Annotated Bibliography

Bettelheim, Judith.  “Palo Monte Mayombe and Its Influence on Cuban  Contemporary Art.”  African Arts XXXIV #2 (2001): 36-49.

The author of the article is an art history professor who has been studying Cuban history and art for over 15 years and has authored a book on Cuban cultural and religious festivals.  The Yoruban religion of Palo Monte Mayombe and aspects of the religion that appear in the work of three Cuban artists is discussed in detail, with full-color pictures of many examples of the artists’ work.  While the article does its best to describe everything clearly, someone with knowledge of the African religions that are used to compare and contrast Palo Monte Mayombe may best resource it. 

Block, Holly, Gerardo Mosquera, Eugenio Valdés Figueroa, Orlando Hernández, and Antonio Eligio (Tonel).  Art Cuba.  New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001. 

The editor has been involved with numerous cultural exchanges between America and Cuba since the early 1990’s.  Several prominent Cuban artists contribute essays to the book describing how the government has affected the art produced and how information travels in Cuba’s art world, among other topics.  Over 60 Cuban artists are featured in the book; each is given a small biography and the book is full of examples of art in full-color images.  A timeline is included at the end showing a chronology of Cuban art since the Cuban Revolution.  There is also a comprehensive index and selected bibliography, both of which add to the book’s usefulness as a research tool.  More examples of art can be found here than in most resources, and the book would be a good resource for students and researchers.

Fuentes-Pérez, Ileana, Graciella Cruz-Taura, et al.  Outside Cuba: Contemporary Cuban Visual Artists.  New Brunswick: Coral Gables, Office of Hispanic Arts Mason Gross School of the Arts Rutgers the State University of New Jersey;     Research Institute for Cuban Studies Graduate School of International Studies University of Miami Florida, 1989.

This book catalogues an exhibition of contemporary Cuban art, under the same name as the book, which was sponsored largely by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and traveled to several museums from 1987-1989.  Two essays are included, concerning the government exile of certain artists and their reaction to the exile.  Extensive notes section follow each essay, and every written part of the book appears in both English and Spanish, allowing the book to be useful to a much wider range of people than English-speaking alone.  Following the essays are examples from the exhibit, divided into six generations of Cuban modern art.  A time line of each artist’s career is included with examples of their art, as well as a short autobiography accompanying a picture of the artist.  This is a useful resource for contemporary Cuban art for both its pictures and information.

Hagedorn, Katherine J.  Divine Utterances: the Performance of Afro-Cuban Santeria.  Washington, D.C.: Chesham, 2001. 

The music and dances of Cuba’s Santería religion are the main focus of this resource.  The author has studied these topics extensively since the late 1980’s, which is evident in the amount of information in the book.  14 figures are included in the book depicting various musical instruments as well as musical notations of selected songs.  A CD accompanies the book containing 20 tracks sampling the music discussed.  The book is very detailed and in-depth, so it is a good resource for a major study on the music of religious practices in Cuba.

Kirk, John M. and Leonardo Padura Fuentes.  Culture and the Cuban Revolution: Conversations In Havana.  Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2001.

The main purpose of this book is to expose all aspects of Cuban artistic culture and prove that the art of the country is not under the sole influence of the government, but that the artistic expression runs outside of government control.  There are 13 chapters, each highlighting an interview with various Cuban artists, ranging from authors and painters to musicians and dancers.  The interviews cover influences on the artists’ life and their views of art in Cuba.  This book is detailed and offers a lot of information on the subject, and the interview format makes the reading more interesting. 

Mason, John.  “Yoruba-American Art: New Rivers to Explore.”  The Yoruba Artist. Rowland Abiodun, Henry J. Drewal and John Pemberton.  Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994. 241-50.

The article is taken as an excerpt from John Mason’s work Orin Orisa.  It describes the religion of the òrìsà and the art that has risen from it.  The religion has spread from Africa to Cuba to the U.S. and its art has changed with the different countries and with each new generation.  The article is easy to read and informative, if short.  There are a few pictures accompanying the article and a very short notes section. 

Power, Kevin, Dannys Montes de Oca Moreda, and Lupe Álvarez.  While Cuba Waits: Art From The Nineties.  Santa Monica, CA: Smart Art Press, 1999. 

Two art critics and a curator, all from Cuba, have each written an essay on Cuba concerning its art and history.  The essays relay the artists’ experiences in Cuba and are very informative.  Following the essays, 11 artists are highlighted with examples of their artwork and articles and poems the artists have written themselves.  At the end of the book all text is included in Spanish, though this is not as convenient as having the Spanish text beside the English because one must flip back and forth to see the pictures along with the text.  The work is informative, and while more photos could be included, the examples given are good quality.

Rodriguez, Victoria Eli.  “Cuban Music and Ethnicity: Historical Considerations.” Music and Black Ethnicity: the Caribbean and South America.  Gerard Béhague and University of Miami.  North-South Center.  New Brunswick,  N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1994.

 This article discusses what racial identities make up the Cuban culture and how these affect music, as well as the influences of folk and “art” music on contemporary Cuban music.  The text includes musical notations of two Cuban songs and a long list of references and notes.  The author is a Cuban musicologist that has composed essays and other writings on Cuban music since 1959.  This resource gives quick, good information and is easy to read.

Thompson, Robert Farris and N.Y. Museum for African Art.  Face of the Gods: Art and Altars of Africa and the African Americas.  New York, Munich, Museum for African Art: Prestel, 1993. 

This book examines African (Kongo, Mande and Yoruba) religions that have been brought over to the Caribbean, South and North America.  It looks at how the religions have changed in the new environment and how it appears in the art of practitioners in the different regions.  The book is full of information and full-color pictures.  It also explains itself well and is a good resource for most any researcher.  An extensive notes section and bibliography is included as well. 

Wenders, Wim, Donata Wenders, et al.  Buena Vista Social Club: the Companion Book to the Film.  New York: te Neues, 2000.

As stated in the title, this book is a companion to the film “Buena Vista Social Club.”  It includes movie stills and lyrics of the featured artists’ songs, as well as autobiographical paragraphs and poems from each artist.  The book is filled with movie stills and additional photographs taken during the time of filming.  While the book is designed mainly to supplement viewing the film, it aids the reader in understanding the world the musicians come from and live in.  This is a good source for most any researcher as it is easy to read and also informational.

Zeitlin, Marilyn A., Gerardo Mosquera, and Tonel (Antonio Eligio Fernández). Contemporary Art from Cuba.  New York: Delano Greenidge Editions, 1999.

This book looks at Cuban artists who grew up during the Cuban revolution and the effect the revolution had on contemporary Cuban art.  Two essays at the beginning of the book discuss “New Cuban Art” (Mosquera) and Cuban art from the 1980’s through the 1990’s.  Following the essays are a little over 50 pages dedicated to 17 Cuban artists, featuring numerous full-color pictures for each artist, but no biographies the artists.  The text of the book is presented in both English and Spanish, and bibliography pages for the book as well as each of the artists is included in the last pages.  The book is very good for examples of artwork, but more research would be necessary to find more information on the featured artists.