2007 – February 11 Havana, Cuba – Video by Maida Withers, visitor from USA

Documentary Short (8:39)   Maida visited Havana during her stay in Santiago de Cuba studying the culture, especially the dance and music.  While there, she made this simple record of the sights and sounds on the streets of Havana, Cuba with her Sony mini-dv camera. Of course, this was during the time of alienation of the USA and Cuba.  Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba, was gravely ill on the day of this documentary, February 11, 2007. Americans were not, generally speaking, allowed to travel to Cuba at this time, but Maida went with a group of artists interested in the dance  with music (drumming) and vocals preserved and developed in Santiago de Cuba.  The country was generous and warm to me and struggling with the lack of international exchange to keep the country progressing in almost every way.  Our group of Americans were there with a Professor Jim Lepore, George Mason University  dance program.  Lepore took a small group to Cuba annually in conjunction with cultural dance and music in Santiego de Cuba.