The top pic is Crasher Squirrel and the Asturian Band! The photo of the gaitera is my friend Susana de la Cruz, and I love the last photo which she sent me!. She is in the centre with the rest of the Gaiteros de La Habana-, Arturo Miguel Perez, Marcel Nazabal, Abel Larrea and Alejandro Gispert, at the Celtic Colours Festival in 2008. They are young, energetic and part of the new generation of artists with whom lies the future of celtic music in Cuba. Fiddler Chrissy Crowley noted in her article in CelticLife Magazine "...in parallel with the music scene of my native Nova Scotia, traditional music is enjoying a resurgence thanks to the interest of Cuba’s younger generation". I've also read on the internet about a documentary Los Últimos Gaiteros de La Habana "The Last Pipers of Havana" and it has parallels to the Canadian CBC documentary "The Vanishing Cape Breton Fiddler" which caused a strong reaction and was the impetus in the formation of the Cape Breton Fiddlers Association , its mandate to preserve the culture of Cape Breton music and mentor the younger generation has proved to be an outstanding success. Travel writer Rolf Potts notes in his article in the UK's Guardian newspaper "I discovered that bagpipes are the passion of wicked-smart twentysomething Havana University graduates with a love of music ." In Cuba and Cape Breton it is cool to be Celtic if you are young!
Hello everyone!! Is true, we enjoy a lot play celtic music!. Here in Havana we are members of a bagpipe band. We have in Cuba essentially two societies with bagpipe band, Galician and Asturian. Arturo M. Pérez is our leader, and Alejandro Gispert is the leader of the Galician group. Besides, we have other spanish societies that work in preserving the traditions of each region, like Balearic Islands, Zamora, Cataluña, Cantabria, Canary Islands, etc...We are waiting with great joy to the first festival of Celtic music in Cuba, and I think this will be a great opportunity to showcase our work and know the work of other musicians from the rest of the world. Thank you Lisa for your work and account with us because we are eager to help, work hard, and prepare for this event so valuable for us.
ReplyDeleteMe encantaría participar del Festival 2010.
ReplyDeleteUn saludo desde Argentina,
Any Adrover, cntante celta.
http://ainne2005.tripod.com
Hola soy musica de irlanda y me gustaria saber mas sobre el festival. Cuando es? Tengo ganas de ir me! Saludos de Irlanda!
ReplyDeleteHola Roisin,
ReplyDeleteIf you have a facbook account we have a CeltFest Cuba page there. The festival is April 6-14 in Havana Cuba. Many artists are staying at the Tropicoco Hotel which is an all-inclusive with free shuttle to Havana. We haven't posted a complete schedule interary yet as we are still working out some details! My email is rosinyourbow(at)gmail.com
First of all, thanks a lot for your message on my foodie and music post. Secondly, this is the first I hear of a Celtic music project in Cuba and of course, I am amazed!
ReplyDeleteWhen I tell people here that it would not surprise me if a Cuban singer was to release a CD of covers of Johnny Cash's songs, my interlocutors think I'm joking, but no, I am dead serious. There's no end to our creativity.
Please, keep me posted on the festival and if you want me to post anything about it, let me know. Unfortunately I won't be able to see it, this is not the year when I will be visiting my beloved island.
Take care,
Greetings from London.
Wow this is wonderful! I didn't know there was a Celtic movement in Havana. This music is great! I heard it many times in Manhattan parades. The bagpiper, Abel Larrea, is a good friend from my infancy in Cuba. Does anyone has a way to send an email to him or the group? I'm his old friend Nelson (corcel2000@yahoo.com) from Vibora Park, Roma street. I'm following the group in Facebook too. Great job!!
ReplyDelete