III Harley Davidson Rally (Encuentro Harlista!)

This past weekend, I was thrust into one of Cuba’s most prismatic and emblematic subcultures and scenes: I rode along on the country’s first Harley rally, when over 50 riders made their way to Varadero on pre-1960 bikes from as far as Pinar del Río and Camagüey for three days in hog heaven. As you may imagine, my muse was working overtime in this new and captivating environment, populated by cool people with their own language and subtext. Since everything I know about biker culture I learned from Easy Rider and Altamont, I was keen to experience the 1er Encuentro Nacional de Harlistas Cubanos firsthand.


  • 1st Havana World Music Festival

    1st Havana World Music Festival  LH 5

    Organized by a nonprofit group led by young Cuban singer and composer Eme Alfonso, the 1st Havana World Music Festival (February 7-8, 2014) sought to open a window from Cuba onto the world and from th …

    Marabana—The 2012 Havana Marathon

    Marabana—The 2012 Havana Marathon  LH 5

    Marabana is Havana’s annual marathon. Typically an exercise for me in making resolutions to get fit and participate in the race the next year, or a reminder that last’s year’s resolution is now forfei …

    No Salsa Please – This is a Proyecto Analógica

    No Salsa Please – This is a Proyecto Analógica  LH 4

    If you think that young Cubans are all listening to an old guy playing a guitar or dancing salsa to Los Van Van, you may want to think again. The electronic dance scene is very much alive and kicking …

    Festival Internacional de Guitarra de La Habana

    Festival Internacional de Guitarra de La Habana  LH 4

    Much to the delight of its numerous followers, the International Guitar Festival of Havana is coming back after far too many years of silence. It was founded in 1982 by the superb guitarist, composer …

    Havana Howlers 7’s Rugby Tournament

    Havana Howlers 7’s Rugby Tournament  LH 4

    Lets be honest, Havana is not known for it’s rugby so it was something of a surprise to see rugby posts erected and some pretty formidable looking men (and woman) limbering up last weekend at the Edua …

    Cubadanza

    Cubadanza  LH 4

    The two-week long International Workshop on Cuban Modern Dance, Cubadanza, aims at professional dancers and students, teaches different Cuban popular rhythms and dances from which Cuban modern dance d …

    2012 Havana Dog Show: Mad dogs & Englishmen

    2012 Havana Dog Show: Mad dogs & Englishmen  LH 4

    Even an Englishman out for a stroll in the mid-day Caribbean sunshine might be tempted to loosen his tie, perhaps even lose the jacket, and as the humidity rises to 100% and the temperature dial goes …

    The Havana Carnival: 1573 to 2014

    The Havana Carnival: 1573 to 2014  LH 4

    Today, the Havana carnival provokes mixed feelings from Habaneros. On one hand, the complaints that locals voice are numerous: too much reggaeton, too much drinking and, of course, too high a possibil …

    Pampered pooches at the Havana Dog Show

    Pampered pooches at the Havana Dog Show  LH 4

    Collectively, the Cuban people are crazy about dogs—literally, certifiably crazy. A clinical diagnosis might be mass bipolar disorder, with some Cubans abjectly irrationally terrified of the fluffiest …

    Festival Romerías de Mayo: Memoria Nuestra (Our Memories)

    Festival Romerías de Mayo: Memoria Nuestra (Our Memories)  LH 4

    On May 3, 1790, the Franciscan friar Antonio de Alegría placed a cross on the hill that marks the geographic north of the city of Holguín. The people of Holguín would make pilgrimages each year to the …

    « 3 of 8 pages »