La Camorra

WHAT IS IT?

Being a local art group that unites members of the small community of Puerto Esperanza, la Camorra is a great example of an initiative that emphasizes the cultural and personal, artistic expressions of Cubans.Theywereabletoperformwhatsomemay call miracles with very limited access to resources. What was striking about our first encounter with them was how they intertwined emotional connections with their shows or dance demonstrations. They were dancing with the purpose of conveying a message, whether it be political,social,etc.

Environment

LaCamorraalsoraisesawarenessbyteaching topicsrelatedtoviolenceagainstwomen,and homophobiatoincreasethesenseofopenmindednessandsolidarityamongthecommunity,in additiontotopicsofenvironmentalawareness.

THEY SEEMED VERY HAPPY AND GRATEFUL TO WELCOME US, WHICH CREATED, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND SOLIDARITY BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THEIR GROUP AND US, WHO WERE VISITORS TO THE AREA FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.

What is it?

Viñales is one of the most significant tobacco-growing regions in the world. At this farm, we learned about the way tobacco plants are grown and harvested by farmers calledTorcedores.

Theleavesareharvestedinstagesastheymature,asthe art of making a cigar is intricate as demands a great deal of knowledge and talent. The leaves are meticulously cured after they are collected in order to enhance their distinct flavour and scent, as each leaf has a particular taste. For instance, the farmers regularly circulate throughout the farm to move every plant leaf as the sun alters the taste and the leaves that receive less sunlight taste weaker. Afterwards, the Torcedores process the tobacco leaves and roll them into cigars. We also went horsebackriding!