Ukuqala kwam ukutyelela eCuba, ngo-2016, ndathatha i-selfie kanye phambi kokuba inqwelo-moya ifike kwindlela yeHavana & apos; s José Martí International Airport. Kwifoto, uncumo olubanzi lusasazeka ebusweni bam ukusuka kwindlebe kuye endlebeni. Emva kweminyaka elishumi ndinqwenela ukunyathela kwesi siqithi seCaribbean, ndiqala ukukhuthazwa zifundo zam zekholeji kwimbali yaseCuba, ndade ndagqiba. Ukuxhotyiswa ngezi zifundo, ii-autobiographies zabaphembeleli bezentlalontle baseCuba I & apos; d funda, kunye nomnqweno wokwenene, I & apos; ndifikile kwindawo eyi-100 okanye kangangeekhilomitha ukusuka eFlorida - kodwa enye bendingenakho ukuyindwendwela de uMongameli Obama akhulule izithintelo kukhenketho ngo-2015. Ndaye ndafika ndinemibono ethile, kunye neengcinga ezithandwayo ezininzi AmaMelika malunga nesi siqithi.

Njengoko ndandijonga iHavana okokuqala, umbono wam wabakhenkethi watsaleleka kwezo zinto sizilindeleyo ezivela eCuba: iimoto ezinombala weelekese ezadlulayo, uyilo lwe-baroque oluthe lwaqaqamba ngeethoni eziqaqambileyo zeCaribbean, i-mojitos yeedola ezintathu, kunye nokubila kade- iiseshoni ebusuku. Kodwa kulula ukuba ulungelelanise indawo xa utsibela kwisiqwenga ngaphandle kokwazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni emva kwezigcawu. Abafazi abathengisa iicigars kunye neemvumi ezichithele ezitalatweni zeOld Havana babalisa ibali labakhenkethi endifuna ukugqitha kulo. Kungenxa yoko le nto, kutyelelo lokubuyela emva konyaka, ndazibophelela ekufundeni ngakumbi ngamabali amaCuba amaNtsundu- uluntu olungaphezulu kwesigidi esinye ololulela ngaphaya kwekomkhulu lisiya kweminye imimandla yelizwe, njengeSantiago kumazantsi mpuma .

Esi siqithi sisivumelwano se-diasporic kwizithethe ezingenakuze zaphulwe-nokuba kubotshwe izandla ngamakhamandela kuhambo olwandle, nangokwahluka kwezoqoqosho nocalucalulo oluhlala luthintela ukuhamba kwabantu abaNtsundu baseCuba namhlanje. Ngaphandle kwale miqobo, ama-Afro-Cuban aqhubeka ngokuzingca agcina kwaye agcina amasiko aseNtshona Afrika, kubandakanya nezenkolo zase-Yoruba ezisekwe eCuba ngenkulungwane ye-16. Elona xesha lam liqinisekileyo eCuba ibikukutshintshiselana namagcisa, iimvumi, abafundisi-ntsapho, kunye nababalisi bebali abagcina eli lifa liphila. Kungenxa yokuba ubugcisa buthetha inyani- kwaye isithethe esenziwayo sixelela ngokusinda.

Funda ukuze ufunde ngakumbi malunga nabanye babelana ngenkcubeko yeAfro-Cuba kunye nehlabathi.

UFrancisco no-Elina Núñez, amagcisa

Ukudibana noFrancisco Núñez okokuqala yayingamava emvakalelo, enziwa nangakumbi zizinto ezinamandla ezazizalisa phantse yonke ikona yendlu yakhe yaseHavana. Ndenze imbalelwano ekwi-Intanethi naye kunye nentombi yakhe, uElina, emva kokufumana umsebenzi wakhe kunye nokucebisa iindwendwe kwisitudiyo sakhe ngenkampani yam CrushGlobal . U-Elina wade waqalisa ukuziqhelanisa nesiNgesi nam nge-imeyile, ngelixa uFrancisco wabelana ngeziqwenga ezintsha kunye nohlaziyo lobomi bemihla ngemihla.

Ubugcisa bukaFrancisco kunye ne-apos; Iimpawu ezingabonakaliyo kunye neempawu ezibonakalayo ezijolise ikakhulu kwiiAfro-Cubans. Esinye sezikhumbuzo zam ezikhulu, umzobo wenkwenkwana enesikhumba se-ebony kunye namehlo ahlabayo, uvela kwistudiyo sakhe sasekhaya. 'Abantu abaninzi baseCuba baqala ukuzoba njengabantwana,' utshilo. 'Ndiye ndaqonda kwangoko ukuba ndifuna ukuzoba lonke ixesha, kuba bendikhathalele kakhulu ngalo. Ndinikezele ngobomi bam ekuphuhliseni ubuchule bam. ' Iziqwenga zakhe zinokujongwa ngoku Igalari kaVictor Manuel , eHavana, nase studio sakhe , evulekileyo ngokuqeshwa. 'Ndinomdla wokubonisa imbali nenkcubeko yase-Afrika ngobugcisa bam, kuba yimbali yam, yinkcubeko yam,' uyacacisa. Ngobugcisa bam, ndifuna ukucebisa ngekamva elingcono. Ubugcisa sisixhobo esihle kakhulu kuloo nto. Ngumlingo. Inokuqondwa ngabantu abavela kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo. '

Njengomntwana, u-Elina wayedla ngokuchitha iiyure ngee-watercolor kunye neepensile ezinemibala- kwaye uyaqhubeka nokupeyinta ngexesha lakhe lasimahla. Undixelela ukuba kuye, ukupeyinta ayisiyonto ikhethiweyo kodwa iyimfuneko. Ukuphila kuyamangalisa, kodwa ngamanye amaxesha kunokuba koyike kakhulu, utshilo. 'Ngokudala, ndingabalekela kwilizwe elinemibala kunye neemilo ezinokucingwa kuphela ngumzobi.'

UAmberly Alene Ellis, uMzobi kunye noMseki weReglaSoul

U-Amberly Alene Ellis, oyinzalelwane yaseBaltimore, wafika kuqala eCuba ngo-2014 ezokufunda umsebenzi wabasetyhini abenza iifilimu eAfro-Cuban kwisibonelelo esivela kwiCuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry eHavana. Ixesha lakhe eCuba lakhokelela kuxwebhu lwe-2016, ' Oodade abangamavili . Ikwamkhokelele kumyeni wakhe, u-Alexey-igcisa le-hip-hop lase-Cuba kunye nomzabalazo owazalwa wakhulela e-Regla, umasipala omncinci ngaphesheya kwe-Bay of Havana enembali ye-Afro-Cuba.

Bonke, baqala UmthethoSoul , Iprojekthi yempilo entle ejolise ekuxhobiseni ama-Afro-Cuba ngendlela yokuphila enolwazi. 'Sibone isidingo esikhulu semithombo yempilo, ngakumbi phakathi kwabahlali abaNtsundu kuluntu lwethu eRegla, utshilo u-Ellis. 'Sikubonile ukungafani okukhulu ngokufikelela kukutya, amayeza, inkxaso ngemicimbi yezempilo yengqondo, inkxaso ngaphambi kokubeleka nasemva kokubeleka, nokunye okuninzi. I-ReglaSoul ibamba iindibano zocweyo zasimahla, iminyhadala, kunye nezifundo zokulwa ezi ngxaki kunye nokuxhobisa amalungu oluntu. '

U-Ellis ukwangumfoti , kunye nemifanekiso yakhe yobomi baseCuba ibonakalisiwe kwiigalari ezininzi e-US, kubandakanya iGalari yeLizwe yoBugcisa eWashington, D.C. kunye neClemente Soto Vélez yeNkcubeko kunye neZiko leMfundo kwisiXeko saseNew York. 'Ukufota amava amnyama eHaana kundinike ithuba lokuba ndihlale phantsi ndithethe nabantu abaneemvelaphi ezahlukeneyo kunye nobomi obuhlukeneyo, utshilo. 'Ndifundile ukuba abafoti banoxanduva olukhulu kuluntu esilubhalayo.' Kwiindwendwe kwesi siqithi, ucebisa ukuba ujonge ngaphaya kweHavana. Funda malunga ne palenque eMatanzas. Okanye, yiya empuma, eSantiago naseOriente, ukuze ubone impembelelo yabasebenzi abamnyama abavela kwamanye amazwe aseCaribbean njengeHaiti, iJamaica kunye neAntilles. Ndicinga ukuba kubalulekile ukuba abantu bajonge eCuba ngokwembono eyahlukileyo. '.

UDash Harris Machado noJavier Wallace, abaSeki beAfroLatinx Travel

Amadoda egubu eHavana Ityala: Ngokunyanisekileyo kweDash Harris / AfroLatinx Travel

UDash Harris Machado noJavier Wallace benze umqhubi wabakhenkethi Uhambo lweAfroLatinx ngowama-2010 ukuququzelela ukutshintshiselana ngokwasentlalweni, ngokwenkcubeko nangokwezoqoqosho phakathi kwabantu baseAfrika abahlala eLatin America naseCaribbean. Ndiqale ukunxibelelana nabo emva kokubhukisha olunye ukhenketho lwabo lwaseHavana, ngexa apho ndibone a igubu (Igubu) intetho kunye nokufunda malunga nemigaqo yenkolo yaseYoruba yaseNtshona Afrika, eyenza isiseko seendlela ezininzi zokomoya zaseAfro-Caribbean.

'Le meko yokomoya yesiNtu yiyo esasigcina siphila,' uyachaza uWallace. Njengoko UGqirha Marta Moreno Vega ithi, ngumsonto odibanisa ne-Afrika. & apos; Yinkumbulo yethu, ilifa lethu, isidingo esingapheliyo sokugcina ibhalansi ngobuThixo, indalo, isiqu sakho, kwaye okona kubaluleke kakhulu, ulwalamano noluntu. ' Ngexesha lendyikityha yokufa, yena noHarris Machado baye banikezela ngezifundo ezininzi ezikwi-Intanethi kwimbali yaseLatin yaseMelika kunye nezihloko ezijolise kubomi bemihla ngemihla beenzala zaseAfrika kulo mmandla, ezinje ngendibano yocweyo yokudlala iAfro-Peruvian idrowa, isixhobo somculo esinebhokisi emile, ekhokelwa ziimvumi eziMnyama. Baza kuqhubeka nokubonelela ngokutyelela i-Afro-Cuba e-Havana.

Isizwe ngasinye saseLatin America kunye neCaribbean kufuneka sikhule kubantu abaNtsundu. Yiminyaka engama-500 yabasebenzi baseAfrika, iitalente, ubuchule bokuyila, ubuchule, kunye nokomoya owakhe lo mmandla, utshilo uHarris Machado. 'Sithatha abantu ukuba bafumane ezo ndawo apho abahlali bezizwe bahlala khona, bathande, kwaye bahlala ngokuzeleyo.'

UVictor Ricardo Aguilera Sánchez, uMseki weNqanaba lama-540 eCigan Cigars Tours

Izandla zisika i-cigar eHavana, eCuba Ityala: Ngesiqhelo seNqanaba 540

ISanchez iqulunqwe Inqanaba 540 , ebonelela ngendibano zocweyo zokwenza icigar kunye nohambo lokufundisa, ecaleni kuka-Aimara Pujadas ngo-2017. Aba babini bakhuthazwa ziinkumbulo zabo zolu phawu lukhoyo lweCuba: ivumba lamagqabi ecuba asuka kumakhaya abo ebuntwaneni, ukukhukhumeza ootatomkhulu noomakhulu babo babeza kuthatha ngokuhlwa. . Iindibano zocweyo abazinikezelayo eHavana zibandakanya izifundo hayi kubuchule bokuqengqeleka obufanelekileyo, kodwa nangembali yecigar, kubandakanya ukubaluleka kwayo kwizenzo zonqulo zabantu baseAfro-Cubans.

USánchez uthi: 'ECuba, icuba lisibuyisela kwimvelaphi yethu. Kudala sisebenzisa icuba ukusukela kumaxesha akudala, sisuka kwizithethe nakwizenzo zenkolo-apho ivumela olo nxibelelwano nabangaphezulu-ukudlala iidomino nabahlobo. ' Unethemba lokuba oomasifundisane bakhe banokusebenza kungekuphela njengokuntywila ngokunzulu kwimbali entsonkothileyo yeecuba zeCuba, kodwa njengesiqalo sokuncokola esijikeleze ubomi baseAfro-Cuba.

Ubunikazi obumnyama, iinkqubo zayo kunye nokubonakaliswa, ziyinxalenye ebalulekileyo kwinto esiyibiza ngokuba yiCuba ajiaco, Utsho uSánchez, esebenzisa isikweko ngokufanayo imbiza yokunyibilikisa ngesiNgesi. 'Sikholelwa ekubeni kubalulekile ukuba silazi eli lifa- kwaye sizama ukufundisa abantu ngelensi yolu phawu lwahlukileyo, icigar.'

UKristin Braswell yintatheli kunye nomsunguli we CrushGlobal , iarhente yokuhamba eyenza amava anyanisekileyo ngokudibanisa abahambi ngokuthe ngqo kumashishini kwihlabathi liphela. Ubhale iziqwenga zeVogue, CNN, USA namhlanje, Essence, NPR, Architectural Digest, Ebony, kunye neLos Angeles Times. Mlandele phambili I-Instagram ukufunda okungakumbi malunga namathuba okuhamba aquka konke, kubandakanya iihambo zendlela ngeenxa zonke eU.S.