As Cuba remains in the news, it seems that now is an excellent opportunity to introduce some of the people I encountered during my recent trip. It is easy to meet people in Cuba, particularly in the remote areas we visited. There, in the eastern part of the island, the locals do not see as many tourists as in Havana (and very few American ones) but when they see new faces they like to engage. We were asked where we were from an average of 20 times a day. The usual guesses were France, Germany, or Canada, probably based on the fact that many of the tourists who visit Cuba are from these countries. After hearing the answer, “Estados Unidos”, the reaction was one of surprise, with people first looking at us as if they were seeing ghosts, then gently touching us as if to see if we were real. In many cases, this was followed by a hug or kisses on the cheeks and an invitation for coffee at their nearby home. There many of our hosts would show old photos of themselves and their relatives, particularly of the ones living in the US. After all, we may have met them back home, we were often told.
These people will stay with me not just because I have photographed them and can look at their images but also because I spent time chatting with them and hearing about their lives. Let me share a few things about some of them. They should be easily recognizable in the images below.
There is Angel, who used to be a performer and is now a visual artist. Angel was happy to perform a classic Cuban song for us in his small studio, full of paints, wire, and beads he collects for his art. There is Julio, who lives in a small house (which consists of one room) and has built himself a unique roof deck. Julio has loud music playing all day so he can hear it from his high perch if needed. There is Bartola, who is 81 years old and is learning to sew from her young friend Permaida, who is 73. I don’t know whether she is a talented student, but she surely is a delightful one. There is Walterio, who works as a gravedigger at the local cemetery. He wears his straw hat with indisputable elegance. And there are the 82 years old twins, Juan (in a bright orange jacket) and Juana. And many others…
Not surprisingly, one hears a lot of beautiful music in Cuba. Everyone is serenaded by professional musicians and families who enjoy singing and making music together, like Rene Rudolfo and his granddaughter Samai. The other pastime that seems to be popular among all Cubans is playing dominoes. Every day we stumbled on groups of domino players, young and old, mostly men but a few women as well. This is almost as common as young boys playing football (soccer) in the streets.
Meet some of my Cuban friends,
France
13 Responses
This is so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Tania. I really wish you had been with us.
Bravo, France, on another beautiful series. You capture such intimacy with your images. They leave me wanting to know more about these peoples’ lives and how one gets a yellow Adirondack chair on the roof!
Thanks Barbara. As for the chair on the roof, people in Cuba have learned to be amazingly creative. I guess one has to be when the resources are so limited. One other thing that amazed me is the fact that they have these incredible urban gardens. Everybody is growing something and it is all organic. We could learn from them on that front. I hope we do. All the best, France
Every photograph a gem. Thank you. Cuba seeps itself into the list of future destinations with a gentle insistence.
Alison
Thank you Alison. You and Don would enjoy Cuba for sure. Happy Australia Day.
Beautiful and quite peaceful to view
Funny how some of the building pic reminds me of Greece ..in colour .
Really enjoying Cuba through your eyes.
Thank you Emilie. Cuba certainly has a European feel. I am really hoping to go back and see more of Cuba. I hope it gets easier to visit soon. France
Thanks so much for choosing to follow our blog. I hope you enjoy the ongoing stories of our journey.
Cheers, Alison
Dear Alison, I am sure I will. Kind regards, France
Great body of work, this time on Cuba. I plan to travel to Cuba next January — perfect time to escape Chicago. Your images are amazing — playing havoc with my patience. I hope Cuba won’t undergo too many changes before I get there, and at the same time I wish for quick improvements in the lives of the Cuban people.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you again Sara. Cuba is a great place to visit and photograph. You should not worry about it being much different next January as long as you go outside Havana. It will be a great trip. France
[…] among many others. Somehow the fact that I was in Cuba exactly a year ago (A New Day In Cuba, Making Friends in Cuba) makes this particularly upsetting to me as I met people from some of the villages I visited at […]