An official, of those that wears guayabera and portfolio, tells a journalist "We can talk about secrecy, but it is not for publishing ". The joke, incisive and devastating, crowns a mural of caricatures in the center of Santa Clara city, home of some of the Cuba’s major graphic humorists for whom nothing human is stranger…
In fact, this city has hosted for many years the major erotic humor hall of Cuba, because their caricaturists draw the humorous side of sex, paint walls against the war, or look inside them as the journalists they also are…
They are the workers of Melaito, one of three emblematic humorous publications of Cuba, along with Palante and Dedeté. Unlike the others, Melaito is characterized by its straightforward humor and folksy manners. It was founded 45 years ago and it has known how to be renewed, so it appropriates each space that lends itself to its sharp and sweet eyes…
On the occasion of its anniversary, OnCuba spoke with Roland, Martirena and Linares, three icons of a publication which is not concerned about time, parochialism or material shortages and without basking in its reputation is already preparing the future generations that will inherit its humor realm.
Rolando Gonzalez (Roland): "This is undoubtedly the best of our five murals in Santa Clara, due to its location, subject, and the friends who participated in its making. We left the cartoonists table for the scaffolding, but the important thing is not the support, but the works. We dedicated this mural to Cuban journalists and our director, Pedro Mendez, who is recovering from a heart attack. We also involved the boys of our caricaturist workshop, unique of its kind in Cuba. There is so much talent that needs to be oriented among adolescents. They are our future, and we just have to train them well.”
Adalberto Linares: "Life forces you to move forward, to reinvent yourself. For example, last year we made a multimedia, but animation still remains unresolved, although we did some work with the Cubanacán Cinema Club. For the time being we plan to make a work dedicated to the 45th anniversary of Melaito. Furthermore, Cienfuegos´ Reina del Mar Publishing House will launch ¨Martirena en Blanco y Negro¨, obviously, on my dear friend´s work, and also ¨Linares sin linaje¨, on mine”.
Alfredo Martirena: "We are worried about the future of Melaito, we have been doing this work for more than 30 years, and there are just a few left of the old school. Roland, a Melaito´s founder, has been working for a year and a half with children and youngsters who want to do graphic humor. And we not only teach them on drawing, perspectives, or vignettes, but to work the digital image, to color and give gradations. Digitization has facilitated things, anciently everything was very slow, now an editor asks me for a caricature from Havana, and maybe in an hour I have already sent it to him by email. The trouble is, the group is broken up, not like before, that we always coincided at Melaito´s offices. So initiatives like this mural are necessary, because it brings together old friends. I think that stability in our staff has been crucial for Melaito to endure beyond the departure of friends as Panchito, Ajubel and others. We have a great sense of friendship and no one can question our professional respect. Yes, we get along well each other. We are a real family ".
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Author
Charly Morales Valido
