Cuba Travel

Cuban artists have not had it easy, and Tomas Sanchez can tell you about his own struggles to live life as an artist in Cuba.  Although he left Cuba in the 1990s to live in Mexico, he still feels the effects of the Cuban government wherever he goes.

Once fired from a job as an art instructor because he practiced yoga and meditation, Sanchez also lived in Costa Rica but is now buying a place in Miami. He said that in Cuba, Cuban artists and others applying for jobs are asked whether they believe in God.  The right answer to get the job would be to say no.

Cuban artists have typically had it better than others, however, since they are more apt to be allowed to live abroad.  The Cuban government sometimes will ask for as much as 3/4 of their earnings, however.

He’s famous for his paintings of tropical scenes but he will have his first photography show this December.

July 3, 2009 – Confederation Park, Ottowa. The Chucho Valdés Quintet wowed the crowd at the 2009 Ottowa International Jazz Festival today. The weather had been rainy but miraculously the skies cleared just in time for the pianist and his quartet to wow the crowd with their island rythms. Chucho Valdés is a Grammy winner – five times over.

Vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdez and the rest of the group gained whooping admiration from the crowd as they built the intensity of their music. The played for about an hour and a half, and everyone forgot the rain, the mud, and everything else for that matter. It was all about Chucho Valdés, his group, and the fabulous Cuban music they shared with the audience. Encores and standing ovations followed, and the night was capped by a dueling set of gourd shakers. It was a spectacular show and a great night for fans of Cuban music.

This was a huge month in Jazz history, since Chucho Valdes has been missing from the scene for seven years…did he break a mirror?  He’s the Cuban ambassador of Latin jazz and one of the best pianists in the world.