A Cuban Legend The story of Artist Salvador Gonzalez
(eVideo)

English

Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 03, 2015.

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A journey into realm of Afro-Cuban culture, this program explores the world of artist Salvador Gonzalez, a charismatic visionary who has single-handedly transformed a Havana alley into a world-renowned outdoor art and performance space. Salvador's outdoor murals encompass the doorways, windows, and walls of two full blocks of Central Havana known as Callejon de Hamel (Hamel's Alley), now the center of a musical and artistic renaissance of Yoruba culture, a fusion of African mysticism and pagan ritual. Though his murals have brought him international recognition, Salvador's art is not limited to painting and sculpture. On Sundays, Salvador presides over the drummers and dancers who come to rumba the day away-part community activist, part shaman, and indisputable lord of the barrio. Inspired by the ancient religious traditions of West Africa, Salvador also uses myth, music, movement and ritual to create performance pieces featuring dancers who Salvador has painted himself, transforming them into living embodiments of the African deities known as orishas. These unforgettable tableaux reveal an artistic sensibility that is dynamic and modern, yet recalls the ancient origins of human culture.

9 & up.

System requirements: Access Video On Demand playback platform.

Closed-captioned.