The IV Meeting of Poetic Improvisation Oralitura Habana closed its doors in the Ernesto Che Guevara room of the Casa de las Américas, with a concert offered by the renowned Spanish singer-songwriter Pedro Pastor
The event, which brought together prominent exponents of improvised poetry between the 25th and 28th of this month, once again consolidated its role as a crucial space for strengthening cultural ties through the word and verse
Alexis Díaz Pimienta, director of the Experimental Chair of Improvised Poetry, highlighted during the opening of the evening the significance of the festival, which, despite its youth, stands as a fundamental platform for giving a voice to poetry and making its vital function visible
On the other hand, in exclusive declarations to the Cuban News Agency, Pastor described the encounter as a moment of emotion and hope
The energy we have experienced has been truly intense; we have shed some tears, and it has been quite powerful; furthermore, what the audience here has told me is that, despite the stress, it has brought with it a bit of hope, which I believe is precisely what we must do today, referred the musician
Likewise, he expressed his gratitude for the invitation to close the event, qualified as a true honour; since during these four days he had the privilege of sharing the stage with artists of great calibre, and the fact that they chose him to close this festival is a recognition that he deeply valued
For his part, Alex Díaz Hernández, director of Oralitura Habana, emphasised that the décima maintains its centrality in the festival, which is enriched with diverse artistic manifestations such as theatre, rap, and song
The closing at the Casa de las Américas has been a luxury, contributing an international prestige to the event, he referred, while highlighting that counting on the participation of Cuban improvisers and more than thirty artists from different provinces in a place so admired by Latin American and world intellectuals raises the level of Oralitura Habana in its fourth edition; surpassing this standard will be a challenge for the next edition in 2027, anticipated the also inspired repentista
He advanced that, while this chapter closes, the planning for the fifth festival is already beginning; the intention is to continue innovating, include children’s shows, and attract a younger audience, with the ambition of reaching large crowds, just as has happened in historical events of the past
The IV Meeting of Poetic Improvisation Oralitura Habana was dedicated to the 70 years of the Controversy of the Century held between Indio Naborí and Angelito Valiente, to the five lustra since the creation of the Experimental Chair of Improvised Poetry, to the five decades since the death of Francisco Riverón, and to the 95th anniversary of the birth of Inocente Iznaga, the endearing «Goldfinch of Cienfuegos»
