Havana is a city caught in a contradiction. It is loved or it is raped, and so it has been for centuries. The composition begins with the sounds of the nightly cannon fire from the La Cabana. The sound of the trumpet then arrives like tears of joy over a sound bed of a distant call from a colonial period slave. The composition then breaks into a mix of bongos, cowbell, timbale’, and woodblock. The sound of the marching drum follows, leading into a synthesis of actual recordings of Cuban musicians. The piece closes with the trumpet again over a sound bed of a distant singing voice.
This video was shot in the spring of 2000 in Havana, Cuba. Havana is a city on the verge – of what, no one knows. Whether capitalist or communist it has been a home to prostitution, gambling, and corrupt power. Through all of this the people of Havana remain strong. You may never meet such beautiful people in such a distressed place.
2006 Spring in Havana, Havana, Cuba
collaborators: Ian Torres (trumpet), Eric Schroeder (guitar)