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History Cuba

My Havana

The Musical City of Carlos Varela

edited by Maria Carida Cumana, Karen Dubinsky & Xenia Reloba de la Cruz

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2014
Category
Cuba, Caribbean & Latin American, Ethnic, General, General, Spanish & Portuguese, Caribbean & Latin American
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781442615786
    Publish Date
    Sep 2014
    List Price
    $37.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442647718
    Publish Date
    Sep 2014
    List Price
    $91.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442669000
    Publish Date
    Sep 2014
    List Price
    $35.95

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Description

For more than thirty years, musician Carlos Varela has been a guide to the heart, soul, and sound of Havana. One of the best known singer-songwriters to emerge out of the Cuban nueva trova movement, Varela has toured in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. In North America, Varela is “Cuba’s Bob Dylan.” In Cuba, he is the voice of the generation that came of age in the 1990s and for whom his songs are their generation’s anthems. My Havana is a lyrical exploration of Varela’s life and work, and of the vibrant musical, literary, and cinematic culture of his generation.

Popular both among Cubans on the island and in the diaspora, Varela is legendary for the intense political honesty of lyrics. He is one of the most important musicians in the Cuban scene today. In My Havana, writers living in Canada, Cuba, the United States, and Great Britain use Varela’s life and music to explore the history and cultural politics of contemporary Cuba. The book also contains an extended interview with Varela and English translations of the lyrics to all his recorded songs, most of which are appearing in print for the very first time.

About the authors

Maria Caridad Cumaná, formerly an adjunct professor in art history at Havana University, is a film critic and writer living in Miami.

Maria Carida Cumana's profile page

Karen Dubinsky is Professor of History and Global Development Studies at Queen's University. She is the author and editor of several books, including Within and Without the Nation: Transnational Canadian History (2015, co-editors Adele Perry and Henry Yu), My Havana: The Musical City of Carlos Varela (2014, co-editors Caridad Cumana and Xenia Reloba), and Babies without Borders: Adoption and Migration Across the Americas (2010).

Karen Dubinsky's profile page

Xenia Reloba de la Cruz is the editor of the journal Casa de las Américas, published by the Casa de las Américas in Havana.

Xenia Reloba de la Cruz's profile page

Editorial Reviews

‘Impressively, the book has come to exist in two versions: English and Spanish. Such a production is highly commendable, even inspirational… The book provides much of value for readers unfamiliar with Varela and Nueva Trova.’

Notes: quarterly Journal of Music Library Association vol 73:01:2016

‘The book makes an excellent case for Varela’s cultural significance… My Havana reads like a love letter to Carlos Varela…. It makes a strong case for the inclusion of Carlos Varela in the cannon of Cuban musical greats.’

New West Indian Guide vol 90:2016

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