day one in Havana Jan 30th

1/30 blog
sittin at gate g2 in Miami airport, concourse G Gulfstream, waiting for 1:30 flight to Havana. Decided to touch base with the music via I tunes on my laptop after listening to small talk of other passengers waiting. Started with Nascimento’s “Bridges” then to Trane and Bags for “Bebop” and now floating along with “Ole,” with Freddie and Eric and all the rest sounding like yesterday, today and tomorrow. We might have to bring this back for JCMC #32. Which just morphed into “De Donde Viene Usted” (Son montuno) by Groupo Rumores Campesinos. Ahhh, mi cuba.

Flight to Cuba is on 737 which is about 1/ 2 full. Takes 45 minutes and we land in Havana at Jose Marti airport. Brings back some memories of my first visit 15 years ago. As we go into the airport, I see a woman holding a sign with my name. I introduce myself and she moves me quickly through the customs and takes me to a VIP lounge where I stayed while they get my bags. I later learn that Casa de Las Americas and my colleague, Alan West Duran, arranged this. Casa is the institution that is hosting Alan and myself.

Once I get my bags, I am escorted out where I meet Alan and Felix. We load my bags and head into Havana. I forgot how big Havana is. Many signs celebrating the 50th anniversary of la revolucion. We arrive at Casa, which is in Vedado area of Havana, right off the Malecon. We are staying in a building right next to Casa – on 3rd floor where we each have our own room and share a bathroom. Clean and nice – noting fancy but very comfortable. Alan introduces me to Zenaida, and older Afro Cubana who lives here also and handles cooking, cleaning, etc.

After dropping my bags, Michael of Casa comes up and configures my laptop so I can have internet access. Then off with Alan to a tambor in which an initiate is joining via Ochun. We take a cab to what Alan says is one of the poorer neighborhoods of Havana (Key West) – all Black – and the drums and singing lead us to the tambor. Powerful stuff here, contemporary manifestations of old African religions – regal de ocha (Yoruba). 3 batas and singer plus 15- 20 members dancing and singing, in a house right on the street. There is an altar to Ochun, with food offerings all around it. Her color is yellow. We are there for about 2 hours during which time the initiate, a young Afro-Cuban man, goes through the initiation, including becoming Ochun, being dressed as her, and dancing and greeting participants. Powerful stuff, with various drum patterns and incantations, accompanied by group dancing and call and response singing. Organic, functional beliefs from long ago that are still manifesting in contemporary times.

I meet Alan’s padrino and madrina – he joined the religion in summer of 07. Also 7 of the Northeastern students are there, observing and learning. After the tambor, we go his madrina’s home, where he calls a cab and we then head to old Havana to hear young trumpet player names Mnzano who Alan says studied with Wynton. They are performing in galllery area of hotel where Hemmingway stayed…can’t remember name – will get better as I become more familiar. All young musicians and Manzano has some Wyntonsims for sure in his command of the trumpet and flugelhorn. Quintet plus singer and even tap dancers who do a rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In.

After this we take cab back to our residence where Zenaida has prepared dinner. It is about 9pm when we get back. What a full day – hit the ground running. I set p time to talk with Cheryl via Skype at 10 pm but is it not working right down here…what a drag. I will ask Casa folks to check it out tomorrow.
Hit the sack around midnight, listening to the sounds of wind and rain off the Malecon – which is a long boulevard right next to the Atlantic Ocean.

Gonna work on my espanol tomorrow with the Rosetta stone – thanks Samira – and look into getting some tutoring also. Also tomorrow is Alan's 56th birthday.