One of the best deals of the summer here in Los Angeles is the annual Noche Cubana – an evening of all things Cuban sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition, Los Angeles.
Every summer, ANSWER throws a big party, featuring Cuban food, Cuban music, Cuban film, Cuban art and Cuban solidarity. This year is no exception. It’s happening this Saturday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. That means, if you’ve really got the dancing bug, you could hit the Latin Sounds series at LACMA from 5:00 to 7:00, then trek on down to Historic Filipinotown and continue the salsa beats well into the night.
I have to admit, I’ve been going to the Latin Sounds series most Saturdays and I was really confounded by that salsa step. I stared at it over and over and couldn’t get it. It just looked to me like people were just moving around real fast, using a lot of steps, then kicking their foot out front every once in a while. Still, I was determined to get it.
Eureka! I found some lessons on the ever-reliable YouTube. I’ve been practicing up for Noche Cubana ever since. I’m glad I did; but, as it turns out, this year, dancers will also be able to get some tips from instructors who will be on hand to get everyone up to speed on all the basic steps.
Dancing is always a huge hit at the event, with salsa, meringue, cumbia, rhumba and mambo beats spinning live all night long.
There will be an interruption for a live auction and raffle of some unique Cuban items, some of which you really couldn’t get anywhere else.
Being a film buff, I really love the film series. Dozens of Cuban films – both narrative and documentary -- will be screened throughout the evening on a big screen in an outdoor setting. Many of these films are truly rare and fascinating.
“He Who Hits First, Hits Twice: The Urgent Cinema of Santiago Alvarez,” curated by Travis Wilkerson, is one of my favorites. With no formal training of any kind, Alvarez headed the Cuban newsreel from 1959 until his death in 1998.
This masterfully improvised collection includes everything from the funeral of Ho Chi MInh to footage from the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. The short entitled, “Cerro Pelado” documents the journey of Cuban athletes on board the ship with the same name, on their way to compete in the 10th Central American and Carribean Games hosted by Puerto Rico in 1966. Cuba was prohibited by the US from entering the territory with any vessel.
In spite of having to drop anchor five miles off the coast of San Juan, the athletes made their way in small launches and went on to take second place by country at the games.
Another film you’ll wanna catch, if you’re not too busy dancing, is “Cuban Story.” It seems that silver screen hero Errol Flynn was in Cuba at the time of the revolution in 1959, along with director, Victor Phalen. Flynn had sympathized with the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War and was inspired by “those gallant people” in Cuba to document the revolution. The film is a quirky kind of off-beat personal account of Flynn’s experience there, with some great original footage of events of the time.
Other films on the menu include “Comandante,” directed in 2003 by Oliver Stone, and “Clandestinos,” a film made in the late 1980’s by director Fernando Perez. This film offers a rare narrative account of life for urban rebels on the cusp of social change.
The $10 admission for this evening of culture, food and fun includes a plate of homemade Cuban food, including chicken, black beans, yucca and plantains. Rico! Like I said, you get a soft drink with that too; but, alcoholic drinks will also be available. Mojitos are in the offing; and this year, homemade brew is on tap!
Before you leave, memorialize the event with a snapshot from the photo booth.
Having this much fun for only ten bucks is truly revolutionary.
NEED TO KNOW:
NOCHE CUBANA
Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) 1740 W. Temple St. (map) http://goo.gl/maps/zlwbF
Saturday, August 4, 2012
7 p.m. til midnight
$10 donation gets you a plate of scrumptious homemade Cuban food and a soft drink.
Mojitos and homemade beer will also be served
Visit the website for Noche Cubana – for more information, to RSVP and to purchase raffle tickets for an iPad.
(Jennifer Caldwell is a an actress and an active member of SAG-AFTRA, serving on several committees. She is a published author of short stories and news articles and is a featured contributor to CityWatch. Her column at www.RecessionCafe.wordpress.com is dishing up good deals, recipes and food for thought. Jennifer can be reached at [email protected]. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifercald - Twitter: @CheckingTheGate) Photo credit: 1957/8 by Spanish photographer Enrique Meneses
–cw
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 62
Pub: Aug 3, 2012