ES / EN
- May 9, 2025 -
No Result
View All Result
OnCubaNews
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors
OnCubaNews
ES / EN
Home Opinion Columns Propositions

David the Cuban

by
  • Hugo Cancio
    Hugo Cancio,
  • hugo
    hugo
August 1, 2013
in Propositions
0

David is much younger than me, is a better dancer (anybody is a better dancer), and smokes and knows as much or more as I do about Cuban cigars. His Cuban music collection is larger than mine, and it’s not because he is—or thinks he is—more Cuban than me; it’s just that David loves Cuba, and without any exceptions whatsoever, he loves all of its derivatives.

They tell me that before he learned how to jump, run or swim, he was dancing to Cuban music, and when he learned to talk the first thing he said was: “And why wasn’t I born in Havana?” Well, if he didn’t say it, he thought it.

David is “not” Cuban. Well, espera/hold on; if he is, he isn’t legally so, because he wasn’t born in Cuba (he was born in Miami), and even though his parents are Cuban, Cuba still doesn’t offer citizenship to persons born in the USA to Cuban parents—and there are so many of them! But this doesn’t bother David; it doesn’t torment him, knock him out of kilter or take away from his Cuban-ness. David smells and dresses like Cuba, and when he talks (Spanish-Cuban) he is as much a son of Cuba as the royal palm or son and guaracha music.

David’s parents have lived in Miami for many years. They have not returned to Cuba, and not because they don’t want to or can’t, but because it’s hard for them to forget the reasons that obliged them to leave; apparently it’s something that is difficult to get over. This is something that David understands but does not assume or inherit and that’s fine, that’s how it should be.

He told his parents that he was going to Cuba, that he wanted to see, watch, observe, feel, and experience for himself everything that they talked about, the good and the bad, colorful and gray…. David wanted to discover, needed to wander and follow the tracks and shadows of his parents and grandparents, reclaim his inheritance and roots, traipse through Havana. Inquiring, asking, finally meeting those distant cousins (“his Cuban cousins”) and—why not?—dancing rumba. “La rumba derrumba (the rumba tears things down)” he told me in Havana, dressed in jeans, sock-less moccasins and a guayabera shirt.

David has now been to Cuba several times and he convinced his mother to go. She did, and regrets were forgotten when she touched Cuban soil; the bad memories succumbed, dissolved in kisses, hugs and gratitude for her return.

Related Posts

Photo: Kaloian

Averting the winter for a Cuba that belongs to all of us

March 22, 2019
Miguel Díaz-Canel holding hands with his wife Lis Cuesta, talks to voters on March 11, 2018. Photo by Ramón Espinosa / AP.

A new time

April 24, 2018
Foto: Claudio Peláez Sordo.

The road is to build

September 1, 2017
Photo: Luis Gabriel

A better deal…for whom

June 15, 2017

David is a highly-sought after and well-known Cuban music DJ (DJ Melao) whose job is to promote Cuban music worldwide. I wanted to dedicate this article to my friend David for no reason other than admiration, because he deserves it…because of his inexplicable, contagious passion for Cuba.

  • Hugo Cancio
    Hugo Cancio,
  • hugo
    hugo
Previous Post

The ones who move Havana and the ones who bring together the famous

Next Post

august

Hugo Cancio

Hugo Cancio

Empresario y activista, presidente de Fuego Enterprises, Inc, Fuego Media Group. Fundador y Editor en Jefe OnCuba Magazine y ArtOnCuba

hugo

hugo

Next Post

august

USA Multiple Entry Visas for Cubans

The Cubans in Cesar Lopez

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

The conversation here is moderated according to OnCuba News discussion guidelines. Please read the Comment Policy before joining the discussion.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Read

  • Archbishop of Havana proclaimed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring.

    Cuban Cardinal before the conclave: “There is a desire to maintain the legacy of Pope Francis”

    31 shares
    Share 12 Tweet 8
  • The Enchanted Shrimp of the Cuban Dance

    2926 shares
    Share 1170 Tweet 732
  • Tourism in Cuba: a driving force in decline

    25 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 6
  • Deported and without her baby daughter: Heidy Sánchez’s desperation

    8 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 2
  • Poverty in Cuba: Ministry of Labor establishes new regulations to care for “vulnerable groups”

    11 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3

Most Commented

  • Photovoltaic solar park in Cuba. Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the Electricity Conglomerate (UNE).

    Solar parks vs. blackouts: between illusions and reality (I)

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Fernando Pérez, a traveler

    11 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Solar parks vs. blackouts: between illusions and reality (II and end)

    12 shares
    Share 5 Tweet 3
  • The “Pan de La Habana” has arrived

    31 shares
    Share 12 Tweet 8
  • China positions itself as Cuba’s main medical supplier after signing new contracts

    26 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 7
  • About us
  • Work with OnCuba
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Moderation policy for comments
  • Contact us
  • Advertisement offers

OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises, Inc., its subsidiaries or divisions.
OnCuba © by Fuego Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors

OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises, Inc., its subsidiaries or divisions.
OnCuba © by Fuego Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}