Cuban Culture

Register to read the introduction… (everyculture.com) Of the total population, 50 percent are classified as mixed African and European, thirty-seven percent is classified as black or negro and one percent Chinese (everyculture.com). History tells African slaves were brought to Cuba and some have married their masters, which resulted to Cuban mulattos (cuban-culture.com). Other races have also come to Cuba in the past such as Russian, Chinese and European. Three dominant bloods are present in Cubans makeup: “First of these roots is that of the aborigine inhabitants; their ethnic contribution was reduced by the impact of the conquest and colonisation process. It is for this reason that the more significant roots in the Cuban nationality are Spanish and African. The first was the result of migration from the metropolis, which has been going on throughout our history more or less regularly. During the first centuries, after conquest, most groups came from Castile mainly from Southern of Spain. Later, massive migration arrived from Canary Islands, Galicia and Catalonia. More recently and during the last century Eastern European and Chinese immigrants have further enriched, what is, the unique racial mix that makes up Cuba today” (cuban-culture.com). Currently, there are five different ethnic groups in Cuba, they are: yoruba, mandingas, congos, carabalies, and bantu (cuban-culture.com). Cuban Music Undoubtedly, Cubans are musically involved and it is perhaps the single most factors that has a greater influence on their personalities. “It is said that the island's inhabitants speak singing, dance while walking and woo with a love song. Music has developed fast and strong.” (cuban-culture.com) The famous Habanera which is a rhythmic dance from the contradanza and the danza criolla. Manuel Saumell created the contradanzas, it is the tempo used in Habanera. With The bolero, the emergence of great composers begun, they were “Alberto Villalon and Sindo Garay, influenced by Pepe Sanchez (who wrote the first one "Tristezas", in 1883). Though the songs of the old trova were boleros, best composers were Orlando de la Rosa and Isolina Carrillo who left one of the most sublime gifts of all times, the bolero "Dos Gardenias".” (cuban-culture.com) Literature Havana is a living proof that literature in the past and even today is rich at Cuba. …show more content…
Walking down its streets, a tourist will find markets selling prized books aged over 100 years old. Famous poets have been numerous like Canarian Silvestre de Balboa at the Villa of Puerto Principe who wrote the famous "Mirror of Patience" in 1608. In the first half of the 18th century, Captain Don Santiago de Pita, El Principe Jardinero y Fingido Cloridano, was already being played in theatre. The first newspaper published on the island which was called Materialisation of Papel Periodico de La Habana was created on 1790 by the native bourgeoisie (cuban-culture.com). Cubans felt highly emotional while cultivating their agricultural lands with the poems written by Manuel de Zerqueiro (1760-1846) and Manuel Justo Ruvalcaba (1769-1805) and because of this, they were regarded as having the largest followers during the 18th century. In the 19th century, many great poets were born and this marked the strong foundation of poetry in the island. “Deep and beautiful lines as those of Julian del Casal, Placido, El Cucalambe, Juan Clemente Zenea, Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, Juana Borrero, Jose Jacinto Milanes, Luisa Perez de Zambrana, Jose Maria Heredia and Jose Marti, left a trail of such exquisite lyrical poetry that, despite romanticism, in some cases exceeded the limits of feelings to offer poems of complete commitment. Cirilo Villaverde wrote the first great novel Cecilia Valdez, in the 19th century, it is an essential gift. Other important novelists from this period are Ramon Meza and Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda.” (cuban-culture.com) At the turn of the 20th century, Cubans hailed the names of poets Jose Zacarias Tallet, Regino Pedroso, Emilio Ballagas, Regino Botti, Nicolas Guillen, Carilda Oliver, Heberto Padilla, Virgilio Piñera, Jose Lezama Lima, Roberto Fernandez Retamar, Gaston Baquero, Nancy Morejon, Anton Arrufat, Eliseo Diego (Juan Rulfo Prize for his life's work), Cintio Vitier, Fina Garcia Marruz, Mirta Aguirre, Pablo Armando Fernandez, Guillermo Rodriguez Rivera, Angel Augier and Dulce Maria Loynaz (Cervantes Prize, awarded by the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language) (cuban-culture.com). Paintings and Art The early fine arts in Cuba