A musical journey, Cape Cod to Cuba

In Havana, melodies waft over deep economic crisis

To leave Cape Cod on a frozen night before sunrise and arrive in Havana, Cuba for a sunset dinner of rice and beans (with a mojito) is a physical and spiritual miracle, overcoming logistical hurtles, navigating political and psychological barriers.

How I got into embargoed Cuba is a story for another time, but suffice to say I was part of a group engaged in cultural outreach, bridging creative souls — difficult but (for now) still possible.

Cuban culture is renowned for many things but maybe most of all music, my journey’s focus.

While millions of Cubans mount a mass exodus, escaping an economic and existential vise clamped by US embargo on one side and corrupt Cuban government on the other, music wafts through the air.

Perched at the edge of Plaza Vieja, the old plaza downtown, “Cinqo Amigos,” five friends, hope to pry a few dollars from tourists, pesos from Cubans, as they invoke Havana:

Santeria is Cuba’s religion, many elements exported from Africa, embracing a colorful pantheon of deities that came to be associated with Catholic saints. Practitioners spill into the street:

A few blocks away, a woman’s voice echoes:

She is a vendor selling “mani,” peanuts:

Not all Havana’s music is traditional. A young troupe on a rooftop blows away a crowd:

Other young’uns at a Havana music school transform Camila Cabello’s hit “Havana (ooh na-na)” into a big band format:

Then a night when great players from New Orleans and Havana come together for a massive free concert in the heart of the city:

Given that this is “A Cape Cod Voice,” it would be fair to wonder why these poignant vignettes belong here.

My only answer: Because I want to share them with this community.

And this sampling only scratches the surface, like a needle on vinyl. More to come when you least expect it — A Cape Cod Voice just might again incarnate as “Una Voz de Cape Cod.”

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