Artex: 31 years promoting Cuban art

The Artistic and Literary Promotions Enterprise Artex celebrates its 31st anniversary on April 1. Described in Cuba as one of the most important cultural marketing companies, it has been able to make the largest economic contributions to the fund for the development of culture.

Created in 1989, its main objective has been to assume the management, promotion and marketing abroad of Cuban artists dedicated to playing and staging live music shows, dance and circus. Since then, the professionalism and sense of belonging of its founders turned out to be its main strengths. Today these values ​​continue to distinguish their work. As a result of the company’s professionalism in promoting and commercializing Cuban art, the institution, originally made up of 43 workers, currently has a total of 4328, throughout the country.

The main promoter and marketer of Cuban art is made up of seven agencies, including Musicalia and Clave Cubana artistic representation, the record label and music publisher Bis Music; the exporting agency Soy Cubano; Ediciones Cubanas, an editorial label that markets physical and digital books; D´Arte, in charge of providing professional and technical services in different modalities, and Paradiso, the only cultural tourism agency in Cuba. The Commercial Division Lauros -the Culture Ministry’s main importing company- is added to the list, as well as the Logistics Division, 15 branches, more than 260 stores and more than 80 cultural centers throughout the country.

Its catalog includes the most popular orchestras and bands in the country: Los Van Van, Alexander Abreu and Havana D'Primera, Charanga Habanera, Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, Paulo FG, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Yumurí y Sus Hermanos, Haila and her Orchestra, Maikel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor, Elito Revé y su Charangón, David Blanco, Pupy y los que son Son, Bamboleo, José Luis Cortés and NG La Banda, Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, David Álvarez y Juego de Manos, Ivette Cepeda, Descemer Bueno, Kelvis Ochoa, Ernesto Blanco, Isis Flores y Osdalgia Lesmes, among others.

Each of the gains by Artex throughout 31 years has been directed to financing the country’s cultural development, the maintenance or recovery of art schools, movie theaters, theaters, culture houses and other cultural entities.

They also include the renovation and reopening of cultural centers, stores and facilities, with the premise of quality that has enabled it to keep its status as an outstanding institution within those dedicated to the promotion and commercialization of Cuba’s cultural products.