CUBAN TRANSITIONS

In their text concerning Cuba and tourism, Joseph L. Scarpaci and Armando H. Portela venture to discover “the magnetism of Cuba for the international tourist, regardless of the merits and detriments of the communist government” (114). As the text proceeds to explain, in spite of Cuba’s controlling and repressive government, it nevertheless draws a large […]

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The contrast between Mario Conde and Yoyi Pigeon in Leonardo Padura’s “Havana Fever” highlights the generational divide that arose with the onset of Cuba’s Special Period. Conde, who is almost 50 years-old, grew up at the height of the Revolution and was raised under the communist promise of a “shining future.” Pigeon, who is only […]

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Scholar Sujatha Fernandes points out an interesting dichotomy between Cuban hip hop and the state. The lyrics of this popular local genre often criticize and challenge state policies and norms, yet the state recognizes the popularity of this musical movement and successfully uses hip hop as a way to reach out to a younger generation […]

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Cuban Transitions: Cultural Transformations in the 21st Century In the aftermath of the Período Especial (Special Period), Cuba has undergone far-reaching change. This blog book looks from the inside out at the cultural and political manifestations of that change, which range from a new cultural openness to protocapitalist entreupreneurism, from alternative definitions ofCubanidad emerging from below, […]

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