National Poet of Cuba at the gates of his 120 years of life

Camagüey, Cuba, Jul 4 (Prensa Latina) Nicolás Guillén (1902-1989), National Poet of Cuba, will once again tour the streets of this heritage city, with his artistic prose of Caribbean essences, in the theme of the colloquium organized today by the Foundation named after him.

From the 7th to the 10th of this month, one of the most faithful exponents of black prose will occupy the agenda of academics and intellectuals from nations such as Cuba, the United States, Canada, Colombia and Guadeloupe.

They will meet in the city that saw him be born more than a century ago, right on Hermanos Agüeros street, located in the Historic Center, recognized by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture.

The Festival, in turn, is designed “with the intention of highlighting the color of Cubanness, and all that legacy and cultural mix that we drank through the teachings of Guillén himself,” said Orlando Hernández, vice president of the Foundation.

In addition to the dedication to the 120th anniversary of his birth and also journalist and author of classics such as Sóngoro Cosongo (1931), or the Toothed Wheel and the Daily Diary -these last two were published in 1972- the space will make a section to honor the culture and traditions of Haiti, on the 80th anniversary of the writer’s visit to that nation.

According to its organizers, “the intention is to maintain the biennial event, with venues in exchange between Havana and Camagüey,” said Hernández himself, for whom the commitment to the dissemination of nationality based on Guillén’s work is key in these times, and especially for the young generations.

The program includes plastic arts exhibitions in galleries and buildings of recognized architectural and cultural value, while the Colloquium will feature a tribute gala to Guillén himself, by the Camagüey Ballet, one of the best classical companies in the country.

In addition to the theoretical sections dedicated to the work of the also journalist and writer, spaces of urban importance such as the Plaza del Gallo will have presentations by the Ballet Folklorico de Camagüey, Rumbatá, Bonito Patua, Caidije, with broad Afro-Cuban traditions.

This month of July marks the 120 years of eternal life of the National Poet, Nicolás Guillén, whom the homonymous foundation remembers for his extensive work linked to nationality and race.