In Cuba, we don’t have things,” says our guide Edilber, “we can only offer you experiences.” We are at the Rum Museum in Santiago De Cuba relishing a rum named after the eponymous city—Cuba’s second largest—and slowly puffing a Romeo & Julieta cigar. A band uplifts the mood with a rendition of “Guantanamera”, an anthem of sorts in this beatific Caribbean nation.
Edilber is indirectly referring to the decadeslong US trade blockade and the constant challenges Cubans face because of it. It means that walking into a mercado in Cuba you won’t find Coca Cola or even a packet of potato chips. Not that you need it when you can treat yourselves to a Cuba Libre (try Havana Club rum mixed with local cola), a pina colada or a daiquiri at Floridita, one of Hemingway’s favourite bars in Havana. Edilber though, is not entirely correct about Cuba lacking things for there were plenty to be found and desired at Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market, Havana’s haven for souvenir-hungry tourists, albeit with a giant floor devoted to its vibrant visual arts.
The impact of the sanctions is a constant reminder through the streets of different cities and towns in Cuba. The caiman-shaped country feels like it’s stuck in a time capsule, a period when less was more and where natural beauty remains unscathed. This isn’t nostalgia tripping over a colonial past. Cuba prides itself on its revolutionary zeal, which is evident by the generous scattering of statues and public art dedicated to its famed leaders - unsurprisingly Fidel Castro and Che Guevara
Cuban Blues
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 05, 2024 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 05, 2024 من India Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues