Cultural life in Cuba is the most diverse and active in Latin America. Cuba has long been used for the expression of the culture of national identity. The country is extremely rich in talent. Cuban culture has Afro-Caribbean and Spanish roots: culture after the revolution in Cuba in the full sense of the word blossomed art.
Art both as a popular, high and classical plays an important role in the cultural life of Cuba. The Government recognized the need for training talents in their native soil, and the development of a diverse and lively cultural space. All kinds of Cuban art are very original; especially the music - in Cuba it has a rich tradition. One of the greatest achievements of the country's leadership is widespread and deep penetration of the popular forms of art into everyday life.
Culture of Cuba is a fusion of ethnic traditions, brought from around the world. In ancient times slaves mingled with their masters, established contemporary mulattos. Later, people from Russia, China and other European countries completed the formation of the modern image of Cuba. Nevertheless, Cuban people and their culture have three main root.
Firstly, it is the natives who inhabited the island before its conquest by the conquistadors. However, their influences on the formation of contemporary Cuban ethnos was not so great, because almost all of them were destroyed by the conquerors. But the Spaniards and Africans became the basis of modern Cuba. The first migrated from the metropolis in different periods of history. In the first century after the conquest of Cuba, in the main, they were residents of southern Spain. Later, there were mass migrations from the Canary Islands, Galicia and Catalonia. Later immigrants from Eastern Europe and China completed the formation of a unique nation, which is the modern Cuba.
African roots have had a tremendous influence on the formation of Cuban culture. Originally brought to the island the slaves came from five different ethnic groups (Yoruba, the Mandingo, Congo, Bantu and krabalis). Working together on the plantations, carriers of different African traditions created a new cultural community. As mentioned above, before the abolition of slavery, the process of mixing the slaves and their white masters gradually began, which led to the formation of new people and a new culture that is different from its origins (Pérez).
National music and ritual dances of Africa were brought to Cuba by the slaves. Over time, all this mixed with Spanish melodies and spread across America (in the 1920s). Rumba became popular in the United States, jazz music with drums, which plays a major part orchestras and jazz bands). Rules dance conga-line invented by slaves.
Plastic distinctive dance - the dancer's task is to simulate human movements in chains. But mostly Cuban dances are related to the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion. Today's son is considered as the most popular melody in Cuban, it was born in the mountains of Oriente. Traditionally, it is performed simultaneously on guitar and come from the music dream (son). Benny Moré together with Pérez Prado are considered the main important performers of Cuban music. Evolution of Cuban music has not stopped, and in our time in Cuba there are many talented composers, composing good music. One of the famous writers of Cuba is José Martí, whose life, ideas and martyr's death made him a national hero.
The arts were also inspired by the historical events of the nation. One can see its influence in the works of Cuban writers, poets, playwritings and other people of the arts. There is a great number of famous artists from Cuba.
Among other well-known Cuban writers are such celebrities as Vilaverde and Cirilo de la Paz (1812-1894), Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980), Nicolas Guillen (1902-1989) and Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929). Among the famous directors of Cuba are Tomas Gutierrez Alea (1928-1996), creator of the acclaimed film "Strawberry and Chocolate", and Humberto Solas, whose works also received worldwide recognition. Wilfredo Lam (1902-82) and Mariano Rodriguez (1912-1990) played an important role in the development of the artistic culture of Cuba, and Manuel Mendive (1944) is considered the most progressive of living artists in Cuba (Bravo).
The government began to actively support the arts after the revolution: they began to build theaters, museums, established art schools, composers identified salary. The Cuban cinematography was founded at the same time. The government had done everything to rid the population of North America influence by promoting Afro-Cuban culture and music.
Roman Catholicism was and remains the prime religion of Cuba. About 40% of the population of Cuba are Catholics, and only 4% professes Protestantism. Representatives of Afro-Cuban santeria religion hide that fact about the priority of Cubans in any way connected with this religious movement. The number of adherents of this sect has grown since 1992 when the government abolished the official denial of religion, atheism. In Cuba there was the imposition of Catholicism with African beliefs that led to the formation of the Afro-Catholic religion, where the main elements are the Catholic saints, raised to the rank of gods, which adherents of sacrifice (Roland).
Currently, Cuba is recognized as one of the world's cultural centers. Every year there are international exhibitions and symposiums. Writers, artists, poets and musicians from around the globe come here to forever remember the breath of Freedom, absorb intricately intertwined traditions of this wonderful people and then convey in their works these feelings to those who were not lucky enough to visit Cuba.
Works Cited
Pérez, L. On Becoming Cuban, Ch. 3. (1999).The University of North Carolina Press. Web. 08. Feb. 2016.
Bravo, E. Fidel Castro The Untold Story. (2001). Documentary. Web. 08. Feb. 2016.
Roland, K. Cuban Color in Tourism and La Lucha: An Ethnography of Racial Meanings (Issues of Globalization:Case Studies in Contemporary Anthropology). (2010). Web. 08. Feb. 2016.
