Tag Archives: Kuba bilder

Is Babalú Ayé listening?

Posted by hakanronnblad on

  At December 16–17 every year, thousands of Cubans of various religious beliefs make a pilgrimage to San Lazaro at Rincon in Santiago de las Vegas, some 30 km from Havana. They come to show penitence and pray for health and make other wishes.
Many crawl kilometers on their knees dragging stones as an extra proof of their devotion.
Some of the pilgrims worship  the orisha  Babalú Ayé,  “Father of the World”  the Santeria version of, San Lazaro.
This religios phenomenon is not seen with benevolent eyes from the Cuban government.
Plain clothes security police are heavily present.

My Cuban friend was taken apart and searched in a humiliating manner for walking with to foreigners active with cameras!

The Cuban religious passion, both santeria and catholic is growing as the revolutionary
enthusiasm has been going down for some time now!

Have a cigar!

Posted by hakanronnblad on

These are the tobacco leafs of Viñales and Pinar del Rio. Does not get any better than this! The quality of the Cohiba, Montecristo, and the Partagas cigars, all depend on the  meticulous work of men like this guajiro!

Viñales valley, Cuba.  (Click on Viñales tag to see more pictures)

Un litro de leche!

Posted by hakanronnblad on

At the end of 1993 I stayed in Luyano, Havana. It was the “período especial”. Several years of hardship for the Cubans.

This particular picture was a result of an hour or so waiting at the Calzada Luyano for something to turn up (it always does in Havana!)

I caught the attention of the father passing by with the daughter sleeping in the bicycle carriage just in time to make him stop and give me the chance to take some pictures.

It could have been a propaganda picture for the … government campaign at that time  “one liter of milk per day to each child”

2010. Seventeen years later I found the Facebook group “Solo gente de Luyano”
(Just for people from Luyano)

added the photo (also the one where you see the father) and the comments and additional information poured in!

Click tag Luyano to see more material from this part of Havana or just check this link

Daysi Rivas :    AYYYYYYYYYYY DIOS MIO HE VISTO ESTA FOTO MUCHAS VECES Y AHORA ES QUE ME DOY CUENTA QUE ES OMAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MI AMIGO DE TODA LA VIDA,………………. PERO ESTA FOTO TIENE UN MONTON DE AñOS, QUE SERA DE LA VIDA DE EL?????????????

Oh my God I have seen this photo many times and now I understand that it is Omar!!!!! my life long friend …. but this photo is very old, what has happened with his life?????

Rodrigo and Hector!

Posted by hakanronnblad on

  Playing in their house at Calle Melones 360. Havana, Cuba. 1993

Here´s another picture and more information of the brothers.
You can also click on tag Luyano to see more photos from the barrio

Jugando en su casa en Calle Melones 360. 1993.  Aqui otra foto y mas información de los hermanos.
Tambien puedes hacer un click en el “tag” Luyano

Mirror mirror on the wall!

Posted by hakanronnblad on

  This guy had a really hard time to let go of the mirror…

Walking down Porvenir street my left eye suddenly get a glimpse of an interesting hairdresser scene. Immediately an intensive negotiation process starts in my mind between the photographers ambition to achieve a good picture and my instinctive inhibition against sticking my camera under the noses of people I don’t know. The photographer wins the battle but a small sacrifice is needed…

I turn around, walk back and step into the hair salon asking.. can you cut my hair

Havana, Cuba 1996.  Click on the picture for full size view

The Noda Clan!

Posted by hakanronnblad on

  One day when walking around the Viñales valley in western part of Cuba, I met these guys. They did not say much but gave me a pineapple as a gift.
The three guajiros represent the male core of the Noda family. They work the land all day long and
when night falls they go home to their numerous family’s. Three houses in a row, very basic.  They are poor but generous. I have returned to the Nodas several times. I especially remember the day when Pedro (on the right side) took me fishing.

We where quite a few persons that set off for the adventure. Pedros wife, two daughters, a son some boyfriends etcetera.
Pedro as head of the family described extensively all the elaborate moves you need to apply to catch fish in that lake. The kids did not bother much.

After several kilometers walk we arrived.  With a serious look on his face Pedro stepped out in the water and began his quest for the first fish.
He struggled for an hour or more trying all the tricks in the book but NADA, nothing!

Meanwhile his twelve-year-old daughter started to pull up one fish after another.
She caught 11. Her father got nothing!!

Anyway.. Pedro is not the sulking type.  While we tasted the delicious fish prepared on open fire, he took charge of the entertainment by singing, with lots of feeling, a poem to “Mother”
Nice day indeed!