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As you know, Cuba is the cradle of tropical
music. Music is the most salient feature
of Cuba's culture. Cuban music is a mixture
of African percussion and Spanish guitar.
Dancing is an important part of Cuban music.
So, if you love to dance and enjoy Latin
music, Cuba is the perfect place for you
to live.
Salsa is the best known and
most popular type of Cuban music. Mambo
and cha-cha-cha are older
forms of Cuban music that have become popular
throughout the world. No discussion of Cuban
music would be complete without mentioning
the most famous song to come out of Cuba-Guantanamera.
Many international singers have popularized
this song. Son is the local equivalent of
country music. Celia Cruz, Xavier Cugart,
Pérez Prado and Desi Arnaz are just a few
of the excellent singers and musicians Cuba
has produced over the years.
Recently, jazz has become very popular.
Cuba has produced a string of fine international
jazz musicians. They are admired all over
the world for their virtuosity and creativity.
Sadly, most of Cuba's better jazz musicians
have left the country.
You don't have to go far to hear live music.
Musicians play every type of music all over
the country, from clubs to concerts and
even on street corners-music pervades the
air.
There are dozens of clubs which feature
dancers and musicians playing salsa
and congo rhythms. Cabarets
are found at the Capri Hotel in Vedado,
the Caribe in the Hotel Havana Libre
and the Cabaret Parisien at the Hotel
Nacional in Vedado.
There are discos at hotels and dance halls
where you can dance the night away if you
so desire. Discoteca Habana Club
(Hotel Comodoro), Habana Café (Hotel
Meliá Cohiba), the Ache at Cuba's new Hotel
Meliá Cohiba and the Palacio de Salsa
are the "in" places to dance and
are also fun. Arcos de Cristal next
to the Tropicana is another good bet. You
can also dance at Club Turquino at
the Havana Libre Hotel; the Discoteca
del Hotel Copacabana in the Miramar
district; Discoteca Habana Club in
the Hotel Comodoro in Miramar; El Elegante
Bar at the hotel Rivera in Vedado; La
Tasca Española at the Marina Hemingway;
Piano Bar Neptuno at the Hotel Neptuno
in Miramar; and Skiper video bar
at the Hotel Capri in Vedado district.
Good news! A Mexican company in a joint
venture was recently given the rights to
establish a Hard Rock Cafe franchise
in Havana. It is only a matter of time before
other trendy international chains come to
Cuba.
You can hear Latin music performed at La
Casa de Trova in Havana. Jazz enthusiasts
can hear live jazz at the Jazz Café
in Vedado, Café Turqino in the Habana
Libre Hotel, Hotel Riviera and 1830
Club. The annual Havana International
Jazz Festival is held in mid-February.
Before the Cuban Revolution, Havana was
the Las Vegas of the Caribbean because of
its great entertainment, night clubs and
musical reviews-some shows still exist.
The most famous night club act is still
found at the world famous outdoor Tropicana
Night Club Tel: (537) 0110. Performances
are held in the open air. The reviews and
costumes rival Las Vegas and the atmosphere
is unsurpassed. All big hotels have their
own cabarets and night clubs. Cabaret
Copa Room (Hotel Habana Riviera), Cabaret
Parsien (Hotel Nacional), the Cabaret
Nacional also offers excitement.
Most hotels and restaurants offer a variety
of exotic beverages. The Turquino Bar
at the Hotel Havana Libre has panoramic
views of the city. The Bodeguita del
Medio and the Floridita were
two favorite watering holes of Hemingway.
La Taberna del Galeon on the Plaza
de Armas is a good tourist bar. Along the
scenic Malecón you can drink at the
1830 bar or a couple of smaller establishments.
Carnival in Cuba is an old tradition dating
back several hundred years. This usually
takes place after the sugar harvest or zafra.
The best carnivals take place in Cuba's
two main cities of Havana and Santiago de
Cuba. Havana's carnival is held in mid-February
and lasts an entire week. The whole Malecón
area fills up with Cubans and foreigners.
Comparsas- a type of street dancing
or performance from a neighborhood-are part
of carnival and can be seen at different
times and locations during the year.
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