The Cult of the Living Word in the UNEAC’s «Te Conté» Space

The oral storytelling space «Te Conté» of the UNEAC in Matanzas stands out for its popularity and its role in rescuing local memory.

Capable of convening diverse generations around the living word, it is distinguished by the professional work in its direction by oral storytellers Leonides de León and Ileana Hernández.

This gathering, held on the last Tuesdays of the month, positions the Social House of Writers and Artists as its main stage, and has also used the Palacio de Junco museum, the Gener y Del Monte library, and the José White concert hall, among others.

The project is not limited to stage narration; it integrates anecdotes, songs, dances, and live music. Each edition usually revolves around a monographic theme that serves as a guiding thread, which can be a character, a date, a traditional object, or a feeling.

Undoubtedly, the special charm of this space lies in the direction by «Mamita» de León and Ileana Hernández, who manage to recreate an atmosphere of warmth where memories and emotions spring forth in the audience through a kind of intergenerational interaction, with a predominance of older adults, without missing on occasions their presence in nearby schools and grandparents’ homes, which renews the energy of the gatherings.

Its fundamental event is the «Te-Conté» Festival, which has been held in three editions, the last in June 2025, with the participation of guests from other provinces and nations, among them Havana and Mexico, which consolidates this city, as specialized critics assert, «in a reference position in the art of telling stories.»

It is worth highlighting that the «Te Conté» space becomes an exercise of collective memory and a tool of social cohesion, by keeping the oral tradition latent in the Athens of Cuba.