Dublin, October 19, 2018. On the eve of the celebration of Cuban Culture Day, Professor Yairen Jeréz Columbié spoke at the Cervantes Institute headquarters about Cuban literature and music.
The Cervantes Inst. hosts the seventh edition of the Irish, Spanish and Latin American Literature Festival (ISLA). In this context, Yairen delighted the audience with a conference that reminded us of Severo Sarduy saying that Cuban history, literature and even music began to take shape from the lyrics of the diary of Christopher Columbus, in reference to the mention that the navigator did on the song of the arctic terns. The migratory nature of these birds also reminds us of the influence of the diverse peoples that came to the Caribbean and that in their interrelation gave rise to our unique culture.
The Cuban teacher made an interesting journey through the process of fusion and enrichment of Cuban literature and music. With accuracy she remembered the contradanza, the Afro-Cuban rhythms, the son, the Latin jazz, the feeling, the bolero, the rap, the hip-hop and how all those rhythms have formed the “ajiaco” (soup) that we are and that even today we continue to cook daily. Only then could it be understood that a Cuban heavy metal group sing to us: "Yoruba am, I am Lucumí, I sing in Yoruba, Congo, Carabalí ...", paraphrasing the verses of our Nicolás Guillén.
Thank you Yairen for your contribution to the celebration of the Cuban Culture Day.
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