Havana City’s Historian Headed Excellencies Magazine’s Special Issue Presentation

The lovely Carmen Montilla House & Museum, a special place in which nature and artistic creation share a broad outdoor space in the heart of colonial Old Havana, provided the perfect setting for the presentation of Excellencies magazine’s special issue devoted to the 485th birthday of the Cuban capital. The ceremony was presided over by Eusebio Leal Spengler, the Havana City larger-than-life historian.

“I want to extend my appreciation to Caribbean Excellencies for having picked this lovely and gorgeous place to launch out this special issue. I think this is an exceptional issue in which tribute to the city of Havana is paid using a trove of important testimonies and values that speak volumes of the city’s architecture, its traditions, the beauty of its monuments that so much international appraisal have received over the years,” Mr. Leal said.

The ceremony was attended by over two hundred personalities of Havana’s cultural, entrepreneurial and travel sectors, including archeologists, architects, fine artists and many other experts that have worked in the restoration of this magnificent capital that today welcomes hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors every year.

“The magazine’s endeavor,” Mr. Leal added, “is very noble in this respect, not only for this special dedicatory issue I mentioned at the top of my presentation, but also because it turns out to be a contribution to the tremendous restoration effort we’re conducting.”

For her part, Excellencies magazine’s permanent correspondent in Cuba, Maria Caridad Gonzalez, noted “this special issue stands for a sincere attempt to pay tribute to the admirable social, cultural and restoration effort of bringing Havana’s historic, architectural and artistic values back to life.”

Mrs. Gonzalez also thanked the Office of the Havana City Historian and the local People’s Power Assembly for their collaboration in this special issue. Her heart also went out to researchers, experts, writers, journalists, designers and graphic workers.

Referring to the admirable restoration of colonial cities all across the Spanish-speaking Americas, Mr. Leal said “this is not the effort of a couple of people, nor the solitary job of a prophet like Peter the Hermit. This is a socially valid work that carries the intimate aspirations of all Cubans, of all Havana residents and of all those who love the island nation’s capital.”

“When you take a good long look at Havana and see many of its lovely corners and even entire neighborhoods, sometimes admiration gives way to this phrase, ‘what a pity!’ How can we redeem ourselves from this second part of the appraisal? The only way to do that is by arming ourselves with patience and hardworking dedication,” he pointed out

“Each replanted tree, each huge avenues that gets a new lease on life, each lamp pole that’s installed, coupled with a willingness to always preserve a city that overlooks the sea, that same willingness that’s so ingrained in this insular culture of ours, is also present in our thoughts, our philosophy, in the character of the Cuban people, in the devotion of this country, and in the world, always in the world,” he expressed.

“That’s why this magazine, that picked a particular name for itself that obliges the entire editorial staff to do its best in every article and every piece, meets its own standard of excellence by portraying a beautiful city that ranks 27th on the list of World Heritage for the true and recognized values that it has to offer,” the city historian underscored.

“I’ve always believed that, as the brightest shell of any sea, the most precious thing about this city is its content, not the container. In this case, the small chunk of mankind that lives in this lovely neck of the woods –the residents of Havana and all the Cubans- feels itself a part of this town that not only belongs to those who have been born here. I’m glad for you and my congratulations come out from the bottom of my heart,” Mr. Leal concluded.

This special issue of Excellencies magazine features two related sections packed with topics on cultural values, architecture, archeology, history, sports, fashion, silverware and much more. The publication also put out a CD that culls several songs dedicated to Havana, including tunes written by maestro Chucho Valdes, leader of world-known band Irakere, Juan Formell, leader of Los Van Van Band, and Jose Luis Cortes, head pg NG La Banda.

In addition to the original ideal of piecing this CD together, Excellencies has printed out a beautiful 2005 Calendar that portrays a breathtaking view of Havana from the sea. The picture depicts the Seaport Avenue, a coastal road that borders the bay and stretches out all the way to the famous Malecon seawall. The snapshot is no doubt a work of art that was composed using cutting-edge digital technology.