What Traits Stand Out About Matanzas Within the Nation’s Cultural Context?
On this Cuban Culture Day, we spoke with one of the personalities most dedicated to the preservation of our heritage, the director of the Matanzas Pharmaceutical Museum, Marcia Brito Hernández:
«Culture, in what is justly called the Athens of Cuba, is decisive regarding the artistic and literary development of Cuba.
«It has always been a city of very cultured people, of preservers of traditions, of beings who have zealously guarded their heritage, protagonist of a great movement in Education.
«All those details are the foundations of our culture, and I consider that Matanzas is at the forefront in the country.»
Of this city’s contributions to Cuban identity, she specified: «We have great writers, musicians, and painters. We have very important stage manifestations — the Guiñol with René Fernández at the head, Teatro de Las Estaciones and its continuous awards, Icarón, El Mirón Cubano, El Portazo; our Danza Espiral and Donaire companies, among others.
«We stand out for our National Prizes in Literature, Translation, Visual Arts, Music, Community Culture, Humor, and above all Theater, in addition to multiple national and international recognitions achieved by creators, institutions, and artistic groups.»
It is, without a doubt, a portentous endorsement that is maintained in tribute to our National Culture, when the people of Matanzas bring art to communities, plazas, schools, and renowned institutions, when our professionals consecrate themselves as teachers of Artistic Education.
A homage to October 20, 1868 — the moment when artistic creation, in a sphere as sensitive as the Bayamo Anthem, becomes an impulse to reaffirm the existence of a sovereign nation.
Cuban Culture Day represents today, more than ever, the will to preserve from the grassroots our deepest roots — those that identify us wherever we may be.
