Cuba: The musical group "La Opera de la Calle," including information on its members and performances; the closure of El Cabildo Cultural Centre in Havana, including the effects of the closure on the activities of La Opera de la Calle (2012-December 2014)

1. Background on Opera de la Calle

Both Reuters and the National Public Radio (NPR), an "independent, non-profit media organization" based in Washington, DC (NPR n.d.), indicate that the theatre company "La Opera de la Calle" (Opera of the Street) was founded in 2006 by Ulises Aquino, a baritone singer (ibid. 31 July 2012; Reuters 11 July 2012). Sources indicate that Ulises Aquino is also the director of La Opera de la Calle (Havana Times 27 July 2012; IPS 23 Apr. 2014).

In a 19 August 2012 interview with the Havana-based news portal Cubasí, Aquino indicated that 80 percent of the artists in the company come from performing on the streets and that the majority of them have no formal training (19 Aug. 2012). Similarly, Havana Times, a Cuban news website, quotes a soprano singer who works with the opera group as saying that she trained as a singer and dancer with the company without having any prior experience with operas or stage work (27 July 2012).

In an interview with Cubasí, Aquino indicated that Emilio Vega is responsible for orchestral arrangements, Natacha Prado does vocal arrangements and Rubén Rodríguez is the choreographer for the company (Cubasí 19 Aug. 2012).According to Aquino, there are 80 members in "La Opera de la Calle" (ibid.). In contrast, an Inter Press Service (IPS) article indicates that the theatre company "brings together 120 artists" (23 Apr. 2014).

2. El Cabildo Cultural Centre

A 2 August 2012 Reuters article states that Raul Castro "has liberalized regulations for small businesses" since taking over leadership of Cuba in 2008 (Reuters 2 Aug. 2012). The same source says that Aquino "[took] advantage of loosened regulations on small business and government encouragement of local development projects" and "opened El Cabildo as a permanent venue" for La Opera de la Calle (2 Aug. 2012). Similarly, NPR reports that following Raul Castro's encouragement to "increase productivity by starting small businesses," Aquino built the El Cabildo restaurant and cabaret in a vacant lot in Havana (31 July 2012). According to the Reuters article, El Cabildo was located "on the ruins of a collapsed building in Playa," a district of Havana (2 Aug. 2012). Two sources indicate that El Cabildo had approximately 130 employees (NPR 31 July 2012; Reuters 11 July 2012). Reuters describes the venue as having an outdoor theatre, a bar and a 150-seat restaurant (ibid.). According to another article by the same source, its earnings were "shared after expenses, taxes, and investments" (ibid. 2 Aug. 2012).

Two sources indicate that in July 2012, El Cabildo was closed by government officials (NPR 31 July 2012; Havana Times 27 July 2012). The same sources indicate that the closure of El Cabildo occurred after Aquino's group was accused of "enrichment" by government officials (NPR 31 July 2012; Havana Times 27 July 2012). Havana Times reports that employees of El Cabildo earned approximate monthly salaries of US$80 (ibid.). According to Aquino, this amount represents approximately "four times Cuba's average monthly salary of 450 pesos, equivalent to $19" (Reuters 11 July 2012).

Aquino explains that he was first "called in by the Central Committee of the Party to explain [his] program to functionaries of the Ideological Department" (qtd. in Havana Times 27 July 2012). A few days later, government officials came to El Cabildo, interrupting a show (ibid.). Sources report that according to Aquino, his business license was revoked (ibid.; NPR 31 July 2012) for two years (ibid.). The closure of El Cabildo reportedly eliminated approximately 130 jobs (ibid.; Havana Times 27 July 2012).

3. Opera de la Calle's Performances

IPS reports that without El Cabildo, Opera de la Calle "now depends on the budget assigned by the National Council for Performing Arts, which does not cover reparations of equipment, or musical instruments or costumes" (23 Apr. 2014).

Aquino stated in his interview with Cubasí that other than performing at El Cabildo, Opera de la Calle performed in the following Cuban cities: Manzanillo, Bayamo, Holguín, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Ávila, and Varadero (19 Aug. 2012). A 30 August 2014 article published by the Spain-based online newspaper Público quotes Aquino as saying that [translation] "we have not stopped working, we returned to the streets and theatres, we have realized more than 120 performances in Cuba so far this year" (Público 30 Aug. 2014). Público also reports that Aquino announced performances in Montreal, Quebec and Toronto (ibid.). Similarly, a press release by the organizers of a Cuban festival in Montreal, the Festival international Cubaneando, announced a performance by "Opera de la Calle" on 26 July 2014 (27 June 2014).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Cubasí. 19 August 2012. Elizabet López. "Entrevista con Ulises Aquino: Ópera De La Calle es la luz que necesitábamos." [Accessed 10 Dec. 2014]

Festival international Cubaneando. 27 June 2014. "3ème Édition du Festival international Cubaneando." [Accessed 1 Dec. 2014]

Havana Times. 27 July 2012. Fernando Ravsberg. "Cuba Closes 'Street Opera' Project." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2014]

Inter Press Service (IPS). 23 April 2014. Ivet González. "Economy: Culture Increasingly Unaffordable for Cubans." (Factiva)

National Public Radio (NPR). 31 July 2012. Nick Miroff. "Opera Unfolds when a Cuban Cabaret Is Shut down." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2014]

_____. N.d. "Public Radio Finances." [Accessed 12 Dec. 2014]

Público. 30 August 2014. Fernando Ravsberg. "Cuba, donde la calle es una buena escuela." [Accessed 11 Dec. 2014]

Reuters. 11 July 2012. Mark Frank. "In Cuba, an Opera Singer Builds an Empire." [Accessed 4 Dec. 2014]

_____. 2 August 2012. Mark Frank. "Cuban Opera Singer Challenges "Jealous" Bureaucrats over Closed Theater." [Accessed 10 Dec. 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Director of Development, Spoletto Festival; General Manager, Denver Center Theatre; Journalist, Inter Press Cuba; President, Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy; representative, Festival international Cubaneando.

Internet sites, including: American Theatre; Amnesty International; British Broadcasting Corporation; ecoi.net; Europa Press; Freedom House; Granma International; Human Rights Watch; Le Monde; Reporters Without Borders; Trip Advisor; United States - Department of State.