Cuba
The Spirit of Cuba
The spirit of Cuba: Music. It's ubiquitous, it's full of pageantry and life, it's passion. It makes your soul smile and your body groove.
Walking down the Malecón in Havana, this welcoming, albeit very drunk man blocked my path, extended his hand and exclaimed, "My frrriend! Where'd arrre youuu fdrromm?" I pridefully responded "The United States" (This is in large part because of Obama was still in office). "Welllcommmm! What'd is yourrr name?" "Ryan," I say. "Rrrryann, I will play a song for'd youuu." He quickly strums his guitar and belts out my name mixed with many fun cliche hooks. It's not going to make the Billboard charts anytime soon, but that is besides the point. It's passionate. It's drunk. It's soulful and fun. He then cordially offers me a sip out of his plastic water bottle filled with cheap rum. This is a common theme in Cuba. I happily take a few swigs. Ohh, that beautiful warm tingly feeling followed by the rancid aftertaste of cheap aguardiente rum. Yum! I take a seat, and I join in on the fun. I watch him greet numerous passerby's over the next hour. He is a smile generating machine. He gets many to dance and sing with him.
