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Boggs presents a readable, exciting history of Salsa, showing how Afro-Cuban music was embraced in New York City and how it has undergone cycles of popularity and been replicated abroad. From its roots in Cuba through present-day Salsa clubs, Boggs provides a tour of a popular music form that has had a significant impact on the Latin community as well as contemporary musicians and composers. Extensively illustrated with photographs of the bands and clubs as well as the key leaders and promoters, the book also contains interviews with top performers and others instrumental in making salsa what it is today. ... Read more

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Whether you are traveling in luxury or with just a pack on your back, it's important that you have a safe, fun, and easy-going trip. Bad etiquette and a misunderstanding about customs can put an otherwise very exciting trip on hold faster than a bad case of food poisoning.The CULTURE SMART! titles are not your basic travel guides: they are consistently updated customs and etiquette references for more than 25 countries. Now more than ever, travelers are more than just sightseers and tourists; they're ambassadors making impressions of the United States wherever they go. You will find this series to be invaluable for pointing travelers to a safe and fun trip abroad. ... Read more

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A somewhat humorous look at growing up in a different culture, and surviving Fidel Castro ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Solid gold reading!
Beans and Rice is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read.Martha brings great humor to her experiences growing up in Cuba.Beans and Rice belongs on a best seller list! ... Read more

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"A pioneering work of cultural history as well as an impressive work of literary criticism. Its elegant and enjoyable prose takes us on an amazing journey from utopia to dystopia and back, from the making of one of the most significant political, social and cultural experiments in recent world history to its failure on the eve of a new millennium . . . ought to be required reading for anyone grappling with the relationship between art and revolution in Cuba."--Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal, University of California-Santa Cruz

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 not only brought Fidel Castro to power, it transformed Cuban cultural identity, with a new notion of "Cubanness" for men and women that Che Guevara defined as the "New Man." In Serra's examination of political speeches and award-winning novels that perpetuated this new identity during the formative years of the Castro regime, she traces the rise and fall of the "New Man," arguing that writers during this period simultaneously contributed to identity creation while criticizing its problematic aspects, even as they appeared to be singing the praises of the regime. The New Man in Cuba is an in-depth discussion of cultural politics and the politics of culture emerging--evidenced by in the relentless desire of Cuban writers, artists, and intellectuals to create a "New Man" and hold tight to a revolutionary spirit. The authors Serra analyzes professed unconditional support for the revolution, yet their texts contained prophetic insights into the conflicts that the new identity would generate, and influenced recent literary works that deconstruct the "New Man."

Grounded in poststructuralist theories, including feminist, gender, and cultural studies, the book focuses on five pivotal works of the period: Volunteer Teacher (1962), Memories of Underdevelopment (1965), The Children Say Goodbye (1968), Sacchario (1970), and The Last Woman and the Next Combat (1971), showing how each of these works responds to a particular campaign, moment of crisis, or ideological process. Further, the epilogue interprets four recent novels by Leonardo Padura Fuentes as openly criticizing the New Man. This is the first monograph to make available to English readers the Spanish literary and political texts that laid the basis for revolutionary culture and identity but were almost ignored because of the Cuban Revolution's controversial history. Serra's study of a little explained cultural idea helps elucidate the resilience of the revolution to this day. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

columbia restaurant cook book
wonderful food in their restaurant and can now make my own, a great buy at a wonderful price

the inside story
The Columbia Restaurant is a landmark in Tampa.To celebrate its 100th anniversary and honor its founders, the family allowed Andrew Huse access to photos, letters, interviews, and recipes to create this tribute.

A remarkable family story
As a longtime fan of the Columbia restaurants (especially the 1905 Salad!), it was enjoyable to read the long history of the establishments, and to find out how many difficulties the family had to go through to get to today; it's amazing, given all that they went through, that they are still in business!(As a part-time resident of the Palm Beaches, I'm only sorry that their expansion to that market didn't pan out; I hope they give the area another try in the future, and one in Atlanta would be VERY welcome.)

Incidentally, while far from a cookbook, the recipes of many of the restaurants' signature dishes are included, so if you can't get down to Florida, you can still enjoy the wonderful food.

Great first book from Andrew Huse
The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating a century of history, culture and cuisine (Florida history and culture) is an extremely informative, readable, well researched and well written book.

Mr. Huse's first published book is a "home run" that distinguishes him as an expert with respect to the Columbia Restaurant's food and its history.

If his (hopefully) many future books are half as good as his debut effort, his readers (and following) will view him as an excellent writer and a force to be reckoned with in the Florida Food History Writers market niche.

Overall, a great first book.

More than a cookbook, it is a great case study of family business
What a wonderful follow up from the Columbia Spanish Cookbook written by Adela Gonzmart, granddaughter of the founder and Ferdie Pacheco, better known as the fight doctor. The author Andy Huse has documented the hsitory of this 104 year old dining establishment in Tampa with new recipes from Florida's oldest dining establishment. Any person in a family business will be able to relate and will benefit from this "history" book, the honesty and story's of the struggles, the success, pain and passion it takes to operate a multi generational business will make you laugh, cry and cheer for the family as they celebrate staying "trendy" even after 100 years. To Andy Huse I say "BRAVO!!!"
... Read more

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A History of the Cuban Revolution presents a concise socio-historical account of the Cuban Revolution of 1959, an event that continues to spark debate 50 years later. 

• Balances a comprehensive overview of the political and economic events of the revolution with a look at the revolution’s social impact
• Provides a lively, on-the-ground look at the lives of ordinary people
• Features both U.S. and Cuban perspectives to provide a complete and well-rounded look at the revolution and its repercussions
• Encourages students to understand history through the viewpoint of individuals living it

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Presents the celebrated Cuban revolutionary's thoughts on "Nuestra America," the Latin America Martí fought to make free.

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The first book to provide complete, specific instructions for casting the obi oracle of the Santeria faith. * Uses the shell of a coconut, which embodies the spirit of Obi, as a divination tool. * Includes a detailed "mojuba" or prayer that awakens the orishas and invites them to speak. * Examines in depth the five basic patterns that appear when obi is cast and explains how to interpret the oracle's answer. * Explores the fifty additional patterns and meanings contributed by ten orishas closely associated with the orisha Obi.

One of the paths to the spirits within Santeria is through a divination technique known as obi, the coconut oracle, which gives the petitioner access to the orisha of the same name. The orisha Obi began as a mortal human who ascended to become an orisha as a reward for good deeds done on Earth, then fell from grace because of excessive pride. When he descended back to Earth, his spirit was embodied in the coconut palm. Though he no longer has a tongue, he can answer questions posed to him through the patterns made by four pieces of coconut shell cast as a divination tool.

Obi: Oracle of Cuban Santeria is the first book to fully explore the sacred body of lore surrounding Obi, as well as his particular rituals and customs, including opening considerations, casting and interpreting the oracle, and employing advanced methods of divination. Also explained are the previously unpublished secrets of closing the oracle properly so that any negative vibrations will be absorbed by the coconuts and permanently removed from the diviner's home.Amazon.com Review
Within the Santeria faith, the coconut is said to contain the wisdom of Obi, an ancestor who once fell from grace within this Afro-Cuban-based religion. Author and crowned Santeria priest Ocha'ni Lele (The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination) assembled this rich book that teaches readers how to use the coconut, or the wisdom of Obi, for divination. Along the way Lele offers stories about the history and main characters of the Santeria faith. Readers will learn how to choose the right coconut (find one that has milk sloshing inside), how to break it apart, and how to piece out the four sections of coconut that will be used to answer the questions brought to Obi. The idea is to drop the coconut pieces from waist height and study the patterns they form on the ground. For example, it's important to note how many pieces land with the dark rind side showing, and how many land with the white meat facing skyward. Lele also teaches readers how to pay homage to the powers of creation, the dead priests and priestesses of the Orisha, as well as all their religious and blood ancestors. Bear in mind that this book is for serious followers of the Santeria faith, who will be greatly pleased with Lele's reverence and willingness to share insider secrets. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

OBI
ONE HAS TO READ THIS BOOK FROM INTRODUTION TO THE END, IT TEACHES HISTORY,INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CORRECT MEANINGS OF THROWS, THE LUCUMI TRADITION IN THIS BOOK WILL DO OUR TRADITION PROUD AND I AM HONOR TO KNOW HIM.

Good basic primer
A good basic primer for those wanting to learn more about service to the Orisha and the Obi form of divination.

A sad review . . .
I loved this book when I read it years ago. I loved the book "The Diloggun" by this author even more. It is sad that we will never read anything else by this author ever again; after a two year battle with cancer, the author has died. The loss of his voice is a terrible thing for us all,indeed.

It is really a narrow view
Regards Obi divination this book offer a narrow view of this theme. The introduction is well done, with myths about obi, however there is few information about how to use this powerfull oracle. It doesn't explore the nine positions, the segments position in opon and also the Odu asnpect. In despite of Obi Oracle is not for cast Ifa as we do with opele and not for we speak through òrúnmìlà the Odu messages and orientation is an olodumare tool and for this reason is allways present andusefulland Obi can be used as an Oracle for we talk with the Ori and Orixá and receive consistent information and orientation for our lives, avoiding to handle with expensive Ifa works. One can find here some useful information when he wants to work with a Orixá oriented Oracle, which is, in fact, very comom. But be advised for the lack of information for understand the Obi Oracle.

This is the only book in any language to address this subject
I have read many books on the religion. I have never read a book that dealt solely with Obi divination. Even though I have santo done, I never in my wildest dreams believed that this system of divination was so intense, or so in depth, that it demanded a book of its own.

I was wrong.

Some of the material I've heard before orally. The myth of Obi I've heard many times, although never written as beautifully as Ochani has written it. The myth of Biague and Adiatoto I've heard, but I've never seen as much detail in the story. I've never heard the patakis of the coconut palm, nor had I ever heard the story of how Obatala distributed the mysteris of Obi to all the orishas.

Yet all my elders, after having read my copy of the book, agree these stories are all true. And Ochani is the most wonderful storyteller.

But what really floored me is that in all my years, I've never head about "apere ti obi." I approached my madrina with many questions regarding this system, and she told me that, yes, it is an old way to read Obi that was prominent in Cuba many generations ago. She said it was in place even before the cabildo societies that solidified our own lukumi practices. However, she herself had never met anyone but one person who knew how to use that system. Her interpretations were always accurate and right on the money, but because she herself could not cast diloggun, she never shared her secrets with anyone.

And my madrina says that the art of apere as presented by Ochani sounds exactly like what that old woman did. That old woman's name who used apere ti obi was Modesta Morera, Alaraba, ibae, and she was crowned to Iroko in Matanzas. However, because Iroko cannot be crowned direct, she was done Yemaya oro Iroko, and her ordination in Cuba was the only one ever done to Iroko. She was crowned in the 1950s in Matanzas by someone named Cheo Shango, Shango Lari, ibae.

How Ochani learned these secrets we have no idea. He must either be REALLY dedicated to the religion, or is one heck of a researcher.

I think everyone in the religion should read this book. Because aleyos who have received warriors have the right to read obi, even they should read it with the permission of their godparents.

An excellent book, Ochani. PLEASE keep writing for us all! ... Read more

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Cuban Color in Tourism and La Lucha: An Ethnography of Racial Meanings offers a provocative look at what it means to belong in modern socialist Cuba. Drawn from her extensive travels throughout Cuba over the past decade, author L. Kaifa Roland pulls back the curtain on a country that has remained mysterious to Americans since the mid-twentieth century. Through vivid vignettes and firsthand details, Roland exposes the lasting effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent rise of state-sponsored segregated tourism in Cuba. She demonstrates how the creation of separate spheres for locals and tourists has had two effects. First, tourism reestablished the racial apartheid that plagued pre-revolutionary Cuba. Second, it reinforced how the state's desire to maintain a socialist ideology in face of its increasing reliance on capitalist tools is at odds with the day-to-day struggles--or La Lucha--of the Cuban people. Roland uses conversations and anecdotes gleaned from a year of living among locals as a way of delving into these struggles and understanding what constitutes life in Cuba today. In exploring the intersections of race, class, and gender, she gives readers a better understanding of the common issues of status and belonging for tourists and their hosts in Cuba.

Cuban Color in Tourism and La Lucha is one of several volumes in the Issues of Globalization: Case Studies in Contemporary Anthropology series, which examines the experiences of individual communities in our contemporary world. Each volume offers a brief and engaging exploration of a particular issue arising from globalization and its cultural, political, and economic effects on certain peoples or groups. Ideal for introductory anthropology courses--and as supplements for a variety of upper-level courses--these texts seamlessly combine portraits of an interconnected and globalized world with narratives that emphasize the agency of their subjects. ... Read more

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From reviews of the first edition:"The book is an essential source for understanding not only Cuba and its visual imagery but also the stuff of Latin American art."--Artforum"Camnitzer . . . is sensitive to the issues faced by Cuban artists, and provides acute insights into the problems faced by artists in developing countries in attempting to place their work internationally while locating it solidly in national and cultural concerns."--Art Book Review Quarterly"Making a supreme effort to remain politically unbiased, Camnitzer treats the key issues of the role of art in a socialist nation, the artists' dilemma of individuality versus social commitment, censorship, and access and lack thereof. His direct, almost conversational style makes for an informative and consciousness-raising reading. The artists emerge as distinct individuals."--Choice". . . invaluable in providing the 'feel' of contemporary Cuba."--Latin American Research ReviewStarting with the groundbreaking 1981 exhibit called "Volumen I," New Art of Cuba provided the first comprehensive look at the works of the first generation of Cuban artists completely shaped by the 1959 revolution. This revised edition includes a new epilogue that discusses developments in Cuban art since the book's publication in 1994, including the exodus of artists in the early 1990s, the effects of the new dollar economy on the status of artists, and the shift away from socialist themes to more personal concerns in the artists' works. Twenty-four new color plates augment the more than 200 b&w illustrations of the original volume. ... Read more

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Internationally renowned scholars address the Cuban diaspora from multiple perspectives and locations. ... Read more

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Offers a detailed picture of the lives of Cuban Americans through interviews with artists, writers, and philosophers. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 959 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

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In this unforgettable memoir, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Mirta Ojito travels back twenty-five years to the event that brought her and 125,000 of her fellow Cubans to America: the 1980 mass exodus known as the Mariel boatlift. As she tracks down the long-forgotten individuals whose singular actions that year profoundly affected thousands on both sides of the Florida straits, she offers a mesmerizing glimpse behind Cuba’s iron curtain—and recalls the reality of being a sixteen-year-old torn between her family’s thirst for freedom and a revolution that demanded absolute loyalty. Recounting an immensely important chapter in the ever-evolving relationship between America and its neighbor to the south, Finding Mañana is a major triumph by one of our finest journalists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Mixing Personal Accounts and others leaves you wondering
Although she admits she mixes her experiences with others, its not always easy to tell where the blending is and therefore I wonder how much of this story is really hers and how much is story telling.

I have read much better accounts and often a honest, one person account.

Finding Manana
Mirta Ojito takes her own story and mixes it in with others, such as Hector Sanyustiz, the man that crashed a bus thru the Peruvian embassy in 1980 under fire by Cuban guards. During one of his tantrums when Peru refused to turn over the escaped exiles, Castro removed his Cuban guards and within a day over 10,000 folks poured into the embassy. Castro eventually allowed the port of Mariel to be opened up to anybody who wanted to pick up their loved ones (plus a few criminals and mental cases that he threw in), at the end over 125,000 Cubans leaving before he decided to shut down Mariel. Mirta Ojito provides insight into what life was like growing up in a family indifferent to Castro in 1970s Cuba. The book is full of accounts of the oppression, sometimes subtle, of those that do not support Castro's dictatorial regime. Mirta narrates in detail her use as an agricultural child laborer while in her early teens. Evidence of the political apartheid system in Cuba comes to Mirta as a child when she accidentally gets hold of a copy of her school record; where several of her teachers hold against her going to church, her parents' irreverence to support Castro's political activities, and their regular communication with kin in the U.S. The surveillance by the neighborhood Committees for the Defense of the Revolution is evident when her father gets stopped with a bag of potatoes illegally obtained in the black market. Ojito eventually gets to the part when they receive the paperwork to leave Cuba and are processed thru chaotic conditions in Mariel. A moving story!

This is a mesmerizing book of madness, desperation and one girl's flight to freedom!
The political winds of Cuba began to stir and then soon began to howl with the onset of revolution and resolution, the resolution of a multitude of people wanting to leave Cuba.Mirta, a young, intelligent girl of sixteen, never really belonged.She and her family were referred to as gusanos-"worms."They had always wanted to leave Cuba, a land where they never really fit in because of their "counterrevolutionary attitudes."Mirta believed in God, she believed in freedom and she believed that one day that Uncle Oswaldo would some day bring them to America to live out their dreams.

Young girls often have dreams, dreams that never become real and drift away in time, but one fated day, on May 7 in 1980 the dream of going to America somehow became frighteningly real.In a stunning memoir that young girl, now a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, Mirta Ojito, describes the flight of her family and others in FINDING MAÑANA: A Memoir Of A Cuban Exodus. Memories, so many memories.Her mother began to tremble, to sob with fear and anticipation.Her father was rapt with the excitement of this opportunity.Mirta was a mixed bag of emotions.Uncle Oswaldo was on his way to get them.

The madness, the desperation. . .there were thousands of boats toiling their way to Cuba to "rescue" those struggling to leave their homeland, a homeland that no longer wanted them.Unbeknownst to the Ojitos the MAÑANA was setting sail from New Orleans to save them, but would they be saved?And the others, what about them?

It all began when Héctor Sanyustiz, in his search for freedom and refuge, crashed a bus loaded with many innocent passengers through the gates of the Peruvian embassy.The bullets flew, the bus lay on its side.His companion was shot in the head, his own leg pained him, but they were on the safe side.Would they make it?

Mercedes Alvarez, unwillingly following the lead of her husband Filiberto in search of asylum at the Peruvian embassy, clutched her three small children by her side.Food was scarce, sanitation unheard of.There were thousands of people literally crammed side by side, end to end.She was pregnant and weak.Her oldest child was becoming very ill.Would they make it?

And then there were the criminals and misfits, "thin men with sallow complexions, missing or rotten teeth, averted eyes, shaved heads."

The boats were coming. . .

I haven't been so mesmerized by a book as I have this one in quite some time. The book was so well written I could actually feel the tension and fear of the Cuban people in their exodus.It has been some time since the 128,000 Cuban refugees landed on the southern shores of southern Florida during the Carter administration, but perhaps this is the perfect time to revisit it in this stupendous book!

Interesting - Various Perspectives - Journalistic Style
I liked this book. I learned things about Cuba I didn't know. It wasn't exactly a gripping read to me, but I thought in many ways it was well done. I think to most people, the concept of memoir has come to mean that a true story is told through one person's experience, and because that person obviously can't recall the exact dialogue spoken in conversations that there will be a little literary license taken. Because of that literary license, most memoirs read like novels with the added benefit of it being a true story.

This book read differently than that though. The author chose to not quote anything that she couldn't 100% verify as being spoken exactly, so there are many more descriptions of what conversations were about opposed to conversations with alternating quoted lines of dialogue between people. I think it creates a slightly removed point of view for the reader.

Additionally, chapters alternated between her own personal story and those of several other individuals that she interviewed. This was great in that it gave me a wider perspective outside of the author's own experience. However, at the same time, it made it feel like less of a story and more like a series of articles. The journalistic style is not surprising since the writer of the book is, in fact, a journalist. So to some degree, it felt like to me like reading a series of related, well-done, extra-long articles in Time Magazine, or National Geographic, or something like that.

My favorite parts were probably the chapters involving the writer's own personal experience, especially around the time that her family prepared to leave and then did leave Cuba. That part pulled me in the most, and I felt like I could best visualize the Cuban environment during that time and understand what the writer was feeling. I do wish the chapters that focused on other people would have got a bit deeper into their thoughts and feelings. Those sections focused mostly on reporting the events and situations they recalled.

A very good read, especially if you are interested in Cuba, though not one of my favorite memoirs.

Moving story...
I read this book a few years ago and stumbled upon it as one of my recommendations on Amazon.com.Apart from the obvious personal interest that made me pick it up at a train station's bookstore, I really enjoyed this read.It was entertaining, moving and successfully illustrated the protagonist's odyssey and personal journey.A journey that millions of other people can easily relate to and certainly share with the author, regardless of their individual story.I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about any type of human exodus.You will not be disappointed. ... Read more

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Because the first socialist revolution in the Americas took place in Cuba, this country has also seen the rise of new terms and the introduction of new, very specific meanings for old terms, adopted as required to express new realities. How can these neologisms be rendered in English, when no English-speaking country has as yet carried out a Marxist-Leninist social revolution and, therefore, no ready-made equivalents are available? This situation has been a poser not only for translators but also for language teachers and other professionals whose work required frequent contact with English. The present glossary should be exceptionally useful to all of them.From the author: "A revolution triumphed in Cuba in 1959, making it the first socialist country in the Americas. The Cuban Revolution sprang from the need to make thoroughgoing political and economic transformations - which, in turn, created a need for new terms to express them. Cuba's growing international prestige and new diplomatic, trade and cultural relations led us to look for new equivalents in foreign languages so we could communicate with the rest of the world." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

sucks
never recieved the item from ibusa. tried to contact twice. ups isnt holding it either. I feel cheated out of my money and time! ... Read more