Category Archives: Cuba

Encuentro con Eduardo!

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Always when I go to Havana I visit Luyanó. It´s the “barrio” where I stayed on my very first trip to the city 1993.

Eduardo is the grandfather of the children in the family I lived with.

He invites you a glass of his home-made wine, and starts telling his story.

It´s more or less the same theme every time.. the Cuban history, the liberation from the Spanish colonialism and of course the revolution.

Eduardo has lived that history since the beginning of the last century!

Siempre cuando voy para La Habana, paso por Luyanó. Es el barrio donde
me quedé en mi primer viaje a la ciudad.

Eduardo es el abuelo de los niños de la casa donde yo viví.

Te invita un vaso de vino de la casa, y empieza a relatar su historia.

Es mas o menos el mismo tema cada vez.. La historia Cubana, la liberación
del colonialismo Español y por supuesto la revolución.

Eduardo ha vivido esa historia desde el comienzo del siglo pasado.

La Cubana!

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There she sat in the car at the beach east of Havana.
I could not resist. Lots of tempting ingredients. The sun was low,
the girl was pretty and the car had all that pre revolutionary patina
that one need for a nice Cuban cliché.

-Do you mind a picture? I asked.

-No but you have to hurry up, my husband is coming back in a moment
and he is very jealous!

Tonight in Gothenburg.. Manolito y su Trabuco!

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You see a lot of it in Havana. People practising their musical instruments in parks, the Malecon and other places, to avoid irritation from the neighbors.

I was passing by the harbor in Havana late 1993 when I saw this guy rehearsing with his trombone.
I took some pictures, he gave me his card and told me that they earlier that same year had formed a new band that played salsa, timba style.

Several years later there was a concert in Gothenburg/Sweden with a popular Cuban group called Manolito y su Trabuco.
For som reason (deeply hidden in the memory) I searched for that old card he once gave me… and yes, there it was: Manolito y su Trabuco les desea feliz Navidad y un prospero año nuevo…1993!

Brought the photo to the concert and went backstage to meet him. There he was, Juan Carlos (30kg bigger)  with his trombone.  I gave him the picture,  we had a laugh and a nice chat. He invited me to his place in Havana the next time I visited….  And I did, but that´s another story.

Manolito y su Trabuco started as a band 1993. Their first cd came 95. One of Cubas top 3 bands!!

Calle Melones, Luyanó

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Hector and Rodrigo. End of 1993.The brothers playing outside their house on calle Melones in Luyano. Havana, Cuba.
Hector now living in the USA. Rodrigo, despite that KO punch, is a renowned ballet dancer travelling around the world..

Parents must be proud!

Charcoal stack, Kolmila, Carbonero!

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  Somewhere between Viñales and Puerto Esperanza in Cuba 2008.

I asked the Charcoal burner if it wasn´t bad for his health to work in that smoke all day long?
No, he said. I have been doing this for 35 years and I´m perfectly okay!

The last period for this kind of charcoal production in Sweden was during world war two.

(click on photo for high res view)

Highlight of the day!

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  When in Santiago de Cuba, there is no particular reason to run around everywhere searching for the attractions.
Just park yourself in a street corner like these guys. Surely something will appear!

Chasing the pig!

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Every time when christmas and new year is approaching in Cuba you hear pigs screaming everywhere.
It is forbidden to slaughter cattle, so pork is one of the few options that remains!

In the (“el período especial”) ninetys, after the sovjetunion collapse and following deep crisis in Cuba there was even a dictate issued from highest authority, that the Cubans should keep pigs in their homes as emergency food.
Even in small apartments you could see persons feeding and nursing a couple of gigantic hogs .

This pig (above) made fierce resistance and tried to escape several times when transported to the slaughterers block..

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