(Prensa Latina – Cumbancha) Havana, Cuba – Located on the busy Central Havana Galiano Street, Casa de la Música is celebrating its first anniversary in a zone marked by several historical landmarks. In a place where the Jigüe movie theater was located some time ago, Casa de la Musica has a music and music instruments store open 24 hours, besides having a concert room with a stage and state-of-the-art audio and light techniques.
Famous Cuban music bands working on different genres perform there: from the contagious and furiously-paced salsa to the soft mellow bolero, with time for rock or any other contemporary rhythm. With a capacity for 500 people, the facility is also known for its food. The Casa was built over the ruins of what was left of a movie theater battered by the tropical storm Kate in 1985. The site has a beautiful story that dates back to the early 20th century, when the Molino Rojo Theater was opened
there, dedicated to the picaresque genre of men-only shows.
By the end of 1923, it became the Teatro Cubano staging shows by Arquímedes Pous and his famous company. Then a new name for the building turned it into the Regina Theater. There, composers such as Ernesto Lecuona, Eliseo Grenet, Rodrigo Prats and Moisés Simón made their premieres. On its stage performed artists such as Rita Montaner, Mario Martínez Casado, María Ruíz.
It became a movie theater in 1941, and was the place where Charles Chaplin’s film The Great Dictator was first premiered in Cuba.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
