Raúl with the poster from Cubalandz first edition
It's a late afternoon with the scent of summer. I'm meeting Raúl at his place, a stone's throw from the Brass, where in a few weeks' time Cubalandz, the interdisciplinary festival of contemporary Cuban culture that he created 7 years ago, will be taking place.
We sit down at the table over a few beers and patacones. Throughout the discussion, we're submerged in a Cuban musical atmosphere, which Raúl could talk about for hours. Raúl is a passionate man, driven by a desire to share, to exchange, to pass on and to create links. A true lover of Cuban culture. Cuba couldn't have wished for a better cultural ambassador in Brussels.
In a few weeks' time, on 25 May at BOZAR and then on the weekend of 1 June at BRASS (Centre Culturel de Forest), the 7th edition of Cubalandz will be held. For Raúl, this festival is a multidisciplinary showcase for what's happening in Havana. Driven by a desire to change the way we look at this Caribbean island. ‘There's a strong imaginary link with Cuba. A lot of the elements associated with ‘Latino culture’ are Cuban. In the end, people have the impression that they know Cuba, but they don't’.
Raúl arrived in Brussels in 2008 with a degree in audiovisual production and communication and a head full of memories of his years in Havana. ‘I'd just come out of the Cuban university microcosm, where I'd spent a long time in Havana's alternative culture, music, literature, theatre and so on’. He arrived in Brussels with all this in his suitcases and a desire to share this culture. He formed a small group of friends around him and the idea began to take shape. The result was first the Camarote association, with which he organises concerts and a short film.
In 2015, at an event organised by the Cuban Embassy, he met Toni, who back then worked at BOZAR. After two years of friendship, trust and empathy came together to open the doors of the prestigious Brussels institution to Cuban culture. In 2017, the first edition of Cubalandz was held there. Raúl's ambition is to attract both the Brussels public and the Cuban community, in search of a common language to dialogue. This dialogue is partly achieved by including in the programming Cuban musical proposals made by non-Cubans. Organising it at BOZAR is a double-edged sword. ‘It allows us to reach out to certain audiences, but for others the place remains an impressive institution. That's also why we're keen to keep admission prices low, so that the festival is accessible to as many people as possible'.
After seven editions, the excellence of the festival's programming continues. This year's programme includes a number of performances by Ivonne Gonzalez, founder of the ‘Noircir Wikipedia’ project, which aims to give greater visibility to Africa, its diaspora, its cultures and its personalities on the famous platform. And music. Lots of music: El Comité (Afrobeat, funk, Afro-Cuban jazz), DJ Jigüe (tropical Afrofuturism), Cujazz (Cubop and Afro-Cuban jazz), Afrosideral (influenced hip-hop/rap) and the Sysmo collective, who will be applying their signed rhythms (instant compositions) to Cuban tempos!
Cubalandz 2024
For an island of just 11 million inhabitants, Cuba's impact on global culture is massive. ‘Cuban culture is like pasta! Everyone eats it, and it has an influence on so many people all over the world but not everyone is abe to cook it well!’ said Raúl joking. ‘The Cuban public is very demanding and this is reflected in our artistic production'.
At the end of the interview, we spend a long time listening to Cuban music. Of all genres, but with the common denominator of catchy melodies, production quality and contagious passion. But the founder of Cubalandz has no intention of stopping there. In November, he will fly with Camarote to Havana to participate in the Belgian Week. He will present the film ‘Music Hole’ together with Gaëtan Liekens, one of the filmmakers who will animate a meeting with students of the film school. The Belgian-Ghanaian musician Esinam will also come. She will give a presentation at the ‘Fabrica de Arte Cubano’ and will give a workshop with young producers on digital music production. After that, Raúl would like to broaden the scope of Cubalandz, opening it up to creations from other Latin American countries.
I ask him for a recommendation of a Cuban artist. If he could only keep one. Raúl tells me about Virgilio Piñera, the occasional poet from ‘La isla en peso’.
"Si tú pudieras formar de nuevo aquellas combinaciones,
devolviéndome el país sin el agua,
me la bebería toda para escupir al cielo.
Pero he visto la música detenida en las caderas,
he visto a las negras bailando con vasos de ron en sus cabezas.
Hay que saltar del lecho con la firme convicción de que tus dientes han crecido,
de que tu corazón te saldrá por la boca.
Aún flota en los arrecifes el uniforme del marinero ahogado".
‘The firm conviction that your teeth have grown, that your heart will come out of your mouth’. After seven editions, Cubalandz's teeth have indeed grown, and they are smiling brightly. But always, always with heart and passion at the edge of their lips.
All the info on the festival can be found here: Facebook
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