The most the genuine and authentic traditions of this land between rivers were combined in the renowned neighborhood of La Loma del Chivo during the meeting of groups that promotes popular culture, an initiative that celebrates the twenty-second Fiesta a la Guantanamera, from December 15 to 18.
In the activity, which took place outside the Casa del Changüí "Chito Latamblet" of this city, traditional structures and groups of native rhythm and dances of the easternmost territory of Cuba participated as La Tumba Francesa Pompadour Santa Catalina de Ricci, the Ballet Folklorico Babul, the Changüí Estrellas Campesinas Group, from the municipality of Yateras, and the traditional group Nengón de Imías.
Also in La Loma del Chivo, a community in the center of the city of Guantanamo, the San Lazarina pilgrimage took place for the sixth time, promoted by the socio-cultural project El Patio de Adela and Caverchelo.comb, which went throughSol, Paseo, Serafin Sanchez and Narciso Lopez streets, where institutions on that block that safeguard the heritage of the Guantanamo people were also involved.
With drumming of bembé, played by Milagros y sus Orishas group and the personification of San Lazaro by the artist Ramón Moya Hernandez, The San Lazarina started at the home of the believer Orlando Torres and stopped at the British Indians Welfare Center, Casa del Son, the Casa del Changüí and the headquarters of the Tumba Francesa Pompadour Santa Catalina de Ricci.
The Aché Iré group, the Flores del Changüí and the centennial group considered Intangible Heritage of Humanity, a legitimate promoter of the Franco-Haitian heritage, performed outside these emblematic places in Guantanamo.
The pilgrimage, followed by the people who every December 17 worship San Lazaro or Babalu Aye, ended at the starting point at Orlando’s with a bembé party, a syncretic-religious rite in which faithful invoke the orishas of the Yoruba pantheon to pray for health, peace and prosperity, not only from Guantanamo, but from Cuba and the world.
