Viernes, triente de Marzo
Well this is my first update since last Friday. The most significant thing is that Cheryl came in on Sunday and we have been experiencing Havana, via some of the things I know and then new stuff for both of us. To say it is good to have her here is an understatement. We have experienced some good music, from Bosch at the Havana Jazz Club and rumba in Callejon de Hamel last Sunday to more rumba at the UNEAC (calle diez y siete) on Wednesday and she heard changui yesterday while out with Alan.

We also did an open top bus tour of downtown Havana that was good and ended up at the Museo de La Revolucion, where we spent Wednesday morning. This museo chronicles Cuban history through the revolution of 1959. It is housed int he old presidential palace. If walls could talk....Beautiful, stately marble construction and clearly of the upper class rich folks who, from my perspective, perpetuated the European feudal system in Cuba - that's the reason they needed a revolution in 1959. The earlier ones of the late 1800's got rid of the Spain as a overseer and ended enslavement, but then the USA moved in acting in very similar imperialistic ways, which benefited the rich Cuban families who acted very much like the old Spanish lords they had vanquished. So the revolucion led by Fidel, Che, Haydee, Cienfuegos, Raul, etc. succeeded in 1959 in changing that...or at least a lot of it. No doubt that in the process a number of families and individuals had to make choices on whether go or stay in the post revolucion Cuba, and many families lost all they had when they decided to leave. Some benefits include one of the highest literacy rates in the world, an infant mortality rate that is one of the lowest in the world and free health care. But plenty of issues now, fifty years after the revolucion the average Cuban makes $17 per month and there are big issues of opportunity for careers for the youth...and one still cannot travel outside of Cuba without government approval.

On Monday, We visited the Colon cemetery (again for me as I had been there with the students). Spent more time and saw more of it with Cheryl. And was welcomed by an elderly lady who was glad to know we were from USA. This cemetery is something to see..no pun intended. Spacious and grand, with plenty of history there. The same day we walked up to calle diez y siete off the Paseo and went to a small park where there is a statue of John Lennon. Took some photos. Interesting that they have a statue of Lennon - where is the one for Duke or Louis or Aretha or Ella...oh well. Guess we should be glad that they at least recognized Lennon...I never have been a Beatles fan.

Yesterday I did a solo concert at Casa de Las Americas as a way to show our (Alan, students, Nu and me) appreciation for teh way they have embraced us for the last 3 months. The concert lasted about an hour in which I payed about 14 tunes - kind of a stream of consciousness thing that I had been working on for a couple of weeks. All worked well except the blues I did for Zenaida ( Zenaida's Azules). Just didn't hit it the way I wanted and should have. But all else was pretty much on the money. And the Casa folks really enjoyed it as did other invitees from the Cuban music community and Cheryl too.

This morning I went with the students to a briefing they asked me to set up with the US Interest section here. It is a 10 minute walk from Casa. We spent about 2 hours with some foreign service officers there. They explained their roles and the role of the US Interest in Cuba and then fielded questions from the students. It was an interesting experience to hear about our endeavors in a country where we are regarded as the enemy. Of course nothing clandestine was revealed but is is clear that there is little direct engagement between the US Interest and the Cuban government, but there is certainly some dialogue that happens via heads of states of other Latin American countries.

Cheryl was able to get a visit to a school via Caridad at Casa. This was arranged at the last minute as previous arrangements fell through with changes in Cuban upper governmental structure last week. Glad of that because that was a principal reason for her to come...along with seeing me. Will probably do another museo this afternoon and who knows what tonight - hopefully la musica. Cheryl leaves on Sunday so she will decide how to use the remaining time.

Next Thursday, we fly to Santiago for the weekend which is exciting for me as that was the beginning site of my first visit to Cuba 15 years ago. Alan found out that there is a music festival happening all weekend in Santiago so you know I am excited. Two weeks to go and then a king size bed. Adios mi amigos y la familia.