Leonardo Padura visits the Muelle de las Carabelas (Huelva) after participating in 'CubaCultura'

August 26, 2021

The writer, journalist, screenwriter, and Cuban literary critic Leonardo Padura, who is in Huelva for his participation in the Cycle of cultural encounters between Spain and Cuba 'CubaCultura', organized by Harina de Otro Costal with the sponsorship of the Provincial Council, visited on Tuesday emblematic places in the province such as the Muelle de las Carabelas, the Monastery of La Rábida, the UNIA headquarters, and, already in Moguer, the Zenobia-Juan Ramón Jiménez House Museum and the Monastery of Santa Clara.

Accompanied by the vice president of the provincial institution, Juan Antonio García, Padura toured the facilities of the Muelle de las Carabelas, a symbol of Huelva's American vocation, and subsequently visited the Monastery of La Rábida and the Santa María de La Rábida Headquarters of UNIA, where he was received by its director, Agustín Galán, and by the director of the UNIA International Networks Secretariat, María de la O Barroso, signing in the University's Honor Book.

According to the provincial institution in a press release, after leaving the Rábida area, they headed to Moguer, where its mayor, Gustavo Cuéllar, was waiting for them.

The writer, Princess of Asturias Prize for Letters in 2015 and a reference in Ibero-American literature, said he felt "moved and overwhelmed by the spirit of Juan Ramón" during his visit to the hometown of the Moguer Nobel laureate, whose relationship with America marked his work and his life: fascinated by Hispanic-American poetry through Rubén Darío, with whom the Moguer native would maintain a close friendship until the death of the Nicaraguan author; his first trip to the American continent to marry Zenobia Camprubí and, finally, exile in 1936.

Leonardo Padura's presence in Huelva stems from the 'CubaCultura' Cycle, which every summer for the past eight editions has been presented by the Harina de Otro Costal Art Center (Trigueros), led by its managers, Lourdes Santos and Juan Manuel Seisdedos, with the collaboration of the Huelva Provincial Council as the main sponsor.

"Essential work by Harina de Otro Costal to place Huelva on the Ibero-American cultural map in summer and strengthen the bonds of union between Huelva and the American continent," said the vice president of the provincial institution, Juan Antonio García, who stated that CubaCultura "clearly projects the embrace between Spain and America and welcomes the best of Cuban production in music, cinema, architecture, visual arts, and literature, among other disciplines."

In this regard, the Provincial Council has indicated that it is committed to promoting the Ibero-American space, "responding to the marked strategy of championing this position in a sustained manner."

As the vice president of the provincial entity noted, "with initiatives like CubaCultura it is possible to confirm a cohesive and powerful cultural tourism product that encompasses the Muelle de las Carabelas, the summer cultural offerings of the Castillo de Niebla Festival and the Ibero-American Forum, the Ibero-American Film Festival of Huelva, the Zenobia-Juan Ramón Jiménez House Museum, the Nerva Vázquez Díaz Museum, the cultural offerings focused on flamenco, etc."

For García, "cultural tourism also requires consolidating a product that is still dispersed and that is why we are working from the Provincial Council: to align it with the Intelligent Tourist Destination Strategy, on which we have been working shoulder to shoulder for several months with the Ministry of Tourism, the Andalusian Regional Government, and the provincial business sector."

CUBACULTURA 2021

Last Sunday, at the Harina de Otro Costal Art Center, the literary space 'Conversatorio with Leonardo Padura' took place, within the programming of the eighth edition of the Cycle of cultural encounters between Spain and Cuba 'CubaCultura', titled 'Pianíssimo' as it is dedicated to the great Cuban pianists and includes literary encounters, concerts, exhibitions, and documentaries, as well as workshops and gastronomy.

Padura was finally able to attend this edition of CubaCultura, as he could not participate in person in the previous edition—although he did participate remotely.

Following the cycle's programming, during today's session, Architecture and Heritage will be the protagonist with 'Loyal to its City', a tribute to Eusebio Leal, who passed away a month ago and was the great historian of Havana. The lecture will be given by architect José Ramón Moreno. The tribute to Eusebio Leal will be carried over to the Pianíssimo session, in which all the pianists of the cycle will perform habaneras in his memory.

Also, tomorrow Wednesday the 25th, photographer Raúl Cañibano will present his book Absolut Cuba. It will also be the night of improvisation and 'Canciones con Pimienta', Alexis Díaz Pimienta's proposal that each year features a guest, in this case with the Gradelio family, Reiner, and Alain Pérez. CubaCultura 2021 will close on August 26th with the concert Fiesta Cubana, a fusion of some of the Cuban stars participating.