The hit Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club™ transports audiences to pre- and post-revolution Havana, Cuba, exploring the island nation’s rich legacy of music and the lives of musicians who make it. For Jhon Destrade, the show is a little touch of home. https://youtu.be/tK0dx4LaVN8?si=5TfR0IwlD9ETmSTp Destrade, a Tampa resident and principal dancer with Tampa City Ballet,... Continue Reading →
The Tampa-Cuba cultural connection There was a time not so long ago when Tampa belonged, in heart and mind, to Cuba. In late 19th century Ybor City and West Tampa, Cuban immigrants recreated their homeland, to the best of their ability, while they powered the burgeoning cigar-making industry. Cuban-flavored Spanish rippled through the factories as... Continue Reading →
By guest blogger, Marlowe Fairbanks Over the summer I traveled to Cuba for 16 days to study popular and folkloric dance. It was an extraordinary opportunity as an American artist, but especially as a dancer living in Tampa, given the status of dance in Cuba and the deep roots that bind Tampa and the island.... Continue Reading →