Heavy metal, death metal, hardcore, black metal, alternative rock, punk, symphonic rock, art rock ... all that is made in Cuba and still Mary Gattorno, director of the Cuban Rock Agency, says that marketing is the Achilles heel of this type of music production in the archipelago. With her, ​​who carries on her shoulders quite a few legends since when at the the end of the decade of 1980s she created El Patio de Maria, a kind of rock club in a House of Culture of Havana, OnCuba talked about "the numbers" that set the budget of a genre that is considered more underground than commercial. "Marketing is in the world of money and the space, which sometimes become difficult. The disc as source is almost imaginative, although it is what remains for life or introduction letter, is not a source of income for any artist in this country, I think, and hope I'm wrong. "To say 'I have an album or two', gives particular value to defend the work, but the pure marketing for us is the concert where the artist can charge. "That's one of the sources of income for the Agency, but it is difficult to organize...

Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, will arrive shortly in Cuba. The purpose of the visit, in his words, is to meet with Raul Castro to analyze the experiences for the development of bilateral relations and plan together their future development. That is what he said in the interview written to media in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba, countries to where he announced his official visit between July 17 and 23, following his participation in the VI BRICS Summit. He also specified that "the two parties should strengthen high-level contacts, share experiences of governance, accelerating steps of cooperation in priority sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure construction, energy and mining, tourism, renewable energy and biotechnology, strengthen cultural and local exchanges, as well as closer coordination at the multilateral level. " Days earlier, in a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry before departure of the president, it was specified that the meeting of the presidents will serve "to establish direction and develop a plan for China-Cuba relations from a strategic height and from a long-term perspective.” It is also notified that the President will visit Santiago de Cuba and documents will be signed "covering economics and trade, agriculture, biotechnology, culture, education...

Parachute jumpers from ten nations are competing from July 14-20 at the 11th Latin American Parachuting Championship and the First Friendship Parachuting Cup, both at the International Parachuting Center in Cuba, 140 kilometers to the east of Havana. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela. Russia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Qatar are some of the nations taking part in the event, as affirmed by Rolando Alfonso, president of this discipline in Matanzas province. The main purpose of these events is to set Cuban and Latin American records in this sport. In the modality of Individual and Team Landing Accuracy, the only modality in the competition, Cuba is represented by three male teams and one female team, while there are women from other nations contesting in the individual category. Trainings have been undertaken with an AN-2 aircraft (with capacity for ten passengers) and an MI-17 or MI-8(helicopterwith capacity for 20 passengers), available since the morning of July 14. The general regulations of the competition state that teams will be made up of 5 contestants and judges will take the best four records. The participants must comply with the safety requirements demanded by FAI for jumps with parachutes and sports gear will be checked by the...

The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba narrowed down the amount of imports to Cuba by natural citizens by any means, as per Resolution No. 206 of June 30th, according to the Granma newspaper. The regulation, which should come into force in September, states that customs authorities will confiscate the amounts exceeding the new limit if the amount of the import indicates the entrance of goods with commercial purposes. The rest will be dispatched with no obstacles. However, given the case that the commercial character of imports is determined due to “the reiterated import of a product, article or miscellany”, the authorities will confiscate it all, except for personal objects, which comprise one single article of each kind as long as it is not considered miscellany. The Customs also issued Resolution No. 208, which establishes the value of the articles in the category of miscellany and are not imported for commercialization dispatched by plain, sea or courier. This resolution replaces Resolution No. 122 of 2012 and sets the import value of one kilogram equals 20 Cuban convertible pesos (CUC). It maintains imports can only be made through dispatches up to 200 pesos; therefore, the maximum weight allowed through these...

Most of Cuba's foreign trade is with countries of America (55 percent), followed by Europe (27), Asia (15) and Africa, Middle East and Oceania (three), Ivonne Vertiz, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Investment Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) explained to twenty Guatemalan private entrepreneurs The main trading partners of Cuba, she said, are Venezuela, China, Spain, Canada, Brazil, Holland, Mexico, Italy and France because "It is a policy of the Cuban government to diversify our investments," she said in that country with which diplomatic relations were restored in 1998 and whose trade with the island for six years amounts to about $ 22 million annually. To representatives of the Agricultural Cooperative Federation of Coffee Producers of Guatemala, the National Association of Poultry Farmers, and of the chambers of commerce and industry, the official highlighted, according to the Cuban Embassy in Guatemala and Cuba Minrex website – the potential of the Special Zone Development Mariel (ZEDEM) once it comes into force this month, the Law 118 of Foreign Investment. The law includes a tax-exempt eight year period for investors and, exceptionally, for a longer period. After that time the tax is 15 percent and zero percent on...

Representatives from more than 50 countries and some 270 companies will meet in the Havana´s Convention Center and PABEXPO Exhibition grounds to participate in the first International Convention of the Cuban Industry, CubaIndustria 2014, confirmed the bulletin Business in Cuba, edited by Prensa Latina Agency (PL). Between June 23 and 27 of this month twelve congresses, several talks and two workshops will take place as part of a comprehensive program. Some 20 collateral visits were also organized to major production centers such as Dürer Caribbean (publishing), Confecciones Puntex, Eleka (electric and telephone cables), Antilla de Acero Steel, Cuban Medical Equipment Company and Suchel Camacho SA (perfumes and cosmetics) among others. The business rounds include entities such as Habana Modas or the Salón Internacional del mueble. Workshops on June 26-27 will have two themes: Medical Equipment and Economics Applied to Industry. Aspiration of this event to be held in alternate years, says in the call, is to become "the right space for the presentation of research and scientific-technical projects, the strengthening of technological partnerships between domestic and foreign industries, promotion of export items and the consolidation of national production. " The event will be attended by agencies, enterprises, institutions, universities and...

Underground The audio head, who has worked there for 12 years and is almost an expert on Mexican songs (the favorite songs of fighting cocks breeders), explains that in underground cockfights bets get to the highest amounts: “In these fights they take turkey cocks (mixed with other breeds and weighting more than 10 pounds), while here only fighting cocks can fight, as commanded by Commander Guillermo García Frías. We call underground fights “del sao” because they are illegal, there are no regulations nor professional judges nor police officers and there is always trouble but they are the competition because many people go there to gamble”. — How much are we talking about? — There are different bets, 4000, 5000 or 7000… — In Cuban pesos? — Yes, but there are no guarantees and that’s why trouble emerges when a fight doesn’t get to the end because both cocks are pretty hurt, do you understand? And that is fixed by any means possible. If people take it more or less seriously, and they had agreed 5000 then they get 10000. However, other bets are made and there is a head, an underground owner. — How do legal fights work? — There...

Our Sunday # selfie... cute afternoon! # Marcelyyo "says one of the images, while the other one where the large, expressive little eyes feel closer, has as caption:" The # selfie by Marcel! # Marcel and me. " Both photos are all over the network this week, just days before the baby's mother comes to sing to Cuba, the island where she was born 29 years ago and where she is known, especially among the young troubadours-for her talent, beauty and songs like Amargo pero dulce and Luna de vino tinto, widely publicized in the media in the country. After a long time without presenting on Thursday, June 19, at 10:00 pm, at the Cultural Center Bertolt Brecht, Diana Fuentes will present her Planeta planetario, her latest album, released by the Sony Music Latin label. The same was produced by her husband Eduardo Cabra, best known as Visitante of Calle 13. In an interview published in Suena Cubano earlier this year, she said: "For me it was a beautiful experience to share the work with my partner but I will not deny that I was surprised at the ability Eduardo has to separate the house and work. In the studio...

The “extension” of the public service of internet access in Cuba, known as Nauta, celebrated its first anniversary last June 4. Around this date last year, the national and international press announced the opening of 118 navigation rooms with more than 400 computers nationwide, and thepricesof this service shocked the population who had placed their hopes in the new offer by the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A (ETECSA by its acronym in Spanish). People were eager to stop asking for “favors” –paid, of course– to send an email and to finally get to know Facebook, a popular social network everyone talks about in other places of the world, or Twitter, which is frequently mentioned inTelesur. Searching the internet (with the possibility of hiring an international email account @nauta.cu)costs 4.50 CUC x 1 hour; searching the national web with an international email accountcosts1.50 CUC x 1 hour andsearching the national web costs 0.60 CUC x 1 hour. These are the current prices for the population whose average wage, according to some data provided by the National Statistics Office (ONE by its acronym in Spanish), is of about 500 Cuban pesos, namely, 20 convertible pesos (CUC). The high prices of these...

I had written a chronicle for my blog, nice and repetitive chronic, like the thousands that have been published on the Stone Zoo (they say it is unique in the world and unparalleled in Cuba) and it was stored on my flash to post it someday, a day in which I had no desire or themes to create something new. And then today, amid the stillness of Sundays in Facebook, when almost none of my fellow journalists are connected, the news appeared: Angel Iñigo Blanco Anaya died. In Guantánamo, where in its mountains he sculpted on limestone about 330 animals, the causes of his death are unknown yet. I suspect that he died “of old age," as the peasants say- they say that he was born on December 25, 1935 and he was 78 years old , which is not much , yet it is, especially when you have lived a lifetime in the field . Weird stuff biology and life have. 'Primitive', just like that, was how critics described him in his early peasant artist days and he, as usual, has said in interviews to journalists everywhere he did not care about that and just tells his story. He...

From Spain, Russia, Italy, China and Brazil have come some of the main proposals by about 15 investors interested in settling in Mariel’s Development Special Zone (ZEDM by its acronym in Spanish), in Cuba, mainly in the sectors of traditional industry, food and agriculture and biotechnology. These proposals are being analyzed by ZEDM’s Regulating Office, whose director, Ana Teresa Igarza, stated to the press during Havana’s International Construction Fair that “they are having some progress and we are developing continuous and personalized work so that future investors provide the documents as soon as possible”. She noted that before the “attempts” of investments in Mariel “they have grown” because the projection is that by the end of this semester a group of files will be ready for undergoing the necessary procedures. As published in ZEDM’s web, this Project, 45 kilometers to the west of Havana and with an extension of 465,4 Km², aims at attracting foreign investments, achieving industrial development that generates exports and replaces imports, fostering cutting edge transference, know-how and management skills, generating new sources of employment and financing, as well as developing infrastructure and services that allow offering an efficient and effective business platform. Hiring workforce Investors at...

Condoms are a frequent subject in Cuba, for better or worse. Year after year the eroticism of Caribbean people and the myths related to the use of condoms even in cooking (it is said that during the Special Period some sellers used it as cheese for their pizzas), turn this contraceptive method (and everything about it) into one of the “hottest” and “slippery” topics among the youngest. It also turns into a complex situation in bedrooms, homes, schools, parks and dark corners of the country when there are rumors out –like now—on its shortage in some centric pharmacies. This time, the issue emerged by the end of March, from the Western Congri blog when journalist Ariel Montenegro denounced by means of a pseudo report on its shortage. He entitled it the lack of condoms in some pharmacies in Havana and Matanzas provinces. This is how he put it with a provocative sense of humor: «A couple days ago, after an exhausting first round, I ran out of condoms and we were hungry. We went out looking for condoms and bread, and the only thing we got was heat. (…) Next day we travelled a considerable part of Vedado and we...

Cuban and foreign organisms, enterprises, universities and research centers as well as recently created cooperatives in the self-employment sector, all of them connected to the industrial sphere, will take part in the First International Convention on the Cuban Industry from June 23 through 27, organized by the Cuban Ministry of Industries. Havana’s Convention Center will be the venue of the event, which has also arranged an exhibit at PABEXPO showground for the exhibition and sale of industrial items. Cubaindustria, which will be held every two years, aims at becoming “the perfect space for sharing scientific and technical researches and projects, strengthening technological associations between national and international industries, promoting exports and consolidating national productions”, as reads the website of the event. The iron and steel, mechanic, light, chemical, electrical and recycling sectors are the main targets of this commercial event, which is also searching for new alliances with other sectors of the national economy. This event might as well become an exceptional scenario for assessing the business portfolio of the Cuban industry in contrast with foreign markets, as a result of the new Foreign Investment Law passed last March by the National Assembly. The following are the activities arranged within...

Foreign and Cuban pilots will take part from March 31 through April 6 in the Paragliding national championship in the mountain area of Puerto Boniato, in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba. The call for the event was launched by the Cuban Association of Free Flight (FCVL by its acronym in Spanish) and the Cuban Air Club (CAC also by its acronym in Spanish) with the aim of developing the competitive skills of Cuban pilots, who, in order to participate, must present a certificate confirming their membership in the FCVL and a reference of his instructor from the club they are associated to. Foreign participants must present a certificate issued by their regional federations and they must be, at least, in the P-3 category or its equivalent in their countries of origin. Prior to the competition all the contestants must be enrolled and have signed a declaration of responsibility. In addition, they must have their emergency parachutes installed and checked and must bring a digital camera and/or GPS with its corresponding cables for download and drivers if necessary. By the end of March, the participants must have paid through a money transfer or personal accreditation the enrollment fee...

The business of breed horses seems to be profitable in Cuba. Yet, is it a tradition in the country? When did the auction of horses begin? What’s the final destination of profits? According to a report from the organizers of the 5th Elite Auction of Jumping Horses,held at the National Equestrian Center in the Lenin Park in Havana, the event was a success and collected a total amount of 500 000 euros. Some 25 buyers arrived in Cuba from Mexico, Panama, Chile, Angola and Spain to participate in this auction, which was also attended by observers from Italian, Angolan, Chinese, Spanish, French and Hungarian enterprises. At the event, founded in 2010 and organized once a year, 33 Dutch Warmblood jumping horses were sold. The most expensive horses were: a colt by the name of Edelman, sold for 41 000 euros, and another colt by the name of Fumuto, sold for 40 000 euros. Both animals are thoroughbred and the offspring of horse-riding champions in Europe. The money collected in this project, sponsored by Flora and Fauna Enterprise, Alcona and Travel Agency Ecotur S.A. commercializing company, will be devoted to the National Genetic Program for Horses, horse therapy and preservation projects....

How is the music market, managed from Cuba, performing? What singers, rights heirs, publishers or owners receive higher profits? What are the highest grossing songs? - Of the more than 11,000 singers and owners of songs associated with you which is the highest-grossing today by copyrights?, I asked and the answer, in one of the offices of the Cuban Agency of Musical Copyright (ACDAM), headquartered in Havana, was immediate. -Israel Rojas and Osmani Spinoza are some, Leonel Elias Perna, Assistant Director of Operations told OnCuba. - And a third? ... I insisted. Decemer Bueno-he said-and-classics that never fall: Silvio, Pablo ... and Matamoros, because even though it is not on the radio he is constantly played by trios. Everybody knows that Lagrimas Negras and Son de la loma are always looked for. Leonel Elias Perna is a shrewd deputy, one of those skilled in doing math when you least expect it . On economics and business linked to the rights that generate the music and the performing arts in Cuba there are few Cubans as informed as him, especially of how well he knows the ropes in ACDAM, only entity on the island that protects the financial interests of authors,...

“There is a trend to the increase of foreign companies”, says engineer Leandris Lazo Nodarse, director of Events from the Agricultural Fairs Enterprise, while pointing out that this year the International Agricultural Fair (FIAGROP, by its acronym in Spanish), in Havana, inaugurated in 1933, has accomplished its main purpose. Its purpose is to promote opportunities for trade, the introduction of new firms, joint companies and other businesses for a market that is in constant development: the market for agriculture, stockbreeding and new technologies related to the agricultural and industrial progress of Cuba. In Rancho Boyeros, almost 20 kilometers from Havana city, in the midst of an unusual landscape marked by stockbreeders wearing large hats and spurs in their boots. All that added to the sound of hundreds of animals in exhibition, more than 400 cattle and about 100 horses, sheep, goats, pigs; as well as hundreds of fowls, little chickens no older than a day, rabbits, and about 20 buffalos. Some of these specimens will be auctioned after a show in which a female pig with its offspring have been sold for 25,000 Cuban pesos, as told by those who are regular participants at the fair year after year. Game...

The Cuban Telecommunications Company S.A. (ETECSA) published in its official website a note on the granting of new permits in the self-employment sector in Cuba, that of “telecommunication agents”. According to the company, which controls telecommunication services in the country, the purpose of these new agents will be “providing commercial information on the Company; selling and recharging prepaid phone cards for land lines, mobile and internet access; cashing phone bills and providing local and national and international long distance calls from the agent’s place (if they have activated that service)”. All those interested in becoming Telecommunication Agents –those who had previously worked as operators in Agent Centers– can present their applications until March 31stat ETECSA’s commercial units located in their chosen area. Unfortunately, for those who are not found of bureaucratic proceedings this implies asking for an “Application to work as Telecommunication Agent”, which will be presented at the Municipal Direction for Labor and Social Security in order to get the permit and then registering it at the National Tax Office (ONAT, by its acronym in Spanish), and finally going back to ETECSA to legalize the contract. Resolution No. 42 by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, published in...

It's December 17th, the day of San Lazaro, deity of the Christians who believe in resuscitations, or Babalu Aye (The King of Miracles), protector of the sick, for the followers of Afro-Cuban religions. Every year, thousands of Cubans and some foreigners walk into El Rincon, in Boyeros municipality, 30 kilometers southwest of Havana, to honor him, ask favors or thank for the health of someone you love to the holy white hair man, who wears rags, crutches, sores and is always surrounded by dogs. They say back in El Rincon where there was a hospital for leprosy patients, suffering associated with him according to several versions: one is based on the meaning of the name Lazarus in Hebrew means "God is my help" another referred to a history founded in Jerusalem in the sixteenth century sanatorium named like that and the third is linked to Lazarus resurrected by Jesus Christ and a fourth brings us to Babalu Aye. Babalu Aye is the most esoteric and exciting of all Lazarus ... The Yoruba legend perpetuates him as a arara king that because of his intense carnal desires and for ignoring the warnings and advice of the wise Orula picked all communicable...

The year opened with the upgrade of the Cuban migration policy and now, with just a little over a month left in the year, the Interests Section of Cuba in Washington was forced to announce limitations on family visits, and on academic, cultural, educational, scientific, sports exchanges... The announcement was made last Tuesday, November 26, the day that ' until further notice' slammed in the lives of people who planned to come to the island during the end of the year and still don’t have their papers ready. Only "humanitarian formalities ' and no ' issue of passports, visas, legalization of documents" ... A person who resides in the United States, via Facebook, tells me: " In this unfortunate situation caused by an absurd and outdated policy that the economic embargo unjustly imposed against the people of Cuba, I think the Cuban government should allow those most affected to enter Cuba with expired passports and give them the opportunity to renew them in the country. " Too bad the good wishes are not always possible. The end of the year, which is expected in Cuba as a boisterous party, and longed eagerly for family reunions, this time, will be a...

Among the visits of North American superstar Beyonce and now the famous South Korean actor and singer Yoon Sang Hyun, known in Cuba for his leading roles in dramas like ¨Queen of Housewives¨ and ¨My Fair Lady¨, any day we may find a Cuban in shock. We are not used to see media figures out of the TV bubble and wandering around the streets of the city but, as psychologist Calvin would say: we get used to what we like very quickly. Yoon Sang Hyun came to Cuba for six days. He arrived last Thursday invited by José Martí Cultural Society. The vice president of the institution, Adelaida Ramos Leal, told ACN that he was interested in learning about the work of the institution-represented in South Korea through a Marti club - and confirmed his attendance last Tuesday morning. According to Radio Rebelde, the artist expressed his desire to meet Cuba, after a Cuban artist’s delegation visited Seoul in mid-2013. "The butler Seo", as he is known by many of those who consumed ¨Queen of Housewives¨ by Havana Channel, will have a busy schedule in the Island. He already participated in a television program, and faces photo shoots and a...

The famous Korean actor and singer Yoon Sang Hyun is on a visit to Cuba since last Thursday, and was on Sunday at the opening of the South Korea Pavilion at the XXXI International Fair of Havana, FIHAV 2013. From the stand of Kotra (Korea Trade-Investement Promotion Agency), a business center in his country here, he told the media his views on the island, and said the key to the success of his plays is that "men and women are the same throughout the world "and" the romance and love.” Yoon Sang Hyun has become the image of Korean business in Cuba. Banners with his image adorn the pavilion where Pablo Ramos Garcia, a member of Kotra explained OnCuba the commercial aspirations of the Asian country in the Greater Antilles. "In the pavilion we have, from small to medium, six firms. It is Izon ( optometry ) , Zeaco (batteries ) , TPR ( steel products ), Global Green (equipment ) , Two Worlds ( textiles and beauty products ) and Sonmy (steel) . These businesses are the raison d'être of Kotra , which gives support to all of them. "In addition to these, we have Hunko , Samsung ,...

Cuba just inaugurated the third mineral water bottling plant in the country and the only one in its eastern region. Its name is Sierra Canasta and has been built in San Andrés town in the province of Guantanamo. The plant, with Italian technology and whose structures are subordinated to the Company of drinks and refreshments in Santiago de Cuba, was built as a result of the cooperation between the Cuban government and the Spanish Agency International Cooperation for Development (AECID). With a cost of about 260,000 euros, the industrial equipment includes: pre-treatment system to filter the liquid, bottle blow, the rinsing, filling and capping monobloc, automatic labeler machine that produces the packaging nylon. The raw materials used are of domestic origin. From Villa Clara arrive preforms and caps for the 600 milliliter bottle made ​​in Ernesto Che Guevara Military Industrial Company and adhesive labels are made by Geocuba. The nylon will be provided by the CIMEX and water is pumped from the well, according to González Morán. Meanwhile, the water bottles will be sold in a plastic container of 600 milliliters (ml) at a price similar to Ciego Montero water (500 ml) from Cienfuegos, bottling company that along Amaro, in...

During the first decade of the century, 15% of the total population living in Cuba lived in a province different from their birth. The figure has risen but Havana was and still is, the most popular migration destination on the Island First is the courage of leaving. You leave home, your parents, and the colleagues of the neighborhood; waive routines from the tiny town where you learned as a child to sing in school, hang around, kissing ... and as a teenager get into brawls at carnivals for a pitcher of inexpensive beer. You keep your heart in check and there you go, you go because in the same town you understood you didn’t have a future ... or at least not the one you were dreaming of. Then there is loneliness. You take the regular train, because you don’t have enough money for the plane, not even for the bus, and you begin to repent. Until you get to Havana and the city sucks you. Then nothing matters, not the absolute isolation to which you are reduced without friends, without family, without parents and with a rental, that if you don’t get stronger, it can take life away from...

Inside the Community   People have to cross two military checkpoints to access Caimanera, one of the most famous Cuban towns internationally because there is, since 1903, an American naval base. The military facility, also known as Gitmo, occupies 117.6 square kilometers of Guantanamo Bay, one of the largest in the world. Caimanera is bordered to the north by the province of Holguin and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by the Windward Passage and west to Santiago de Cuba. Its climate is semi-desert, very hot, because this is one of the country's regions closer to the Ecuator. Its vegetation is usually yellow, cut across by several rivers and salt deposits dominate the territory. This explains the success of the Cerro Guayaba and Frank País saltworks, the latter ranked as having the largest domestic production. Sometimes when there in the base are military exercises or a mine goes off, the sound is felt throughout Caimanera-so says the people there. Also you can see from the houses the fireworks that accompany the celebration of July 4, a U.S national holiday. Just over 11,000 people live in this town south of the eastern tip of...