UNESCO Pays Tribute to Rumba and the Punto Cubano Music

The United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) venue in Paris, welcomed this Monday homage to rumba and Punto Cubano music. These expressions were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by this international organization.

Great privilege that of Cuba: two of its most important cultural items join a list endorsed by famed specialists from all over the world.

Easy to say, but if one takes into account the large canvass of arts worldwide, the patrimonial heritage of peoples... you must agree that a relatively small country has contributed dearly to the universal legacy.

Rumba and Punto Cubano music are living arts, paradigms of a resistance culture, with high ethical and aesthetic values. They have also been the voice of the those oppressed. A space of popular creativity.

Doctor Miguel Barnet and journalist Pedro de la Hoz spoke about this in their conferences.

Barnet’s conference was dedicated to the multiple roads of rumba, and that of de la Hoz to the characteristics of the Punto Cubano, with its regional variants.

The fact that UNESCO has acknowledged these two art manifestations it’s cause for joy, but also a responsibility, said the ambassador Dulce Buergo, permanent delegate of Cuba before UNESCO.

For Miguel Barnet their inclusion in this important list speaks of the strength of the Cuban culture, as well as the creative potential of a people.

Barnet’s presence at UNESCO meant a return to the venue of an organization in which he was delegate for several years.

The session this Monday was part of the seventh assembly of the party states of the Convention for the safeguard of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

An important moment was the granting of the official certificate of the inscription of Punto Cubano to the registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

Gladys Collazo, chairlady of the National Council of Cultural Heritage received it from the hands of Tim Curtis, secretary of the Convention.

There is agreement on something: Rumba music and Punto Cubano are just the beginning. Cuba has much more to offer.

"First it was Rumba, after that the Punto Cubano, tomorrow will be Son music, the sprees… Cuba’s heritage is wide, I am very proud of being Cuban, of being part of the people that have given so much to the universal art, and that has used art as a means to face all setbacks it has endured throughout history", said Barnet.