The International Colloquium Nicolás Guillén is Celebrated in Camagüey

July 5, 2022

The National Poet of Cuba, Nicolás Guillén, returns to his native city, on the occasion of the one hundred twenty years of his birth.

The International Colloquium, organized by the Foundation bearing the name of the journalist and writer, has as its thematic axis the verses of the Elegía Camagüeyana, "Here I am, oh my land...", recognizes the Vice President of the Foundation, Orlando Hernández Guillén.

"This is also part of the tribute to Camagüey, and not without reason, we will work inspired by the Elegía, dedicated to the city that the Poet never left behind".

"To the meeting with Nicolás Guillén will come Cuban academics and intellectuals from the United States, Canada, and Colombia, who will highlight the poet's legacy through what he called «Cuban color» and Black poetry; and the culture and traditions of Haiti will be highlighted, on the 80th anniversary of the writer's visit to that nation".

At the Santa Cecilia Convention Center, the XIII Nicolás Guillén Colloquium is inaugurated on July 7, where an extensive scientific program will be developed through lectures, panels, and discussion tables, with topics referring to Camagüey in Nicolás Guillén; the realities and imaginaries of Haiti in Cuba; the transition from slaves to citizens, race, nation and society; and the presentation of Nicolás Guillén's books, La rueda dentada, and El diario que a diario, published 50 years ago.

At the press conference, the President of the provincial branch of the National Foundation Nicolás Guillén (FNG), Yoandra Santana, provided details of the artistic day prior to the start of the scientific meeting.

"At the QR Gallery, in the Nuevo Mundo Video Room, a photographic exhibition will be shown, which includes some unpublished images of Nicolás Guillén, preserved in the archives of the Periódico Adelante; and a conversation will be held about the poet's imprint in the Digital Encyclopedia of Cuban Audiovisual (ENDAC)".

"On July 6 itself, the Black and White exhibition by Oscar Rodríguez Lasseria is inaugurated at the Iris Art Gallery, where Liudmila Pardillo and Michel Hernández Torres will offer a feeling discharge; and at night, at the Principal Theater, the Camagüey Ballet is in charge of the Tribute Gala to Nicolás Guillén, under the artistic and general direction of Regina Balaguer Sánchez".

Other cultural actions, as part of the XIII Colloquium and the Poetry Festival, foresee until July thirteen, the Ma chère Haïti tribute, with presentations by the Camagüey Folk Ballet, the Rumbatá group and amateur artists; the opening of several visual arts exhibitions; the concert by Tony Ávila and his group; and the presentation of songs from the album Canto a Guillén, recorded by local groups.

On the evening of Sunday, July 10, the one hundred twenty anniversary of Nicolás Guillén's birth, the International Poetry Festival is inaugurated, with the reading of poems by Nancy Morejón.

The Provincial Director of Culture, Tamira González, assures that "everything is ready in the cradle of the National Poet for the tribute to Nicolás Guillén, an event for which we have been preparing for two years; and we will be able to reopen the first stage of the Birthplace House, National Monument, which will become an extension of the Provincial Museum, after an extraordinary effort for the restoration of the building".

"It will certainly also be an event for the city to place the sculpture of Nicolás Guillén in the Plaza de los Trabajadores, in front of the corner of the old Bar Correo, a place where Nicolás attended gatherings with his friends from his youth years".