“Caballero de Paris” Havana, Cuba.

Vagabond, Intellectual, Artist, Philosopher,..? Certainly an ambassador for peace and goodwill, Senor Jose Maria Lopez Lledin, affectionately known as the “Caballero de Paris” still haunts the old Havana city streets that were his home. This legendary gentleman or “Parisian Knight”, has became such a loveable and famous character in Havana that he has been commemorated in statue form and visited by hundreds of tourists on a daily basis. A life size bronze statue has been positioned outside the San Francisco de Assisi church in the old colonial city and has become something of a tourist attraction and talking point

Stories abound regarding this gentleman vagabond and his title! How and why he received this nickname is a matter of conjecture and discussion as he did not have any family connections with France and was clearly not the holder of a royal title!

Cuban National Archive material suggests he arrived from Spain with other family members at the age of 14 in 1913, and died aged 85 in Havana in1985. At the time of his death his body was buried at the cemetery of Santiago de Las Vegas but has since been removed to the church of San Francisco de Assisi where his statue stands today.

He lived a relatively “normal” life in Havana, being employed in a variety of positions, among these, waiting at tables in Hotels such as Hotel Iglaterra and Telegrafo on Parque Central and possibly working in the offices of legal establishments. What event catalysed his opting for a vagabond life is not clear.  Some say that he was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and that his imprisonment experiences had such a profound effect upon his state of mind that when released he took to the streets. What is certain is, that post revolution, he became a familiar figure in the old city greeting and talking to everyone he met. He would talk to anyone and everyone and was always friendly and kind. He never used bad language and had an excellent command of the Spanish language which he spoke well, exhibiting a broad general knowledge of the world of literature, poetry, and history. He was famous for his story telling and he spoke in an eloquent, interesting and engaging manner. People said he made up stories, and maybe he did, but his stories were historic and anecdotal about Cuba and the world. Everyone wanted to talk to him, young and old and say he had a calm and very relaxed manner which people found compelling and attractive. People would see him writing and he always carried a portfolio full to overflowing with papers and magazine or newspaper articles about interesting subjects that he would talk about and show or give to people with home he conversed. It’s said that he liked to give flowers to ladies and feather quill pens which he made himself to children. Although he never himself married its believed he had two children.

His appearance was unique! Never mind the weather he wore a black suit, shirt and tie and proper shoes, always well presented but invariably very dirty. His hair was long and he had a goatee beard. His nails were said to be long and curling!!?

He frequented the Paseo de Prado and Parque Central,, Plaza de Armas, and other parts of the old city centre, sometimes he would be seen in central Havana and travelled on the buses. He was a familiar face to all who lived and worked in old Havana, and people today will recount with affection their meetings with him, how he spoke and how he dressed having made lasting impressions on them.

People would give him money and food although he never asked for anything.

At some point it was noticed by some persons in authority that his state of health was deterioration and he was taken to a hospital where he was placed under the care of a Dr Calzadilla a psychiatrist who has written about his case.

Since his death one of the bars in Obisbo has been named Café Paris and you can see one or two photos hanging there plus a drawing.

Havana still has its fair share of street vagabonds but no one quite as colourful or delightful as the Caballero de Paris.

Join us in Cuba on a tour this year and discover Havana for yourself
“A Cuban Snapshot” 7 days tour
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“Mi Cubita” 14 days in tour
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If you would like to read more about Obispo follow the link to our news post
https://encompasstours.com/2013/09/a-stroll-down-obispo-cuba/

If you happen to be walking down the streets of Havana and an open top car passes horn blaring with a young Cuban senorita “dressed to kill” sitting enthroned, you would be excused if you thought the young lady was a bride and this was part of a wedding cavalcade!

Look a bit closer. The young lady looks very young and where is the groom?
The truth is that there is no groom and this young lady is not getting married but celebrating her 15^th Birthday!! It’s a day she will have looked forward to all her life.

It’s a tradition which arrived in Cuba with the Spanish Conquistadores and was continued by the developing upper classes; these being the rich land owners who considered themselves the bourgeois.  Daughters of these families needed to make a good match and so at the age of 15 the young ladies were considered eligible and would be presented to society in all their finery in order to attract a suitable husband. This tradition continued in Cuba into the 20^th century (pre revolution) among a certain class with sufficient spare cash to lavish on their daughters.

The Communist Revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959 banned many things and people have struggled to maintain their traditions and feel a connection with their ancestors. Today in post revolutionary Cuba, the celebrations have been continued by families of all types who like the idea and try to maintain links with their history and the history of Cuba.

Family life has changed radically since the revolution and having more than one child is not usual, for economic reasons. There is simply not enough money even with two parents working, on an average salary of $20 to $40 per month, to give more than one child a few of the “luxuries” a child needs.

When a girl child is born to a family that wants to continue this 15^th Birthday tradition, a saving “account” will be started and this will be untouchable!! In Cuba they call is “guanaja hecha” which translates as something like “a turkey sitting on an egg”!!  Most Cubans do not have bank accounts so this “account” will be a cash fund that will be controlled by the mother who will hide this cash in a secret place, out of reach of other members of the family. The mother is the person who maintains this fund and adds to it over the years.

When the young lady is about to reach the age of 15, the family begin planning the fiesta and all the family are involved! The extravagance of the celebrations is dependent on the cash available but the format remains the same for all. Of huge importance are the dresses, the photos, and the fiesta!! A public display in a car or carriage will only happen if the money can stretch that far! Driving around town in a fancy car of carriage is a costly business and not many can afford this extravagance!

A selection of dresses will be collected, bought, borrowed or rented and the young lady will be photographed in different outfits and in different locations.  Hair, makeup and jewellery are all part of the ritual and the resulting photographs are displayed proudly in every home by mother and  grandmothers. The extent of the photo taking is entirely dependent on available funds. These days a photo studio complete with dresses to rent, exotic backdrops and photographer can be a more economic option, and create some stunning results.

All the family will gather for a fiesta which normally will be at home and guests will be family members only plus one or two young friends.  Drinks and snacks will be laid on and contributions brought by aunts and cousins are usual. What the young lady does in the evening is much dependant on the family and her own desires, a disco maybe or cinema. All depends on what the family feels is appropriate at the tender age of 15. Until the age of 16 she will not be legally considered an adult!

Cuban law considers 16 the age of consent and the age at which a person can drink alcohol, smoke, drive, be put in prison and marry, however, a parent can sign their consent and marry their child at an younger age.!

Want to discover Cuba for yourself? Join us for a small group tour this year!
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A Cuban superhero is born!

Is it a man? Is it a bird? No! It’s Elpidio Valdez!

Chances are you have no idea what or who Elpidio Valdez is, but every single Cuban living in Cuba today does! He is the e one and only Cuban super hero!! He may not wear his underpants over tights or fly to rescue the city from destruction, but he is superhuman in many ways!

In the days of Batista, Cuba was an exotic play ground for North Americans. The island was swamped with consumer goods from the US mainland including consumer Television and Hollywood Movies. Cuba, the island, might as well have been Cuba the satellite state.For Cuban children this meant an imaginary world filled with Coca Cola, Chiclets, Disney adventures, Hollywood superstars and weekly comics telling the stories of Superman, Spiderman, Batman and Robin, plus a whole host of other colourful superheroes! The good guys always won over the evil and restored balance and normality to the lives of the people!

After 1959 the successful revolutionaries declared American the enemy and all things American were evil and banned, cast out, obliterated, or taken over and converted into a better Cuban version. The Coca Cola factory was taken over but the recipe disappeared along with the workers who fled and the resulting “tu cola” took some trial and error to achieved consumable standards. There were many gaps to be filled with Cuban equivalents!

A window of opportunity opened for the creation of a truly Cuban superhero and “Elpidio Valdez” was created by Juan Padron through a project instigated by the ministry of culture.

Short animations were created at first, lasting one or two minutes in black and white, and were shown on Cuba Television. Like most things created after the revolution, education was a key factor in the stories created around Elpidio. Our hero comes from the time of Marti and the fight for liberation from the Spanish, and the idea was to educate and promote the glory of historic struggles on the island.  These revolutionaries went by the name of “Mambises” or Mambi, they came predominantly from the eastern (oriental) regions of Cuba and are identified by their turned up hats and “oriental” accents. The stories have given children a sense of the importance of the struggle for independence from Spain and remain hugely popular today.

Based on true events mixed with fiction, the character of Elpidio is the epitome of a typical Mambi from the countryside. He fights astride his faithful horse, “Palmiche” (named after the seeds from a palm tree that are his favourite food) the two gives flight to hordes of Spanish soldiers armed to the teeth with rifles and bayonets. Single handed with his machete in hand and exaggerated oriental accent Elpidio outwits and outsmarts his arch enemy “General Resoples” who returns again and again with Spanish forces to put down the rebellion. General Resoples (based on a real Spanish general) is portrayed as stupid and incompetent but never actually dies in battle, he returns to fight another day with fresh troops from Spain, but is always outwitted by Elpidio!!! Elpidio and Palmiche triumph against ridiculous odds and the victories are nothing other than supernatural!!

The short animation grew over the years into full length films that could be seen at the cinema or at home on TV.  These days Elpideo maintains his popularity and his creator Juan Padron is a famous man as is his son Ian Padron who has followed in his father footsteps producing episodes of the famous superhero!

Visit Cuba this year and join us on a tour!
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Cuba’s anthem by popular demand!

During my years working as a DJ on the “Latin Music & Dance Circuit” in London, I was invited by a radio producer to contribute and be part of a series of music programmes commissioned for  the BBC.  The series was called “Songlines” and focused each week on a song that has become  an “anthem” for a particular country. The well known Cuban song “Guantanamera” was the subject of one such episode, and along with a selection of other people (including the MP Tony Benn), I was asked to give my opinion on the popularity of this song.  A collage of ideas emerged in the resulting programme that conjured up an evocative picture of Cuba past and present, which sticks in my mind with this haunting melody.

As your aircraft touches down, palm trees come into view swaying in a warm sea breeze. The doors open letting the heat and sun pour into your nostril. Almost simultaneously the simple chords of Guantanamera begin to seep into your unconscious!! Rum, Cigars, fresh coffee roasting, sea sun and music are abundant in this island of  shortages!

Most people I have met can’t remember when or where they first heard “Guantanamera” but everyone knows the tune and can hum along to the chorus. The melody is a simple one and adapts easily to new verses that are invented and improvised by the musicians on the spot to accompany the situation or comment on current affairs. The repetitive chorus makes it easy to join in with; “Guantanamera Guajira Guantanamera Guantanameeeeeeera Guajira Guantanameeeera..”  It has a haunting, romantic sound filled with promise and patriotic undertones, and the stylistic variations I have heard would surprise you!

Joseito Fernandez takes credit for “composing” the song in the 1940s, but the truth of the matter is; he set the words of Jose Marti’s famous poem that every school child learns by heart to the music of Guantanamera, thus he politicised it and made it famous in Cuba. “Yo soy un hombre sincero, de donde crece la palma, y antes de morirme, quiero hechar mis versos del alma……..”  (I am a sincere man, from where the palm tree grows and before I die I want to free  the verses of my soul) The poem “Versos Sencillos” by the most famous revolutionary in Cuba’s history, Jose Marti, a poem he wrote when in exile in North America pining for his homeland . Each verse has four lines and Marti wrote many poems in this form. Marti returned to Cuba to lead the liberating battle for a Cuba independent from Spain in which alas he died in the early stages!  Like all good revolutionary icons his death increased his popularity and he was declared national poet. His image is displayed on every one peso note of moneda nacional. He is seen in every town and village on the island, every school and police office proudly display his bust and no offices of the CDR would be complete without an image of Marti and a Cuban flag.  He was an intellectual and philosopher who might have been better off writing poems than riding his horse into battle with Maceo and his revolutionaries in the mountains

Outside of Cuba Guantanamera was put in the spot light by Pete Seeger in the 1970s and in the UK another version hit the top 20 and from there it has had more or less world exposure.There seems to be no end to the different versions that exist of this song once you start looking!

The rhythm of the song is known as Guajira and this word  also means “a country girl”, so “Guantanamera Guajira” is “a country girl from Guananemo”, its a love song! The rhythm is typical of the countryside and musicians throughout the island continue their traditions to this day, repeating and inventing verses with other words of a non political nature at fiestas and other celebrations. The average Cuban is not a fan of political songs and is far more likely to be singing the merits of the beauty of their sweet hearts and the moonlight on the sea on a quiet summer night with romance and love in the air.

So “Why do they sing it to tourists?” Well that’s because Cuban see it as a national anthem, they like it, they identify with it and they know that there is a good chance that the tourists know and like it too. Even if the occasional tourist has never heard Guantanamera before the chorus is so repetitive and simple they will quickly be able to hum along and feel welcome. Cuba might not have many material comforts to offer but the hearts of the people are open and welcoming to all who take the opportunity to visit this unique island which has a world to itself!

Join us on holiday this year!
“A Cuban Snapshot” 7 days tour
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“Mi Cubita” 14 days tour
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Some lovely versions of Guantanamera  on You Tube by Los Sabandenos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-PuiDfLcO8 and by the Queen of Salsa herself Celia Cruz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js0rKmv-0Iw