Brass Sounds and a Diverse Cultural Programme in Havana’s Historic Centre
Music, tributes to librarians, and a documentary celebrating natural heritage are among the main attractions scheduled for June in Havana’s Historic Centre, according to the Cultural Programme of the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana (OHCH).
On June 2, the Franco-Cuban ensemble Metales de la Resiliencia Cubana will perform in concert. Founded in Havana by Yassek Manzano and Víctor Belinda, the group will be joined by the brass section of the San Gerónimo Academy of Music, with pianist Rolando Luna appearing as a special guest. The performance, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Plaza del Cristo, aims to promote music, creativity, and interaction between artists and audiences.
The Cuban Librarians’ Week will take place from June 3 to 7. The event will be inaugurated by Dr. Grisel Terrón, Director of Heritage Assets, with opening remarks by Jacqueline Díaz Fuentes, Director of the Casa de los Árabes Museum, which will host the opening ceremony. During the event, valuable collections of books and issues of El Árabe magazine will be donated by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the Arab Union of Cuba, respectively.
This annual initiative, organised by the OHCH, commemorates the birth anniversary of Antonio Bachiller y Morales.
Focused on highlighting the multicultural character reflected in bibliographic collections, the event also forms part of the celebrations surrounding International Museum Day and the Festival of the Courtyards in the Historic Centre. Organised by the Sub-Directorate of Documentary Heritage, it seeks to promote dialogue, inclusion, and peace through cultural institutions in a context of increasing social polarisation. This year, the Ibn Khaldun Library at the Casa de los Árabes Museum will take centre stage as it celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its founding.
World Environment Day and a Book on Maestro Roberto Valera
On June 5, World Environment Day, residents living near the Napoleonic Museum, along with anyone wishing to contribute, will be able to participate in the Reciclatón, a recycling drive aimed at collecting the largest possible amount of recyclable materials for donation to the La Mina Cuba project. The initiative seeks to provide resources for children’s workshops.
The museum will also host a Book Adoption Fair, which promotes the reuse of second-hand books rather than their disposal and aims to bring literature closer to the public.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, June 11, Casa Vitier García will host the presentation of the book Roberto Valera. La Habana (1938). Piano Repertoire. According to the Cultural Programme, the Cuban Musical Heritage collection will unveil its ninth volume, dedicated to the complete piano works of the distinguished composer and educator. The publication brings together 71 pieces composed between 1962 and 2004, organised according to their level of technical difficulty.
Dr. Nadiesha Teresa Barceló Reina, Head of the Department of Musical Direction and Sound at the Faculty of Music of the University of the Arts (ISA), describes Roberto Valera as “a composer who teaches, a teacher who learns, a man who creates and founds.” According to the distinguished scholar, Maestro Valera is one of the essential voices of contemporary musical creation, transcending national borders to establish a presence on both the regional and international stages. She highlights his artistic and pedagogical contributions, noting that through the daily practice of his profession, he has passed on knowledge, sensitivity, and craftsmanship to generations of musicians.
Audiovisual arts will also have a place in the programme on June 22 at Casa Víctor Hugo with the premiere of the documentary Journey to Cabo Cave, part of the S.O.S. Rock Art series by filmmaker Carlos Andrés García Rodríguez. The event will also feature a photographic exhibition devoted to the archaeological site, commemorating the report on Cave Number One at Punta del Este by French geographer Charles Berchon in his book A Través de Cuba (Across Cuba), published in 1910. In June 1922, Fernando Ortiz famously described the site as the “Sistine Chapel of Cuban rock art.”
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
