Many in the United States may associate Cuba with vintage cars and memories of the Cold War, but Detroit Mercy students who travel there focus on making friends, honing their Spanish skills, mapping cultural assets and tracking how many UN sustainability goals Cuba has managed to accomplish despite six decades of embargo.
Music
Music plays an integral role in Cuban culture and boasts a long-standing tradition. Cuban musicians are renowned for their inventiveness and ability to combine various musical genres.
Cuba’s music is a unique synthesis of European, African and Indigenous influences that have created its unique style. This includes genres such as son, salsa, rumba, cha-cha-cha and mambo (Sublette, 2004).
Cuban music is often distinguished by the mixing of genres. This is often accomplished by incorporating elements from Latin jazz, funk and rock and roll into traditional styles such as son or rumba.
Son music, which originated in Cuba’s eastern region during the 19th century, is one of Cuba’s most beloved genres. This blend of Spanish and African musical elements is marked by its strong rhythmic pulse and emphasis on danceability.
Another popular genre is danzon, which was developed in the 1870s and blends classical music’s rondo form with orchestration as well as adding an African rhythm similar to that of cinquillo.
Danzon is a traditional Cuban music form that has had an immense impact on other genres of music around the world. This slow and formal dance requires partners to perform to music written in 2/4 time signature rhythm.
Danzon is typically performed by couples, though it can also be done solo. This slower-paced version of rumba is often danced in small groups for an intimate atmosphere.
Other styles of Cuban music include punto guajiro, a traditional guitar-based genre from the countryside that draws its inspiration from an African rhythm.
Food
Cuba’s cuisine is built upon staple foods like pork, chicken and rice that are cooked in various ways to produce dishes that are both flavorful and filling.
Tamales are an essential element of Cuban cuisine, consisting of corn-based balls filled with a flavorful seasoning and wrapped in fresh-ground corn leaves. When visiting Cuba, visitors must try these delectable treats served alongside mojo sauce – an irresistible accompaniment for anyone visiting the island.
Another popular dish you’ll find in many restaurants around Cuba is ropa vieja – shredded beef stewed in tomato sauce. Though originally created in Spain, this classic Cuban dish remains a popular option and can still be found served at most dinner tables today.
Ropa vieja is often served with yellow rice and a cold glass of beer. Though its exact origins remain uncertain, some believe that some of its original colonizers came from Spain and may have adapted this classic dish according to their recipe.
The country produces an array of delectable sweets and desserts. Huge slabs of sponge cake encrusted in meringues are popular at parties, as is tortica – a small round shortcake biscuit. Other treats include cocos or coquito – an irresistibly sweet confection composed of shredded coconut and brown sugar.
If you’re searching for the perfect beverage to accompany your meal, guarapo is a refreshing and delectable juice made by passing raw sugar cane through a machine and mixing with lime. This refreshing beverage is often sold roadside in rural parts of Mexico.
Cubans are renowned for their delicious ice cream. Coppelias in Havana offers the best with an extensive selection of flavours like guava, mango and papaya. Duro Frios – a refreshing fruit-and-water drink available everywhere in Cuba – rounds out this delightful experience.
Dance
Cuban culture is rich with dance and music, which serve to express joy and sensuality. Locals enjoy dancing at music venues or discos during the evening hours to let off steam.
Cuban dancing has evolved over centuries, with many styles developed before European settlers arrived. One such form is danzon, which originated in the late 1800s and remains an influential foundation of music and dance today in Cuba.
Danzon is a slow, elegant dance that is performed to music written in 2/4 time. It involves an introduction (four bars) and paseo (four bars), which repeat before a second melody begins. Partners do not dance during these sections but instead enter the dance floor at precisely the same moment: the fourth beat of bar four of the paseo with its distinctive percussion pattern that’s hard to miss.
Dance has become a beloved form of expression in Cuba, heavily influenced by different musical genres like rumba and son. It is frequently performed alongside salsa, an energetic form of dancing that originated there and is widely popular throughout Latin America.
Another popular style is kizomba, a sensual dance often performed to reggaeton music. There are several schools around Cuba where you can learn this dance form, so it’s worth taking some lessons before your trip.
Cuba boasts some stunning cabarets. These entertaining performances include scantily clad dancers and musicians in most towns. If you’re in Cuba during your vacation, be sure to check out one of these venues!
Politics
Cuba’s politics are controlled by the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Since 1960, they have had complete political power and reigned in Cuba. Unfortunately, the PCC has effectively excluded Cubans from genuine political participation, hindering opportunities for independent voices in arts, media, and other fields to engage in self-governed activities or exercise their rights.
The party’s control of state institutions and agencies allows it to silence dissenting voices, maintain political space, and suppress protest through intimidation or arbitrary arrests of activists and journalists who voice opposition to the regime. Furthermore, they use various tactics such as smear campaigns and travel restrictions in an effort to restrict freedom of assembly.
Therefore, many citizens who wish to voice their opinions to the government are required to do so privately. They tend to avoid discussing more sensitive political matters such as human rights or civil liberties and instead focus on economic worries and everyday hassles.
Cubans are governed by the National Assembly of the Republic (Assembly) and Council of Ministers, in addition to the Communist Party. Members of this body are elected through popular vote within their constituencies.
Municipal Assemblies in Cuba are elective and overseen by the Council of State; some non-party political organizations such as Committees for the Defense of Revolution (CDR) are popular in Cuban neighborhoods and help to monitor “counter-revolutionary” activity by monitoring social movements and reporting on political activities.
The government engages in widespread and systematic surveillance of dissident groups, employing tactics such as smear campaigns, travel restrictions, internet cuts, raids on homes and offices, arbitrary arrests, confiscation of working materials. Furthermore, members of dissident groups are subject to periodic interrogation.
History
Cuba’s history and culture are steeped in a diversity of influences, from European to Caribbean. The country has long been known as a cultural melting pot where different traditions come together, creating an intriguing blend.
Before Europeans settled in Cuba, it was home to an indigenous people known as Indocubans. These peaceful and docile people lived in harmony with nature until Diego Velazquez conquered them for Spain in 1510.
The indigenous population subsisted on a variety of crops such as maize, tobacco, yucca plants, cotton and sugarcane. They also raised cattle and domesticated animals for consumption.
After being conquered, the Indocubans put up a fierce resistance to Spanish invaders led by Hatuey. Unfortunately, this resistance ended in Hatuey’s death and Spanish occupation of the island.
Later, European immigrants and slaves brought their own music and dance styles to Cuba. Native forms such as areito and retambico were replaced with European songs, dances and musical forms.
Cubans became increasingly global and multi-ethnic during this time. They adopted religions from America, Europe and Africa with open arms.
The Catholic church remains an integral part of Cuban culture and religion, though its influence has waned over time as more Cubans look towards other religious practices like Santeria or Yoruba for spiritual guidance.
Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution of 1959, which marked a watershed moment in world history. Its lasting legacy continues to resonate today throughout Cuba and can be seen throughout every aspect of life there.