分类： entertainment

A vibrant Cuban theatrical production featuring musical adaptations of The Beatles’ greatest hits has made its international debut at the Kolkata International Children’s Film Festival. The performance, titled after the legendary band’s iconic anthology album ‘1,’ represents a unique cultural fusion that merges British musical heritage with distinct Cuban artistic expression.

Directed by acclaimed Cuban theater director Carlos Alberto Cremata of La Colmenita company, the production creatively reimagines Charles Perrault’s classic fairy tales through the lens of The Beatles’ timeless music. Cremata explained to press members that the songs of the famous English group serve as ‘a key element of the entertaining plot,’ providing both narrative structure and emotional depth to the performance.

The production distinguishes itself through its incorporation of authentically Cuban linguistic elements and traditional rhythms, creating a distinctive cultural hybrid that celebrates both British and Cuban artistic traditions. This innovative approach to children’s theater demonstrates how cross-cultural artistic collaborations can create fresh theatrical experiences that resonate with international audiences.

The festival, which will continue through January 29, 2026, features an impressive lineup of 180 films from 32 countries, providing a global platform for children’s entertainment and educational content. The event was attended by diplomatic representatives including Cuban Ambassador Juan Marsan and First Secretary Maiky Diaz, who participated in the inauguration of a thematic exhibition alongside Indranil Sen, Minister of State for Information and Culture of West Bengal.

Havana’s cultural scene is set to captivate music enthusiasts this weekend with a series of prestigious performances leading up to the International Jazz Plaza Festival. On Saturday afternoon, the Theater of the National Museum of Fine Arts (MNBA) will present “Yohana Pena and Jose Portillo: Habana Filin,” a special concert paying homage to José Antonio Méndez, the foundational figure of Cuba’s distinctive filin musical style. The event will feature acclaimed guest artists Lázaro Rivero “El Fino” and Juan Carlos Rojas “El Peje.”

Simultaneously, Cuban musical virtuosos including Oliver Valdés, Jorge Reyes, Yosvany Terry, Yaroldy Abreu, Roberto Álvarez, and Alejandro “Coqui” Calzadilla will deliver an extraordinary collaborative performance, serving as an illustrious prelude to the Jazz Plaza Festival’s official opening on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Santiago de Cuba, renowned pianist Roberto Fonseca prepares for a spectacular open-air performance at Cespedes Park. His collaboration with the Steel Band del Cobre promises to deliver another top-tier musical experience as part of the festival’s diverse programming, showcasing Cuba’s rich jazz traditions across multiple cities.

The cobblestone streets of Old Havana are set to host a unique cultural rendezvous each Saturday morning. At 11:00 AM local time, the historic Calle de Madera adjacent to the Plaza de Armas transforms into an open-air literary salon, courtesy of an initiative by Cuba’s national publishing institution.

This weekly event, orchestrated by the Cuban Book Institute (ICL) and facilitated by the Arte y Literatura publishing house, invites readers to collectively explore Virginia Woolf’s groundbreaking 1925 novel ‘Mrs. Dalloway’. The gathering represents Cuba’s ongoing commitment to making world literature accessible to the public in engaging formats.

The novel itself, celebrating nearly a century since publication, continues to captivate readers with its revolutionary narrative technique. Woolf’s masterpiece chronicles a single day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a evening party, using this seemingly simple framework to launch profound explorations of consciousness and society.

Through innovative literary devices including fluid time transitions, psychological flashbacks, and pioneering stream-of-consciousness writing, Woolf creates a richly textured portrait of her protagonist’s inner world. The narrative’s poetic imagery and emotional depth reveal the complex interior landscape of a woman navigating post-war English society.

Beyond its psychological insights, the novel offers a critical examination of British society in the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918). Woolf’s narrative subtly exposes the social tensions, psychological wounds, and profound transformations that characterized the interwar period, making the work both a literary milestone and valuable historical document.

The regular gathering demonstrates how classic literature continues to find new audiences and contexts, with Havana’s historic quarter providing a evocative backdrop for discussions of this modernist classic.