david sacco

Photographer

Cuba

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School children in Trinidad Pub...tinue to receive high priority

School children in Trinidad
Public Education in Cuba is free and it has been a highly ranked system for many years. The University of Havana was founded in 1727 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities. Following the 1959 revolution, the Castro regime nationalized all educational institutions, and created a system operated entirely by the government. Education expenditures continue to receive high priority

ViÃ±ales, Cuba

Jose Manuel in his bar in ViÃ±ales.

A â€˜QuinceaÃ±eraâ€™ in Cienfue... today throughout the Americas

A â€˜QuinceaÃ±eraâ€™ in Cienfuegos.
The fiesta de quince aÃ±os (also fiesta de quinceaÃ±era, quince aÃ±os and quince) is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. It has its cultural roots in Latin America but is widely celebrated today throughout the Americas

La Habana

Cienfuegos

Barber shop in Matanzas

Hairdresser in Trinidad

La Habana

A horse takes some rest as the ...g through tobacco plantations .

A horse takes some rest as the sun sets in ViÃ±alesViÃ±ales Valley is famous for horseback trekking through tobacco plantations.

Cuban rooster on a street of La...uba its popularity is growing.

Cuban rooster on a street of La Habana
This animals are often used for cockfighting that while it is banned in many parts of the world, is favored throughout the Caribbean and in Cuba its popularity is growing.

A man reads the newspaper in hi... the only legal party in Cuba.

A man reads the newspaper in his house
Although the Cuban media is controlled by the state through propaganda laws, the national newspapers of Cuba are not directly published by the government. Rather, they are published by various Cuban political organisations, notably the Communist Party of Cuba, which is the only legal party in Cuba.

Fishermen of the Malecon, La habana

A couple try to fix their vehicle in the moonlight in La Habana

Old woman in Trinidad

Matanzas

Portrait from a Bicitaxi, the c...by poor public transportation.

Portrait from a Bicitaxi, the cuban cycle rickshaw taxi.
The humble bicycle is gradually shedding its grim association with Cuba's economic crisis and making a comeback buoyed by demand from tourists and Cubans frustrated by poor public transportation.

Schoolbus in ViÃ±ales

Matanzas

baseball field ViÃ±ales Valley

A Craftsman in Cienfuegos.

Enjoying a jazz concert at La Zorra Y El Cuervo, La Habana

Street artist poses for tourists in Trinidad.

Beggars in La Habana

An old man sells tomatoes down the street in Cienfuegos

In Cuba there is a system of f...on image throughout the island

In Cuba there is a system of food distribution known as the Libreta de Abastecimiento ("Supplies booklet"). The system establishes the rations each person is allowed to buy through that system, and the frequency of supplies.
The empty shelves in the grocery, supermarkets and drugstores are unfortunately a very common image throughout the island

Boys playing baseball at sunset in Matanzas.

Our host Pedro watches a baseba...in international competitions.

Our host Pedro watches a baseball match on tv
Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Cuba. Despite its American origin, baseball is strongly associated with Cuban nationalism, as it effectively replaced colonial Spanish sports such as bullfighting. Since the Cuban Revolution, the league system in Cuba has been officially amateur. Top players are placed on the national team, earning stipends for training and playing in international competitions.

Kid plays in a street in the ci...easy, included in the capital.

Kid plays in a street in the city of Matanzas
despite the popularity of this sport finding a football in Cuba is anything but easy, included in the capital.

A Champions League match was be...roadcast in a bar in Cienfuegos

A Champions League match was being broadcast in a bar in Cienfuegos

The Sun fades on the streets of Matanzas

Cubans are not allowed to buy ...ary of a Cuban is 29.6 dollars

Cubans are not allowed to buy new cars, thatâ€™s why owning a car is equivalent to real luxury. It is quite likely that the car in the picture can be worth around 15,000 dollars, a rather high price considering that the average salary of a Cuban is 29.6 dollars

Matanzas

A man shows me his house in the Habana Centro neighborhood

La Habana

A man having a bike ride through the dilapidated buildings just behind the Capitolio, La Habana

The Capitolio of la Habana from...doctor is paid CUC$60 a month.

The Capitolio of la Habana from a taxi window.
In modern-day Cuba, private taxi drivers make much more money than doctors and other professionals. On his quietest day, a Cuban taxi driver makes around CUC$60 (US$60), this price increase until CUC$40 per hour if you want to ride La Habana in classic 1950's car. In contrast, a doctor is paid CUC$60 a month.

On the Via Monumental on the way to la Habana

Trinidad

El Cine Yara is the most famou...itors from all over the world.

El Cine Yara is the most famous cinema in Cuba, located in the downtown Vedado Habanero and is one of the main leisure options for the capitals and visitors from all over the world.

American tourists in the city of Vinales

A tank  truck passes b...sitors from all over the world

A tank truck passes behind a woman in the city of ViÃ±ales
Fuel supply is a very common problem in Cuba, in ViÃ±ales the fuel reserves often are already exhausted at noon due to the increasing number of tourist buses bringing visitors from all over the world

A dog waits for his master in the city of Cienfuegos

Matanzas

The dancer Barbaro Ramon from L...ar docks or sugar plantations.

The dancer Barbaro Ramon from Los MuÃ±equitos de Matanzas.
They specialized in three variants of rumba: yambu (from Matanzas), a slow rhythm danced by couples; Columbia, a rural rhythm that men dance alone with knives and machetes; and guaguanco, a contemporary urban style. Rumba in itself is a musical complex of rhythm, song and dance that evolved in Cuba from the meshing of African and Spanish influences during colonization. It flourished in communities where enslaved Africans resided near docks or sugar plantations.

Barbaro Ramon is running a dan...n and young people in Matanzas

Barbaro Ramon is running a dance school for children and young people in Matanzas

Old man leaning on the door of ...hters Association in ViÃ±ales.

Old man leaning on the door of the Revolution Fighters Association in ViÃ±ales.

Hotel Santa Clara Libre, Santa ...nd flailing government troops.

Hotel Santa Clara Libre, Santa Clara.
Is the tallest building in the city and on the facade Bullet holes are still as result of the battle in 1958 between Che Guevara's guerrillas and flailing government troops.

people in line at the polling s...he Cuban parliamentary election

people in line at the polling station
for the Cuban parliamentary election

candidates had been elected as Deputies to the National Assembly

On April 2018 Miguel Diaz-Cane... not their influence or power.

On April 2018 Miguel Diaz-Canel, a Communist Party loyalist replaced Raul Castro as president, bringing an end to the 59-year era of rule under the Castro brothers, though almost certainly not their influence or power.

Dead chicken on a street in Habana

Peeking into a house in Matanza...anzas one of its main centers .

Peeking into a house in Matanzas
inside this house are visible several symbols of the Cuban santeria which has in Matanzas one of its main centers.

Francisco, santero and musician poses with his wife

On the shelf of their tiny liv...a or the CandomblÃ© in Brazil.

On the shelf of their tiny living room, find a place some of the symbols of the Yoruba religion, originally from Africa (mainly in Nigeria and Benin), which influenced the origin of various religions in the rest of the world, such as SanterÃa in Cuba and Venezuela or the CandomblÃ© in Brazil.

A church in Matanzas.

An old couple poses in front of their car in Matanzas

Trinidad

A woman writes with an old typewriter

La Habana

A gentle street musician in La ...s happening outside the island

A gentle street musician in La Habana.
He has learned a little of Italian, a little of Russian and some Japanese words exclusively talking with tourists. For many years it was the only way for cuban people to know what was happening outside the island

Teresa daughter of a famous bas...her with her son's family

Teresa
daughter of a famous baseball player of the 40s, now runs a â€˜casa particularâ€™ in the center of Cienfuegos together with her son's family

View from my room in a Casa Particular

La Habana

A huge cuban flag hanging from ...errer in the city of Cienfuegos

A huge cuban flag hanging from Palacio Ferrer in the city of Cienfuegos

an American flag stands in a house in Matanzas

El Malecon de la Habana

Cenfuegos

Matanzas

Trinidad

La Habana

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Thumbnail of School children in Trinidad Publ_ntinue to receive high priority

Thumbnail of Jose Manuel in his bar in ViÃ±ales.

Thumbnail of A â€˜QuinceaÃ±eraâ€™ in Cienfueg_d today throughout the Americas

Thumbnail of A horse takes some rest as the s_ng through tobacco plantations .

Thumbnail of Cuban rooster on a street of La _Cuba its popularity is growing.

Thumbnail of A man reads the newspaper in his_s the only legal party in Cuba.

Thumbnail of Fishermen of the Malecon, La habana

Thumbnail of A couple try to fix their vehicle in the moonlight in La Habana

Thumbnail of Portrait from a Bicitaxi, the cu_ by poor public transportation.

Thumbnail of baseball field ViÃ±ales Valley

Thumbnail of Enjoying a jazz concert at La Zorra Y El Cuervo, La Habana

Thumbnail of Street artist poses for tourists in Trinidad.

Thumbnail of An old man sells tomatoes down the street in Cienfuegos

Thumbnail of In Cuba there is a system of fo_mon image throughout the island

Thumbnail of Boys playing baseball at sunset in Matanzas.

Thumbnail of Our host Pedro watches a basebal_ in international competitions.

Thumbnail of Kid plays in a street in the cit_ easy, included in the capital.

Thumbnail of A Champions League match was bei_broadcast in a bar in Cienfuegos

Thumbnail of The Sun fades on the streets of Matanzas

Thumbnail of Cubans are not allowed to buy n_lary of a Cuban is 29.6 dollars

Thumbnail of A man shows me his house in the Habana Centro neighborhood

Thumbnail of A man having a bike ride through_ behind the Capitolio, La Habana

Thumbnail of The Capitolio of la Habana from _ doctor is paid CUC$60 a month.

Thumbnail of On the Via Monumental on the way to la Habana

Thumbnail of El Cine Yara is the most famous_sitors from all over the world.

Thumbnail of American tourists in the city of Vinales

Thumbnail of A tank  truck passes be_isitors from all over the world

Thumbnail of A dog waits for his master in the city of Cienfuegos

Thumbnail of The dancer Barbaro Ramon from Lo_ear docks or sugar plantations.

Thumbnail of Barbaro Ramon is running a danc_en and young people in Matanzas

Thumbnail of Old man leaning on the door of t_ghters Association in ViÃ±ales.

Thumbnail of Hotel Santa Clara Libre, Santa C_and flailing government troops.

Thumbnail of people in line at the polling st_the Cuban parliamentary election

Thumbnail of candidates had been elected as Deputies to the National Assembly

Thumbnail of On April 2018 Miguel Diaz-Canel_y not their influence or power.

Thumbnail of Dead chicken on a street in Habana

Thumbnail of Peeking into a house in Matanzas_tanzas one of its main centers .

Thumbnail of Francisco, santero and musician poses with his wife

Thumbnail of On the shelf of their tiny livi_la or the CandomblÃ© in Brazil.

Thumbnail of An old couple poses in front of their car in Matanzas

Thumbnail of A woman writes with an old typewriter

Thumbnail of A gentle street musician in La H_as happening outside the island

Thumbnail of Teresa daughter of a famous base_ther with her son's family

Thumbnail of View from my room in a Casa Particular

Thumbnail of A huge cuban flag hanging from P_Ferrer in the city of Cienfuegos

Thumbnail of an American flag stands in a house in Matanzas

Public Project

Cuba

Date of Work Dec 2018 - Mar 2018

Updated Sep 2019

Location cuba

Topics cuba, Documentary, Editorial, Photography, Portraiture, Street, Travel

In 2018 I traveled to Cuba and this series shares what I've learn about this unique place and its contradictions through the faces and stories of the people I met.

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