According to the Yoruba religion, if Havana were a woman she would have dark coffee colored skin and wear a seven-tone skirt on her voluptuous hips. Her eyes would be as enigmatic as the legends contained in every one of the stones with which she was built. She is the daring lady who weaves her charm over those to whom she gives life. The wonder of this city lies in the magic of the intangible and its ever present history.
Havana residents, with their bold character and enticing culture, will be the principal protagonists of the event which will see the Cuban capital officially named one of the Seven Wonder Cities of The World, after receiving millions of votes during the 2014 competition, organized by the Swiss New7Wonders Foundation.
As of July 7, the Castillo de San Salvador de La Punta’s terrace will be the permanent location of a monument and commemorative plaque, an eternal record of Havana’s almost 500 years of existence.
Marta Hernández, president of the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power, will make a speech during the presentation ceremony.
Speaking to the press, Lorelis Olivera, Ministry of Tourism representative noted that among the various activities taking place June 7-11, in honor of the capital, a second key event will be an artistic gala set to take place on the inaugural day in Old Havana’s Plaza Vieja, featuring among other surprises, the Banda de Conciertos, the Teatro Lírico Nacional, Liz Alfonso Ballet; Entrevoces Choir; Conjunto Folklórico Nacional; Tropicana Cabaret Dance Troup and band, Buena Vista Social Club.
Regarding the gala, Efraín Sabás, artistic director of the event, stated that the cultural wealth of the capital will be on display to any citizen or international visitor that might want to visit the free and open access public squares, to find or rediscover the human warmth of the people who live there.
Festivities will also extend to the San Alejandro National Fine Arts Academy where an exposition dedicated to Havana will be inaugurated, while students from the Alejandro García Caturla National Music School will also perform. Meanwhile, Félix Julio Alonso, assistant dean of the San Gerónimo de La Habana University College and Bernard Weber, president and founder of the New7Wonders Foundation with both speak at the Palacio del Segundo Cabo.
Lastly, a massive sports festival will take place at La Punta, the site where Havana will forever be remembered as a Wonder City; dance troupes will parade down Paseo del Prado and on the corner of Prado and Neptuno streets, where “La engañadora” by Cuban musician Enrique Jorrín became immortalized, festivities will end with a grand concert by the Orquesta Aragón.
Havana’s geographical and cultural diversity, its well preserved historical legacy, and search for a balance between infrastructure and human existence, as well as its commitment to sustainable environmental, economic, social and patrimonial development, are all elements which have made the coffee colored skin woman, an immortal queen.
