Everything Old Is New Again!

 

Art in Callejón de Hamel. Note the use of painted bathtubs, used as benches in the exhibit.

 

Hello again, Blogonauts!

(I'm halfway home, with a layover in Charlotte, but let's get started by looking over our shoulders to February 15, the beginning of the Amateur Traveler group tour of Cuba.)

Our first day out began with a visit to the Callejón de Hamel, a center of Santería practice and art. Santería is an amalgam of African religions, Catholicism, and spiritism, an outgrowth of the importation of Africans to be slaves in the Caribbean.

This ersatz urban renewal project was spawned by Salvador Gonzáles Escalona (1948-2021), an artist and practitioner of Santería. He was determined not to be inhibited by the lack of available materials. The alley where he lived is filled creations made from discarded materials, often covered in enamel paint intended for cars. (He seemed particularly fond of turning discarded bathtubs & sinks into benches.)

 

A Santería altar. Each practitioner sets up their own altar,
and claims protection from one of the Santería deities.

Santería incorporates the Catholic saints to create essentially a polytheistic religion. (They believe that there is a supreme deity, but he's old and now is retired, leaving his children to take care of various parts of creation.)

Our guide was not shy in suggesting that Santería is both a religion and a business opportunity. The initiation process takes a year, and requires many purchases. The color jewelry each practitioner wears shows which deity they rely on for protection. (In spite of the espousal of spiritual beliefs, most successful religions function as earth-bound businesses.)

The primary Santería deities

Santería jewelry

 

Everyday Cubans often consult with a Santería elder to learn how to ask the gods for help, and as Cubans and other Caribbeans have moved around the globe, Santería has come with them.

Some of Salvador's art

A cricket sculpture made of old piano parts

The next day we visited another, more secular neighborhood renewal, also instigated by a single artist, Jose Fuster. His mosaic art echoes much of the work of Barcelona's Antoni Gaudí.

Outdoor mosaics by Jose Fuster

 

"Fusterlandia" is a whimsical layer cake of images, abstracts, and joy. When Fuster began decorating his own house, the neighbors asked to join in, and the work has expanded onto the façades of several blocks in this Havana suburb.

Some of the sights around Fusterlandia

 

So there's a colorful introduction to our Cuban tour. Our first day also included a ride around the city and along the seafront in vintage convertibles. The drivers were exceedingly proud of their cars, which have required monumental efforts to modify & maintain since the beginning of the US embargo 60 years ago.

 

Soon my flight will bring me back to Bradley and home. For now, lets bid adiós to Havana. But Cuba is big, and there is a lot more to come, so stay tuned!

Blog to you later!