Cuba: The Five Most Interesting People I Met

I’d always dreamed of traveling to Cuba. This was a destination that had been off limits to most Americans for more than 50-years. And while as a travel journalist I could have theoretically applied to visit previously, but the obstacles had seemed greater than the effort when there were so many countries to visit. Still, I wanted to experience this forgotten Caribbean nation with such a major historical connection. So when the Obama administration loosened travel restrictions this year, and an opportunity to visit presented itself, I jumped on it, filling out the paperwork that same day. Soon after I was en-route to a once forbidden land just 230 miles off the south Florida coastline, an island I’d never thought I’d be able to visit.

It was an amazing trip with a few surprises. For instance, while seeing places like the home of Ernest Hemingway, drinking mojitos and driving along brightly colored cars along the malecon in cars from the 1950’s will always be vivid memories, it was the interesting people I met along the way that I will remember most.

Here are five of the most fascinating Cubans, people who have accomplished great things without the wealth and amenities found in the Western World, that I had the opportunity to meet on my travels.

Lorenzo Lopez

A visit with Lorenzo Lopez, an artist who recently returned to Cuba from Spain, provided a look at some of his work and a discussion of his vision for the future. An artist who works with recycled materials and whose vision is to repurpose hundreds of reclaimed industrial parts, Lopez’ work is all about turning trash into treasure. From Ugandan quills (his father is a doctor in the African nation) to bullet casings and broken coke bottles, nothing is off limits for his artistic creations. An artistic visionary, he is one of Cuba’s most inspiring artists du jour.

Roland Marcias

Roland Marcias is another fascinating Cuban. And if history had unfolded differently he might be remembered as one of the best Major League Baseball players ever. He was offered, but turned down, a contract by the Cincinnati Reds in 1958. During that time he was a gifted 17-year-old pitcher, but was reluctant to leave Cuba and the mother and grandmother who had raised him — and he was concerned about reports of racism in the United States. He repeated this decision 10-years later, when the San Francisco Giants approached him. At that point, he worried if he left Cuba for the U.S. he would never be able to return to see his family, and his family would not be permitted to leave. His ties were too great. So again he sacrificed his career. Plus doing so did not stop him from playing and pitching in Cuba. His W-L record in the Cuban National League was 91-51, including 21 consecutive wins, and he was named the best pitcher in Cuba from 1969 to 1972. And although Marcias never made it to the U.S., he played for 11 seasons on the Cuban team and attended many international competitions. After retiring, Marcias became a pitching coach. First in Cuba, and then for another six years in Italy and two in Panama before returning to his home country to work as a technical adviser to Cuban provincial teams.

 

Gilberto Valaderes

Known locally as Gilberto Papita, Gilberto is another larger-than-life figure in Havana. A barber by trade, he first learned to cut hair in the military, then continued privately in civilian life. It was a dexterity challenge, since he is left-handed, but among many things not available in Cuba are left-handed scissors so Gilberto had to make do. As his name recognition knew, so did the gifts that poured in, and people gave him vintage barber chairs, tools and art. Today his shop resembles a museum, but he has never bought anything, nor has he sold the gifts adoring his private saloon.

As far as he knows, Gilberto was the first barber in Havana to obtain a government license to cut hair. He started his private salon with one chair, one mirror and a big head of hair on his head. Today he is bald, but has his own salon and better yet, a free school passing on his skills and his moral values of generosity and community to 50 youngsters. He was also instrumental in cleaning up and upgrading the street where his school, his salon/museum and a restaurant called Figaro are located.

Élé

Élé is a wonderful a cappella group that sings Cuban songs and other world melodies in perfect harmony and is another member of our Top 5 most amazing artistic Cubans. The group consists of four professional singers, one of each voice from soprano to baritone, plus a dancer who reminded me of a young Cuban Don Draper. Singers occasionally pick up other instruments (guitar, cimbals, little percussion things) while performing and create a truly unique sound. On Thursday nights the group can be heard at the Decorative Art Museum,

Angels of the Future

Another inspirational Cuban group is Angels of the Future, which is an inspiring Havana circus, dance, folklore and drama school for children between the ages of 7 and 17. The school, which is located in an abandoned movie theater, has 86 children enrolled currently under its self-taught director (his focus was clowning and juggling), many of which come from troubled families. That said they also have a track record for helping these youngsters move past their socioeconomic barriers to reach their goals of being circus performers, and 23 alums are now professional performers capable of performing Cirque du Soleil worthy acts! Still, the group needs more financial support, and facilities are rough and lacking in basic safety amenities like padding on floors.

 

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