Cuban Improviser Tomasita Quiala Hospitalized in Havana: Urgent Call for Medication Assistance

Juana Tomasa Quiala Rojas, widely celebrated as the "Queen of Cuban Improvisation," is currently receiving medical care at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana, where she is awaiting heart surgery. According to information shared in the Facebook group "Associations of Cubans Residing in Canada," the improviser, who experienced a heart attack in March, requires certain medications to stabilize her condition before the surgery.

An appeal has been made to Cubans to assist Tomasita Quiala by providing Sulfate of Brodamine in vial form, crucial for counteracting the anticoagulant effects of heparin. Additionally, there is a request for Nadroparin or Enoxaparin (subcutaneous) due to her deteriorating veins, highlighting the solidarity needed from the Havana community.

The post fervently calls upon the Cuban community to support the "Queen of Cuban Improvisation," emphasizing her critical need for heart surgery. "Tomasita is currently hospitalized at Hermanos Ameijeiras in Havana. We hope our plea is well received so she can undergo surgery as soon as possible," the message conveys.

Amado Riol Pirez, an activist associated with the pro-government initiative "A Cuba hay que quererla" and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned in the post that a contribution had been delivered.

The renowned Cuban improviser, popularly known as Tomasita, suffered a heart attack in mid-March. The visually impaired artist, also noted for her support of the island's communist regime, was initially treated in the Intensive Care Unit at Leopoldito Martinez Hospital in San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Province. After several days in the hospital, she was discharged, and her recovery was publicly acknowledged by the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, who expressed his relief on the social platform X.

Born on December 29, 1961, in Banes, Holguín, Tomasita honed her skills at the Varona Suárez school for the blind. She emerged as a prominent performer of décimas, a traditional Cuban poetic style, from an early age. Her artistic journey flourished at the Antonio María Romeu Provincial Music Center in Havana, gaining national acclaim through television shows like Palmas y Cañas. Her talent and charisma earned her the National Community Culture Award and led to performances in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and Argentina.

Despite her visible support for the Cuban regime, Tomasita's exceptional talent and career have solidified her status as a pivotal figure in the island's improvisational scene.