Govinda Gallery

Known for Samba, Salsa, Cha-Cha, Mambo, and more, Havana also has a flourishing rock scene with highly skilled players. Our Back Room blog correspondent in Havana tells us about the just opened live music club, Submarino Amarillo (Yellow Submarine). Designed with Beatles’ lyrics and imagery artfully presented on the walls of the club, Submarino Amarillo is located just across the street from the beautiful John Lennon Park. Among the bands recently preforming at Submarino Amarillo were Los Kent, Louis Manuel Molina and Magical Beat, and others. Magical Beat’s set included “As My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Riders on the Storm”, “Helter Skelter”, “American Woman”, “Satisfaction”, and others. Magical Beat’s dynamic female lead vocalist Naydi Concepcion sang like a combination between Celia Cruz and Mick Jagger. Los Kent covered “Stand By Me”, “Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love”, “Come Together”, and “Takin’ Care of Business” and they rocked the house.

At the end of March the Peace and Love Festival, originating in Sweden, came to Los Jardines de La Tropical, an amazing public park in Havana featuring Cuban break-dancers and heavy metal bands. Metallica and other heavy metal bands are very popular in Havana.

On another musical note, if you are in Washington D.C. next week don’t miss the Ballet Nacional de Cuba at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through June 5th. This is a rare chance to see the legendary choreographer Alicia Alonso’s National Ballet of Cuba here in the United States.

Here are some photos from Submarino Amarillo and the Peace and Love Festival.

Entrance to Submarino Amarillo at 17th and 6th.
Guille Vilar from Submarino Amarillo.
Cuban Science fiction writer Yoss and Northwestern Professor Emily Magiure.
Los Kent.
Members of Los Kent.
Submarino Amarillo neon sign.
Performing Artist’s backstage pass for the Peave and Love Festival.
Break-Dancers.
The Looptroop Rockers from Sweden with Bob Gruen’s photo of John Lennon at the Statue of Liberty.
Crowd Gathering before Performance.
Sound Engineers Working the Soundboard.
Typical Architecture at Los Jardines de La Tropical.