linked with something from Brazilian culture. I do not make music just because I like a combination of notes, I am a composer for movies (38 films), ballet (35 pieces), theater (30 pieces), and in those 70 albums I always have songs, with lyrics by great poets. At this point in my life, I come to a guitar festival and I include voice and piano. That’s just me.”

ROMERO: THE GUITAR LEADS YOU TO FIND YOUR SPIRIT

Pepe Romero gave his first concert at the age of seven alongside his father, Celedonio Romero, an important guitarist and his only teacher. Today he is recognized worldwide as one of the great virtuosos of the classical guitar.

His concert, in the Covarrubias Hall, saw him perform much of the best of his extensive repertoire. Thus it was possible to enjoy compositions by Ángel Barrios, Granado, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Fernando Sor, Joaquín Rodrigo, Joaquín Turina and his father Celedonio Romero.

Romero told GI that this Festival “is a marvel and it fills me with joy that maestro Ortega has resumed it, because Cuba and the guitar are very connected and here there are great talents.”

The Spaniard added, “The guitar is an instrument that is not only listened to, but felt when you touch it, embrace it, it vibrates in your arms and goes very deep, and nowadays thanks to the effort of so many great guitarists it occupies a central place in the music world.”

Asked about the current importance awarded the guitar in the cultural world, Romero noted: “More than importance, the guitar has a mission, because the guitar, as García Lorca said, is like a spider that weaves its web to capture sighs. In these times of so much confusion, of so many problems, of so much technology, digitalization, and such a busy life, the guitar is that peace and beautiful sound that enhances you and leads you to find yourself with your own spirit.”

The 15th Havana International Guitar Festival and Contest included seven concerts in the Basílica Menor del Convento de San Francisco de Asís and the Covarrubias Hall, with performances by Eliot Fisk of the U.S., the Brazilian Egberto Gismonti and Spain’s Pepe Romero, three global guitar stars; and by the Cubans Ariadna Cuellar, Eduardo and Galy Martín, Marco Tamayo, Ali Arango, the Dúo Concuerda, and the Nuestro Tiempo ensemble.

The program allowed audiences to enjoy works by Fernando Sor, Leo Brouwer, Manuel Ponce, Jesus Ortega, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Radamés Gnatalli, just to name a few. A beautiful event that concluded with the welcome announcement by maestro Jesus Ortega of the 16th edition, scheduled to take place in 2020.

(Granma)

The films to be premiered are ‘Au Revoir La-haut’ (See you Up there) by Albert Dupontel, ‘Un Beau Soleil Interieur’ (Let the Sunshine In) by Claire Denis, ‘La Melodie’ (Orchestra Class) by Rachid Hami, ‘The reunion’ by Martin Prouvost, ‘Jalouse’ (Jealous) by David Foenkinos and Stephane Foenkinos, ‘Patients’ by Grand Corp Malade and Mehdi Idir, and ‘L’Amant double’ (Double Lover) by Francois Ozon, amid other films.

According to organizer of the festival Antonio Mazon, the film ‘C’est la vie’ by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano will open the festival, which in Havana will be attended by a large delegation of French directors and actors/actresses from France to present the works.

Amid those invited are well-known actor Pierre Richard, as well as Jean-Paul Rouve and Kad Merad, actress Audrey Dana, director Claire Denis, producer Olivier Delbosc, and directors David Foekinos and Mehdi Idir.

Mazon highlighted that two restored classic films will be screened (‘Pierrot le fou’ and ‘Le mepris’) by French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard, one of the most influential directors of the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) of French cinema.

He also highlighted a documentary on the Lumiere brothers and another film called ‘Voyage a travers le cinema francais’ (My Journey Through French Cinema), in which director Bertrand Tavernier makes a hypnotic journey through the history of French cinema.

The films will be screened in cinemas in the capital city and 11 provinces of the country as well.

(Prensa Latina)

This is an extremely attractive part of the Festival, and along with the visit to the plantations, it illustrates the attendees in the most complicated and beautiful processes of this Cuban product.

The visitors talk in the industries with quality cigar heads, cigar rollers and workers who can provide ideas as accurate as possible about this island’s world-famous agro-industry.

Some experts explained opportunely this journalist that a deepening in the history and architecture related to the Cuban tobacco appeared linked to the tobacco factories in this capital.

Researcher Lourdes Domínguez, from the Office of the Historian of Havana, analyzed in her works the oldest history of tobacco.

Expect Carlos Venegas, of the Juan Marinello Cultural Center in Cuba, marked Havana as the city of the tobacco, first with the manufacture of snuff and later rolled cigars.

The tobacco factories were rebuilt from 1773 to 1778 and the milled tobacco was replaced by the rolled one in late 18th century.

As of 1840, the big tobacco factories raise, in this capital usually with two plants, with 600 or 1,000 workers.

This time, the delegates to the Festival can learn some details of the current situation of the tobacco factory production.

(Prensa Latina)

These meetings take place at the Havana’s Conference Center, where many people are even trained on how to roll a Cuban cigar, by the country’s leading cigar rollers.

The keynote speech on how to roll a cigar is this time in charge of expert Miguel Bárzaga, who illustrates a ‘Figurado’.

Historian Eduardo Torres will also speak on the trajectory of this industry, and researcher Eumelio Espinoza in terms of genetic improvement.

Today’s activities also include today the matching between Habano cigars and Torres Spanish wines, in which participants expect to appreciate the enhancement of these products.

Cuban tobacco has a distinctive brand, almost since its beginnings: the best handmade cigar in the world. Then, the category has an undeniable name Denomination of Origin: Habanos.

All these elements are on the table during the International Seminar, where attendees get in touch, at first hand, with the most renowned specialists in the different matters of cigars.

(Prensa Latina)

Since the first edition of the festival in 1999, every year during the last week of February, Havana becomes the globe’s cigar capital.

The event is attended by a wide variety of participants, from lovers of this unique product; industry professionals such as distributors and specialist retailers; international figures from the worlds of culture, gastronomy, film, fashion and sports; to collectors and luxury consumers, all of whom share a single passion: Cuban cigars.

The 20th Habano Festival is scheduled to take place from February 26 through March 2, which in addition to celebrating the best premium, hand-rolled cigars in the world, will also see participants learn more about the secrets of one of the island’s oldest and most treasured traditions.

Surprises, new offers, and launches of exclusive vitolas; as well as pairings with some of the best products in the world which also boast the title of protected designation of origin, will all feature during the event, about which Granma International spoke with Inocente Núñez Blanco (INB) of Cuba and Luis Sánchez-Harguindey (LSH) from Spain, representatives of Habanos S.A, event sponsor and leading distributor of Cuban cigars worldwide.
Over almost two decades of festivals, what has been the event’s key contribution for Cuba and a product like Cuban cigars?

INB: The contribution has been very positive for various reasons. Business has steadily grown over recent years and we have gained new consumers.

Our distribution network has expanded year after year, as such Cuban cigars are now present in over 165 markets (countries), with the exception of the United States (due to the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba).

Our marketing strategy undertaken over the years, in addition to the festivals, has helped to maintain the passion for Cuban cigars despite current international restrictions, which facilitate and regulate all promotional and consumption activities related to this product.
What new offers will be presented at this year’s festival and to what brand will the event be dedicated?

There will be lots of new offers because we want to highlight Habanos S.A.’s main brands during this 20th edition. This is why we will be dedicating nights to the famous Cohiba cigar brand with the presentation of the Robusto Reserva vitola, 2014 Harvest, as well as Partagás with its Maduro No.1, No.2 and No.3 lines.

We will also be launching Hoyo de Monterrey, Le Hoyo Rio Seco, and Vegueros Centrofinos cigars.

Other new offers that visitors will greatly appreciate during this event will be the launch of the 2018 Limited Edition Romeo y Julieta Tacos, Bolivar Soberano and H. Upmann Propios, among others.

There will also be a special cigar tasting with Torres brandies from Spain, and the first international Habanos World Challenge (HWC) contest.

(The aforementioned event will see contestant’s knowledge of cigars and different stages of its development – from agricultural and industrial processes to practical and demonstrative aspects – put to the test. Winners of qualifying rounds held in different countries will travel to Havana to participate in the final.)
Tell us a bit about Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz’s relationship with the festivals…

The first Habano Festival was held in 1999 and was honored with the presence of Fidel, who gave a speech after the auctioning of five precious wood humidors specially designed for the occasion and signed by him.

He also attended the second festival in 2000 and alongside him at his table was celebrated Colombian writer and Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Gabriel García Márquez. He attended the auction of six humidor made exclusively for the occasion and a set of two boxes of antique cigars, all signed by him. Funds raised in these auctions are donated in their entirety to Cuba’s National Public Health system.

Later on, the Comandante en Jefe’s interaction with figures who participated in these events had a notable influence on the impact of the festivals.

Nor can we forget that the Comandante en Jefe of the Cuban Revolution and his close collaborator and comrade in the struggle in the Sierra Maestra Celia Sánchez Manduley, who founded the prestigious Cohiba brand in 1966, the most famous in Habanos S.A’s catalogue, and distinguishing Cuba in any scenario, specialist or not, in the world of cigars.

It is precisely for these reasons and the fact that Fidel and Celia created it, that we are so meticulous and rigorous with this brand.
The benefit auction supporting the Cuban Public Healthcare system is an eagerly awaited event. After 19 festivals how much money has been raised?

The traditional auction is a highpoint for participants at the festival. Prestigious Cuban artists have made tasteful, creative and beautiful humidors which have been auctioned.

Over the last 19 habano festivals we have raised around 17.4 million USD for the Cuban public healthcare system.
Who are the artists this year that participated in creating the humidors for the upcoming auction and how many will be available to purchase?

LSH: With a product as prestigious as the Cuban cigar, we needed to have recognized artists creating the humidors, and Cuba has a long tradition of celebrated artisans and metalworkers.

As this is the 20th anniversary of the festival, we must up our efforts, which is why we are collaborating with highly regarded artists like José Roberto Fabelo Pérez, painter, sculptor, illustrator – who works with a range of different materials (wood, paper, fabric) – and one of Cuba’s most celebrated contemporary artists; or José Ernesto Aguilera, passionate about metalwork; as well as masterful artisans like Jorge Gil and Neury Alberto Santana. This year we are going to auction six humidors.

When exhibiting our products we always focus on our global brands; such is the case this year with our Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, H. Upmann y Hoyo de Monterrey collections.

However, another one: Rey del mundo will also be included in this edition of the festival. We do this sometimes because we want fans to become more familiar with other, lesser known but important brands, which we want to promote, and this is what we are hoping to do with Rey del mundo. So we will be auctioning six humidors with six global brands, as well as one featuring Rey del mundo cigars.
How many international participants are expected to attend?

The event is attended by lovers of Cuban cigar and industry figures from all countries. Participation in the festival usually ranges from between 1,500 to 2,000 people and we hope to see a similar number this year.

Various activities will be taking place over the course of the week, including seminars, a trade fair, and other activities which have been expanding year after year.

For this year’s festival we have about 85 expositors at the trade fair, with some countries participating for the first time, including Costa Rica, Bolivia and Colombia.

What we want to do with this year’s festival is expand cigar culture and make it more attractive to more people.

Our festival is the largest global event dedicated to premium cigars. We have an extensive distribution network with retail outlets in over 100 countries and highly knowledgeable distributors who also organize local events, which together with the Habano Festival, are some of the most renowned in the world.
How is Habanos S.A.’s catalogue structured?
Our catalogue is divided into two main sections; one which features our global brands of which there are six, like I mentioned before; and then we have another divided into brands according to value and volume, because our business is one based on value, however, we must also bear in mind those brands that we wish to feature in a more affordable price range.

So, our catalogue contains 27 brands and over 300 references, giving us a wide range with which to compete depending on the consumers’ price bracket and preference.
So the Cuban cigar business is doing well?

It is an ever improving business and one that continues to grow, as compared to others like the declining cigarette industry, which, in the world of cigars, is quite a statement.

Our counterparts, with an in-depth knowledge of one of Cuba’s most iconic and traditional products, agree that Cuban tobacco is universally renowned for its uniqueness.

According to Núñez Blanco, there have been attempts to imitate Cuban tobacco all of which have been unsuccessful, as this aromatic leaf belonging to the Solanaceae family, is born from the specific characteristics of Cuba’s climate, sun, soil, and the hard work and know-how of experienced tobacco producers and cigar makers, as well as the heritage of a country where habanos mean culture, tradition and cubanía.

ABOUT HABANOS

- In Cuba, the 1492 Spanish expedition commanded by Christopher Columbus saw tobacco for the first time in the New World. The Taino Indians rolled and burnt some mysterious leaves, which they called “Cohiba”, in a ceremony unknown to the Spaniards. From that starting point more than five hundred years ago, tobacco has been traded and planted throughout the world. Since its discovery, Tabaco Negro Cubano or Cuban Black Tobacco has been considered the best in the world.

- All Habanos are crafted “Totalmente a Mano” totally by hand using methods that were pioneered in Havana two centuries ago and remain virtually unchanged to this day.

- Habanos,S.A. was founded in 1994 and is a Cuban joint venture with capital owned 50%-50% by Cubatabaco, a Cuban Government company and Altadis, a Spanish company owned by Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, a British Tobacco Company. The company is the world leader in the commercialization of premium cigars, maintaining a presence in over 150 countries through its distribution network.

- Habanos,S.A has received Authorized Economic Operator status from the General Customs of the Republic of Cuba awarded to entities which guarantee reliability and security throughout their entire supply chain.

(Granma)