Squares and plazas from across the island were filled with joy to mark the end of summer cultural activities and to begin the new school year.

First rate artists and performers from the Cuban music scene had a concert on Saturday at the Anti-imperialist Tribune, just across the US Interest Section in Havana, as part of a cultural tour of Havana neighborhoods organized by Artex. Orchestras and bands on hand included Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco; Pupy y los que Son Son;  Elito Revé y su Charangón; Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor; and Tania Pantoja and her band.

The Artex neighborhood tours began in April with the concert at the Plaza Roja in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre, where Manolito Simonet, Elito Revé, and Maykel Blanco performed. This party has been joined by others figures from the island’s music scene, such as Adalberto Álvarez, Pachito Alonso, Georgia Aguirre, Laritza Bacallao, Alain Daniel, and Juan Guillermo Almeida.