Cuba Unplugged: Street Life in Havana

Life is lived on the streets in Havana. From dawn to past midnight, the ballet of street life in Cuba’s capitol city is in constant motion and alive with the heartbeat of the island’s rich culture. As such, Havana is a city that is best seen and discovered on foot and experienced through conversation with the friendly “Habaneros” going about their day to day lives. Jennifer Spelman and Sandor Rodriguez are your photographic guides into the vibrant streets of Havana.

Cuba’s people are the country’s treasure and its most dynamic force. They are generous of spirit, resourceful, resilient, and incredibly open to sharing their personal lives and their country with visitors. With open eyes and hearts, we delve beneath the surface facades and into everyday life in Havana to better understand this intriguing and complicated country through direct exchanges with the Cuban people.

Our days begin at first light with excursions to the far corners of Havana to make images of a city awakening. A healthy breakfast nourishes and gives us a chance to catch our breath. Each day we venture out to specially selected locations to meet the Cuban people and better understand their lives within present-day Havana. Taking advantage of the beautiful natural light and stunning surroundings in locations such as the ciudadelas (little cities) of Old Havana, Centro, Malecón, Monte, Cayo Huseo, Barrio Chino, Vedado, and Santo Suarez we make new images. Against these backdrops and in conjunction with insightful conversations with Cubans living and working in Havana, an authentic portrait of Havana emerges.