These photos were taken on a two week edcuational trip across Cuba, with stays in Eastern Cuba, Central Cuba, and Havana. Cuba is 780 miles long, the largest island in the Caribbean. The listed cities are mentioned in photo captions. Note the proximity of Eastern Cuba to Haiti and Havana to Miami. Movements of Haitians to Cuba produced a strong French influence in Cuban arts and architecture, especially along the Caribbean coast of Cuba. Easy travel between Miami and Havana has had strong cultural impacts on both Florida and Cuba.

Old Havana.

Castillo de San Pedro del Morro, the main fort defending the harbor at Santiago de Cuba.

Castillo de San Pedro del Morro, interior detail. Note thick walls and adzed floor boards.

Trinidad de Cuba, one of the original Spanish settlements in Cuba and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sad faced woman on a quiet street in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

A steep side-street in Trinidad de Cuba. This is one of the original Spanish settlements in Cuba. Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, many of the old houses are still privately owned residences. We visited one that the owners operate as a B & B.

Small shop and residence in Trinidad de Cuba.

Basílica Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre (National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Charity) built in 1926. Nuestra Señora de la Caridad is the Patron Saint of Cuba and plays a prominent role both in Cuban Catholicism and Santeria.

Portion of the basilica's altar with the enshrined figure of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre.

Inside the basilica. Among many others, Cuban sports figures have prayed for assistance from their Patron Saint, and, in return, have brought to the basilica sports medals, jerseys, baseballs, and other tokens of their success.

Hotel courtyard. Much of Cuba's older architecture comes from the Moorish buildings of Andalusia--southern Spain. Examples are central, sunlit courtyard patios, arches, extensive tile work, and wrought iron.

The courtyard-patio of the Diego Velazquez house in Santiago de Cuba, viewed through the Moorish-Andalusian style lattice work on the second story. This is thought to be the oldest extant house in Cuba.

Beautiful Andalusian-Moorish foyers with arched entryways into sunlit patios are common in Cuba. This one in Old Havana has been recently restored.

Motorcycle repair in the patio of an unrestored apartment building in Old Havana.

Restoration.

Window, Old Havana.

View of the Cathedral Plaza, Havana, Cuba, through the main entrance of the Cathedral.

Part of the library in Hemingway's house at Finca Vigia, Cuba.

Public housing in Santiago de Cuba with the wall of the Moncada Barracks in the foreground.

Restoration in Old Havana, Cuba. An interesting feature frequently seen in the restoration projects is to leave a patch of wall unfinished to show the underlying structure.

Monument to Antonio Maceo, hero of the Cuban War of Independence from Spain. ( Santiago de Cuba.)

Despite the elite Cuban prejudice against Afro-Cubans, Antonio Maceo quickly rose from the rank of private to brigadier general in the Cuban War of Independence from Spain. (This is the war known in the U.S. as the Spanish American War.) Maceo was known for his bravery, superior mastery of strategy, and ability to outmaneuver and vanquish the better armed Spanish army. After many victories, he died in battle. Alberto Lescay, sculptor.

Machete symbols at the Antonio Maceo monument, Santiago de Cuba.

Although the Cuban farmer-revolutionaries lacked the firearms of the Spanish, their improvised hand-guards on their machetes combined with Maceo's superior strategy allowed them to dominate the Spanish troops.

Pompadour dancers in Guantanamo, Cuba. Slave owners with their slaves fleeing the Haitian Revolution brought French drum dancing (Tumba Francesa) to eastern Cuba. These dancers are part of a group maintaining this tradition, and their efforts have received international recognition.
http://www.guantanamocity.org/en/culture/tumba-francesa.html

http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10384888/Viddal%20-%20Chap7%20MakingCaribDance.pdf?sequence=1

Pompadour French Drum dancer in motion, Guantanamo, Cuba.

Pompadour dancer--Tumba Francesa (Afro-Cuban-Haitian French drum dance) in Guantanamo, Cuba.

Pompadour drummers--Tumba Francesa.

Pompadour drummer--Tumba Francesa (Afro-Cuban-Haitian French drum). Guantanamo, Cuba.

Pompadour drummer.

Eduardo "Pipi" Goulet Lestapier, the famous traditional Changuicero (Changui singer and player). Changui music is a forerunner of modern salsa; it originated in eastern Cuba, but is popular throughout Cuba.

Playing Changui in Guantanamo, Cuba. Played like a large African thumb piano, this instrument is a basic element of Changui music. Not to be confused with the xylophone-type instrument, Changui players commonly call this instrument a marimba or marimbola.

Changui player Guantanamo, Cuba.

Changui dancing, Guantanamo, Cuba.

Salsa instructor and also a dancer in the Yoruba style Afro-Cuban group.

Afro-Cuban Yoruba dancers in eastern Cuba.

A member of the Yoruba Afro-Cuban group taking a break from the strenuous dancing on a hot, humid day.

Stars of the School Play.

Dancers resting outside their studio after an Afro-Cuban Yoruba dance performance in eastern Cuba.

Cuban singer at The Letters Project.

Advanced music student in the performing arts school.

Cuban runs on music, all kinds of music, not just the style of the Buena Vista Social Club that many Americans know. This student is playing classical guitar.

Accordion player at the studio of Marta Jimenez Perez.

Cuba has several ballet companies that are top-ranked internationally. The Director explained that part of their success is based on a unique Cuban style that takes advantage of their stronger dancers. We visited the campus of the company while they exercised, rehearsed, and prepared materials for performances.

The ballet company, Cuba.

Ballet company, Cuba.

Instructor at the ballet company, Cuba.

Set builder at a Cuban ballet company.

Set builder at a Cuban ballet company.