Havana Hosts Fantastic Poland Cultural Week

The Fantastic Poland Cultural Week opened Monday in Havana with an illustration workshop, centering its program on writer Andrzej Sapkowski, author of The Witcher saga.

At the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís, the early music ensemble Aedas Música Antigua performed a concert featuring pieces inspired by the soundtracks of The Witcher video game series, developed by the Polish company CD Projekt RED. All arrangements were created by Reinaldo Ponce, director of the Cuban ensemble.

The concert also marked the premiere of a medieval flute built by Ponce based on an archaeological discovery in Elbląg, northern Poland. The cylindrical wind instrument dates from the 14th century, and comparable examples have survived within Europe’s early music traditions.

The repertoire included The White Wolf, Dance Among Shadows, Chant of Sihil, Zireael, Fortuitous Encounter, The Last Wish, Homecoming, When Wolves Sleep, The Boatman, and A Story Yet to Be Told.

Founded in 2023, Aedas Música Antigua is dedicated to promoting music, literature, and art from earlier centuries, with particular emphasis on the period spanning the 11th to the 16th centuries. The ensemble performs on reproductions of historical instruments, some of which have been crafted in Cuba by its own members.

According to a press release, the closing event on June 20 will include music, cosplay, a panel discussion, an exhibition, a raffle, the announcement of the winners of the first Andrzej Sapkowski literary competition, and audiovisual presentations.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez