|
|
AfroCubaWeb
|
|
Los Hijos de
Baragua ~ My Footsteps in Baragua
|
In the style of the documentary are merged family memories in a process
very familiar to other Caribbean people: for example the trip from Jamaica, Barbados, and
other islands to Panama and subsequently to Cuba which started the heady development of
the sugar industry in the early years of this century. Direct testimony does not preclue
the poetry present in the charm of the environment of the old sugar barracks, the
re-creation of the traditional music and dance such as the Maypole, and the use of old
photos that allow us an imaginary approach to that past.
These immigrants brought two cultures: that of the English colonizers and the genuine one born under the Caribbean sun with the mixing of African rythms. In Baragua, all the roots merge into a common trunk. That is how time marked it, and that is what happens with the interlocked cotton trees that are a liet-motif throughout the documentary.
The video is dedicated to 3 important Caribbean intellectuals: Nicolas Guillen (Cuba), George Lamming (Barbados), and Rex Nettleford (Jamaica). "My Footsteps in Baragua" is a contribution to the history of the Africans in Cuba, and to the study of the African diaspora at the end of this century.
Images of the Caribbean is an independent Cuban film making group, with many of the people who worked with me on "Oggun." We gratefully accept all suggestions and support for the development of future documentary projects.
Visualizing the Caribbean 4/11/2013 Stanford
University: "Featured confirmed guests include prominent Cuban filmmaker Gloria
Rolando whose work is devoted to the African ancestry, traditions and history of
Cuba (1912: Breaking the Silence, 2012; Pasajes del corazón y la memoria 2007;
Roots of my Heart 2001; My footsteps in Baragua, 1996; Oggun, 1991), Dominican
writer Pedro Antonio Valdéz who won the Dominican National Novel award for
Bachata del ángel caído, renowed artist Antonio Fernandez “Tonel” joining us
from Mexico City, and literary critic Jerry Carlson (CUNY) presenting on
Dominican film."
Cuba town battles to preserve British West Indian ways 12/27/2012 BBC: "Several
hundred people of West Indian descent live in Baragua but there are no official
numbers either for the town or for Cuba as a whole, and the community's stories
have not been recorded. The English-speakers have applied for registration as an
official association, hoping that will help in their fight to protect their
traditions. But four years on they have had no answer."
First ever Cuban film festival comes to Jamaica 6/13/2005 Jamaica
Observer: includes Gloria Rolando film Hijos de Baragua, My Footsteps in
Baragua, here listed as Children of Baragua.
[AfroCubaWeb] [Site Map] [Music] [Arts] [Authors] [News] [Search this site]