The week kicked off on January 25th with a presentation by Dr. Ottmar Ette at the Heinrich Heine Institute. Dr. Ette explored the shared intellectual legacies of Heinrich Heine and José Martí, drawing connections between the two prominent figures in literature. On January 26th, the Palais Wittgenstein concert theater hosted a performance by Cuban musicians Joaquín Clerch and Bryan López González, who presented a captivating blend of German classical music and Cuban songs. The performance, which fused two distinct musical traditions, captivated the audience and emphasized the cultural fusion between Germany and Cuba.

The following day, January 27th, saw the opening of a Cuban art exhibition at the Fifty Fifty Gallery, curated by Hubert Ostendorf and Klaus Klinger. The exhibition featured works by artists from Pinar del Río, offering a glimpse into the vibrant artistic culture of Cuba. Majela von der Heusen, a Cuban musician residing in Germany, provided live Cuban music that complemented the exhibition, bringing an added dimension of cultural expression to the event.

On January 28th, more than 80 attendees gathered at Düsseldorf’s Film Museum for a screening of the iconic Cuban film Memorias del Subdesarrollo. After the screening, a discussion focused on the historical relevance of the film and its significance within the context of Cuban cinema. The screening provided an opportunity for the German audience to engage more deeply with Cuba’s cinematic history, which was further enriched by the participation of Cuban diplomats.

The week culminated on January 31st with a lively Cuban celebration at the Haus der Jugend. The event featured flamenco guitarist Reinier Mariño and the Cuban band La Pachanga, whose performances resonated with the vibrant rhythms of Cuba. More than 500 people attended the celebration, which included a video presentation summarizing the week’s events. The celebration, which was attended by Mónica Rodríguez Sánchez, Chief of the Cuban Diplomatic Office in Bonn, showcased the diversity of Cuba’s cultural offerings and demonstrated the effectiveness of the Cuban Embassy in Germany in promoting Cuban culture.

Since its founding in 1974, the FRG-Cuba Friendship Association has made a concerted effort to improve relations between Germany and Cuba while fostering solidarity in spite of political differences. Through a number of activities, the organization has been instrumental in building solidarity with Cuba, supporting Cuban institutions, and sharing knowledge about the island.

The importance of embassies in promoting cross-national cultural contact was also highlighted during the Cuban Culture Week in Düsseldorf. By hosting occasions such as these, embassies serve to both showcase the cultural heritage of their nations and to foster intercultural understanding. The Cuban Embassy's participation in planning and funding these kinds of events emphasizes its crucial role in establishing contacts between Cuba and Germany, enhancing understanding between the two countries, and creating enduring relationships.

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