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The culture of Cuba is a complex mixture of different, often contrasting, factors and influences. Traditionally, Cuba is a meeting point of European, African, Amerindian and continental North American cultures. Since 1959, the Cuban Revolution has also greatly affected Cuban culture, down to the most basic levels of daily life. Much of Cuban culture, especially Cuban music, is instantly recognizable throughout the world.

Contents 1 Music 2 Sport 3 Cuisine 4 Religion 5 Language 6 Housing 7 Women 8 Street impressions 9 Literature 10 See also 11 External links

Life in Cuba
Art
Cinema
Cuisine
Culture
Demographics
Education
Health
Holidays
Human Rights
Literature
Music
Politics
Religion
Tourism

Main articles: Music of Cuba and Cuban folk music

Cuban music is the basis for many other Latin American musical styles, such as Salsa. The main musical form is Son, but they also listen to rock. The Caribbean island of Cuba has been influential in the development of multiple musical styles in the 19th and 20th centuries. The roots of most Cuban musical forms lie in the cabildos, a form of social club among African slaves brought to the island. The cabildos were formed from the Igbos, Araras, Bantu, Carabalies, Yorubas, and other civilizations/tribes. Cabildos preserved African cultural traditions, even after the Emancipation in 1886 forced them to unite with the Roman Catholic church. At the same time, a religion called Santería was developing and had soon spread throughout Cuba, Haiti and other nearby islands. Santería influenced Cuba's music, as percussion is an inherent part of the religion. Each orisha, or deity, is associated with colors, emotions, Roman Catholic saints and drum patterns called toques. By the 20th century, elements of Santería music had appeared in popular and folk forms.

Cuban music has its principal roots in Spain and West Africa, but over time has been influenced by diverse genres from different countries. Most important among these are France, the United States, and Jamaica. Reciprocally, Cuban music has been immensely influential in other countries, contributing not only to the development of jazz and salsa, but also to Argentinian tango, Ghanaian high-life, West African Afrobeat, and Spanish "nuevo flamenco". Cuban music of high quality includes "classical" music, some with predominantly European influences, and much of it inspired by both Afro-Cuban and Spanish music. Several Cuban-born composers of "serious" music have recently received a much-deserved revival. Within Cuba, there are many popular musicians working in the rock and reggaeton idioms.

Cuban folk music is very diverse and has been influenced by many different cultures. The coming together of Spanish peoples, slaves from Africa, and the remaining indigenous populations of the Caribbean created many different cultural groups throughout the Caribbean.

See also: Baseball in Cuba

Unlike in most of Latin America (but like many nations of the Caribbean and some of Central America), football (soccer) is not a major game in Cuba but is gaining popularity. Baseball is the most commonly played game. Introduced by American dockworkers in Havana in the 19th century, the game has played a role in Cuban independence from Spain. Banned in 1895 by the Spanish, secret games funded José Martí's revolt. Cuban peloteros rank highly internationally and some have migrated to Major League Baseball in the United States. The national team finished second in the first World Baseball Classic against the Japanese national team. Boxing is also rather popular.

Every year, Cuba holds the School Sports Games, a competition for school students. The best athletes from age 11 to 16 are invited to be tested for the Schools for Sports Initiation (Spanish acronym: EIDE). EIDE students attend regular classes, receive advanced coaching and take part in higher level competitions. The top graduates from this school enter one of several Schools of Higher Athletic Performance (Spanish acronym: ESPA).

See also: Cuban Cuisine and Rationing in Cuba

Food in Cuba is rationed. A ration book called a libreta is supposed to guarantee a range of products from shops, however, there are still massive shortages and even rations are not guaranteed to be delivered timely or at all. See Rationing in Cuba for an explanation on this system.

The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 ended grain imports from that country, which were used to feed cattle and chickens. Since 1991 beef, chicken, milk and eggs became scarce.

A lack of fuel for agricultural machinery meant that crops had to be harvested manually (by people) , drastically decreasing Cuba's food production capabilities. These problems have improved a little in recent years, but shortages are still common. To supplement their rations, Cubans resort to non-rationed food stores (where prices are nevertheless several times those of the libreta), or to the black market.

Traditional Cuban food is, as most cultural aspects of this country, a syncretism of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines, with a small but noteworthy Chinese influence. Most popular foods are black beans, stews, and meats[1].

One example of traditional Cuban cuisine, or criollo as it is called, is moros y cristianos, "Moors and Christians", rice with black beans. Criollo uses many different seasonings, with some of the most common being onion and garlictobacco. Cassava, rice, beans, eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, chicken, beef and pork are all common ingredients.

Coffee is of high quality and grown mainly for export, the common coffee drunk in Cuba is imported from Africa.

Cuba's policy on religion has changed much since 1959. Originally in line with Karl Marx's statement "Religion is the opiate of the people", religious Cubans were persecuted and could be denied jobs or an education by the government.

In the 1970s, the relationship between the government and religious institutions (especially the Roman Catholic Church) began to improve. By 1976, the state granted Cuban citizens religious freedom, with some restrictions, and in 1992, the constitution was amended to allow total religious freedom. About 25% of Cubans today are Catholic. Some Catholic traditions were lost, but the church has imported the Mexican Christmas plays (pastorelas) trying to reconnect Cubans to Christianity.

Another large religion in Cuba is Santería. Santería is a blend of Catholicism and traditional Yoruba religions. When African slaves first arrived in Cuba during the 1500s, they were taught a few simple prayers and were baptised by the Spanish. The slaves combined this limited form of Catholicism with their traditional religions to create Santería, which survives to this day.

As with much of Latin America, Spanish is spoken in Cuba. After the 1959 Revolution, the term "compañero/compañera", meaning comrade, came to gradually replace the traditional "señor/señora" as the universal polite title of address for strangers. A significant number of Afro-Cubans as well as mulatto Cubans speak Haitian Creole. Haitian Creole is the second most spoken language as well as a recognized one in Cuba with approximately 300,000 speakers. Haiti was a French colony, and the final years of the 1791-1804 Haitian Revolution brought a wave of French settlers fleeing with their Haitian slaves to Cuba.

Many words from Cuban Amerindian languages have entered common usage in both Spanish and English, such as the Taíno words canoa, tabaco and huracán.

When speaking to the elderly, or to strangers, Cubans speak more formally as a sign of respect. They shake hands upon greeting someone and farewelling them. Men often exchange friendly hugs (abrazos) and it is also common for both men and women to greet friends and family with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Informalities like addressing a stranger with 'mi corazón' (my heart), 'mi vida' (my life), or 'cariño' (dear) are not uncommon.

Children are required to take part in social activities outside of the home, such as working in the fields during holidays to prevent them from becoming blind intellectuals.

Cubans do not own the homes they live in, which is owned by the state. They are allowed to swap houses, but that requires finding the right other person who wants to swap, which is difficult and therefore doesn't happen too often.

Women's rights has always been a concern of the socialist Castro government, and most women today work outside of the home.

Childcare facilities are common in Cuba, and this has helped to relieve some women of the stress of raising children and thus allowed them to enter the workforce.

In 1974, the Family Code was passed, giving men and women equal rights and responsibilities for housework, childrearing and education. However, despite official government policy, and as with much of Latin America, machismo is common amongst men, and stereotypes of women continue to exist, though they are becoming rare.

During the periodo especial after the fall of the USSR which resulted in poverty, the phenomenon of jineteras has appeared; illegal female prostitutes aiming for the foreign tourist and asking for pay in US dollars. The government had made an issue of giving proper jobs to the many prostitutes that, before 1959, complemented the Cuban touristic offer.

The most striking is the traffic, with a combination of 1940s and 1950s cars (named 'maquinas' or 'yank tanks'), Russian trucks and public transport in the form of buses named camellos after their camel-shape. Some vehicles are gifts from other countries, so one can see buses with a Dutch destination displayed at the front or ambulances with Welsh lettering.

As is to be expected in a Socialist country, there are hardly any commercials, but many slogans instead, which can vary from the name 'Fidel' scratched on a floor via a mural saying "Drinking is bad for your health" to a large sign saying "One person is worth a million times more than all the possessions of the richest man in the world". Statues of José Martí, who is a Cuban hero of before and after the Revolution can be found on almost any square.

Uncommon for a developing country is that dogs are rarely treated as outcasts but often even pampered as pets.

Further information: Cuban literature

See also: List of Cuban writers

Cuban literature began to find its voice in the early 19th century. The major works published in Cuba during that time were of an abolitionist character. Notable writers of this genre include Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda and Cirilio Villaverde. Following the abolition of slavery in 1886, the focus of Cuban literature shifted. Dominant themes of independence and freedom were exemplified by José Martí, who led the modernista movement in Latin American literature. Writers such as the poet Nicolás Guillén focused on literature as social protest. Others like Dulce María Loynaz, José Lezama Lima and Alejo Carpentier dealt with more personal or universal issues. And a few more, such as Reinaldo Arenas and Guillermo Cabrera Infante, earned international recognition in the postrevolutionary era.

• Cubans
• White Cuban
• Chinese Cuban
• Afro-Cuban
• Jewban
• Cuban American
• Latin American culture
• Public holidays in Cuba
• Yorùbá mythology
• Cinema of Cuba
• List of television stations in Cuba

• Island Thresholds, Peabody Essex Museum’s interactive feature, showcases the work of Caribbean artists and their exploration of culture and identity.
• Photos Cuba
• Classic Cuban cooking
• SoyCubano — Cuban culture
• Overview of Cuba's Food Rationing System
• Overview of Cuba's Contemporary Art, Artist's work and bios

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