Cuba News Headlines. Cuban Daily News

The First National Guitar Orchestra Encounter in Cuba ended in this eastern Cuban city with the presentation in the Tunas Theater of a giant orchestra, made up by members of groups participating in the event. Seven orchestras from several provinces in the country met during an entire week in this province to reafirm, away from styles, criteria and preferences, the vitality of the Cuban Guitar School.

Some twenty-six Japanese engravings, well-known as Ukiyo-e, belonging to the Edo Period (1600-1868), will be exhibited at the Cuban Fine Arts Museum from May 18th to August 27th, as announced during a press conference.

Cuba duplicated the number of concert bands over the last three years, highlighted in Ciego de Avila, Cuban Minister for Culture, Abel Prieto. As he inaugurated officially the provincial school for this kind of orchestral format, the Minister pointed out that 90 municipalities out of the 169 existing in the country have already their own module, with the aim of promoting the socio-cultural development of the communities.

The Casa de las Américas announces to all those interested to participate in the 10th edition of the Casa de las Américas Musicology Award which is to take place from April 14th-18th, 2008.

The Charanga de Oro orchestra, founded in 2004, is a cultural project aimed at rescuing the format and sonority of that kind of musical group in Cuba. Musicians recalled that in the mid 20th century, charanga orchestras promoted Cuban rhythms such as chachacha, son, bolero and mambo.

The industrial equipment company of the group RC (Refrigeration and Boilers), attached to the Ministry of the Basic Industry, is producing steel items for the domestic market. According to experts, the company makes steel containers for water treatment, industrial refrigeration, and the storage, transportation and processing of industrial gases and water.

Cuba is getting ready to participate in the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for which 444 athletes have already qualified. Cuban sports officials pointed out that over the next few weeks, other athletes are expected to qualify for the regional games in wrestling, judo and diving.