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Taken on February 21, 1953 at María's
restaurant, La Grande, the photo shows
Joséphine Baker with the group of admirers. The
first (from left to right) is Dr. Manuel López
Martínez. |
Dr. Manuel López
Martínez is perhaps the only survivor of the main
characters from the lunch provided by Joséphine Baker
—during her third visit to Havana in 1953— to a group of
admirers at María's restaurant, La Grande. López
Martínez sent to Opus Habana two photos from that
afternoon, intended for the article published in this
magazine, "Joséphine Baker: from Paris to Havana"
(Volume VI, number 2 / 2002).
In his letter —sent to our
editorial staff— the sender confessed that reading the
work dedicated to Joséphine had been for him "pleasing
and evocative, since it is possible that I am the only
"survivor" of those who Joséphine called her "Cuban
family", because of the relationship that existed
between her and the group of Cuban admirers and friends
since her first visit to Cuba".
Formed spontaneously, the group of followers of
Joséphine remained established since 1950 —on the first
visit by the diva to Havana—, and was considered by her
as her family in Cuba. The people who appear in the
snapshots sent by López Martínez are, precisely, the
members of this "club" who admired the artist.
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The photo shows moments of that meeting and her
guests. Seated to the left of Josephine and with
a bottle in her hand, is María, owner of the
establishment, La Grande. In the
background, standing, her employees. |
Taken at the La Grande restaurant —then located at
Infanta and 25, near Radio Progreso—, the photos
immortalize a luncheon in which the artist offered
fraternity to her Cuban followers, on February 21, 1953.
Like the previous
visit, which took place in 1952, during this —her third
visit to the island—, Josephine Baker had felt very
disappointed to be discriminated against for the color
of her skin, while the embassy of the United States
coerced the Cuban cultural organizations to ban her
performance.
However, in 1953 "Josephine
appeared successfully in the theater Campoamor, located
at Industria and San Martín, alongside the Capitolio",
as López Martínez recalls in his thoughtful letter.
Furthermore —he says—, the African American star was at
the University of Havana for a posthumous observance to
Rubén Batista Rubio, assassinated by minions of the
dictator Fulgencio Batista on the corner of San Lázaro
and Prado, in front of the Malecón.
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| In
1966, Josephine came to Havana twice, first as
special guest at the Tricontinental Conference.
On that occasion, besides performing, she
participated in activities collateral to the
event, including this exhibition where she
appears with Wifredo Lam. |
In 1966, Josephine Baker completed
her last two trips to the island, of the five made by
the star to Cuba. The first of these two, as a special
participant at the Tricontinental Conference, an
occasion which was advantageous for appearing at the
Teatro García Lorca with Ignacio Villa, Bola de Nieve
and the second, as a special guest of President Fidel
Castro to spend that summer on a beach near the city.
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