2023-07-27 13:40:00
It was not surprising that, among the spaces where art would erupt during the summer months, the so-called vulnerable neighborhoods were planned, for some time now under the gaze and attention of the cultural programmers in the municipalities of Artemisa.
It has become a common act for clowns, dancers, writers, booksellers, amateur artists, art instructors, groups of different formats and various types of artistic expressions to include performances in these neighborhoods among their monthly presentations. , materially disadvantaged, without a doubt, but where Cubans reside who, contrary to what is prejudiced, go out every day to work for their country in the sectors of Education, Health, Agriculture…
Companies such as Los Cuenteros and NC Dance have demonstrated this commitment, always ready to shine on the most demanding stages, in the most outstanding theaters in Cuba and abroad; but also capable of assuming, with equal seriousness and love, the challenge of venturing into secluded paths and taking their art to where many compatriots reside who rarely have access to the theater of an urban area or the nation’s capital.
The groups mentioned are just a couple of those involved in such a beautiful mission. We could also talk about our beloved Yawar, led by Rolando Méndez, who has usually opened his arms, since time immemorial, to host any performance, wherever the culture summons him, no matter how distant and rustic the stage in which his group will perform. .
About Yawar, precisely, I remember an anecdote, on a distant Saturday, when at the top of a hill, on the way to San Diego de Núñez, in Bahía Honda, he put on a tremendous concert in the doorway of a house and with unbeatable sound quality. . They proposed to perform as in any of the best plazas in Cuba, Mexico or Spain, and the Méndez band did so. The hill trembled to the beat of the son, the guaracha and the trova, and the locals enjoyed themselves to the full.
More than once I have referred to the prejudices that are usually expressed about the people residing in these neighborhoods, who are urged to improve as soon as possible, even if it is in small steps. It’s not fair to look at them cartoonishly. It is also not healthy to always associate them with whatever criminal act occurs, because people with deep human values live there, of which Cuban society should always feel proud.
Some of our greatest musical authors lived or died in this kind of neighborhood, such as the troubadour Manuel Corona or the excellent dancer Carlos Acosta, proof that it is necessary to have something more for them than a promise of change in the difficult environment, which should not be materialize for the Greek Kalends.
During the 3rd Danzapuentes 2023 International Meeting I was lucky enough to enjoy the function that, especially for the El Cerezo neighborhood, the organizers of this dance event prepared, with the choreographer and teacher Jonnie Martínez Nieves in front, and we saw how the entire neighborhood reacted excitedly before the performance of the dance companies of Cuba and Mexico, with the members of which he ended up dancing Criollo casino.
The highest rigor and scenic color prevailed in that gift. The same one that shone when they performed in all the rooms with air conditioning, imposing reflectors and comfortable seats.
The mark of Danzapuentes remained in El Cerezo and, without a doubt, perhaps the stimulus so that, right there, a boy or a girl would fall in love with the event and decide to become an artist, a being capable of understanding life from the miracle of beauty.
July and August imply movement, joy, warmth that flows from the body and soul, escorted by a smile. And they have the right to enjoy this miracle, with the help of art, all the places in Cuba, without distinction. In all neighborhoods, including vulnerable ones, they usually appreciate it as few are capable of imagining it.
#art #touches