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Investigate with Mario Conde
In 1989, the Cuban writer Leonardo Padura invented Inspector Mario Conde, a sort of double, born like him in 1955, which allows him, with each new investigation, to chronicle daily life in Cuba. Exciting, the most recent, published under the title The transparency of time, leads Mario Conde into the world of art and confronts him with a country fractured between the galloping misery and the extreme wealth of those who profit without scruple from the beginning of the opening of the country. Melancholy and disillusioned, the ex-detective, reconverted in the trade of old books, depicts the Havana of today “Like the mirror of a country whose pillars were also cracking, overcome by the weight of time, neglect and historical fatigue”.
Vibrate with the Buena Vista Social Club
A group of old Cubans (Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén Gonzáles…) discover New York with amazed eyes before performing on stage at Carnegie Hall. This documentary by Wim Wenders, released in 1998, chronicles the incredible comeback of big names in Cuban music from the 1930s to 1950s, some of whom are already 80 years old and over. Taken from their retirement by composer Ry Cooder (friend of Wenders), they recorded in 1996, under the name Buena Vista Social Club, an album that will move the whole planet to the rhythm of Chan chan and bring them a glory they had never known before. A lesson in music and patience.
Dress local and upcycled
Founded in 2015 in Havana by a collective of designers and artists, Clandestina is the first independent Cuban fashion brand sold internationally, through an e-commerce site. The label, based on the concept of upcycling, is inspired by the spirit of resourcefulness that reigns in Cuba. For Clandestina, the limited edition is not a marketing posture… The collections are born from the materials available, such as these Glorias Deportivas bags made from nylon bags of coffee, sugar and rice collected in the markets. The brand’s signature piece, the “Actually, I’m in Havana” t-shirt, inspired Zara in 2019, which caused a stir on social networks and ensured great promotion for the Cuban label.
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