The Fourth of July and Cuban Women

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In 2014, Mirta joined NBC News, where she is the Senior Director in the NBC News Standards team and works at the Spanish language Telemundo Network. In 2019 she received an Emmy for the Telemundo documentary Harvest of Misery/Cosecha de Miseria. The documentary expose the exploitation of children in the harvest of coffee in Mexico’s poorest state. In February 2022, she participated in the Shorenstein Center News Leaders Summit Cohort to examine ways that newsrooms can address misinformation and media manipulation. Video link: (212) Cosecha de Miseria | Noticias | Noticias Telemundo - YouTube, in Spanish with English subtitles, 45 minutes long.

 

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Coco Fusco - Wikipedia

Coco Fusco (born Juliana Emilia Fusco Miyares;

June 18, 1960) is a Cuban-American interdisciplinary artist, writer, and curator whose work has been exhibited and published internationally. Fusco's work explores gender, identity, race, and power through performance, video, interactive installations, and critical writing.[1]

Coco Fusco

Early life and education

Fusco was born in 1960 in New York City. Her mother was a Cuban exile who had fled the Cuban revolution that year.[2]

Fusco received a B.A in Semiotics from Brown University in 1982, an M.A. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University in 1985 and a Ph.D. in Art and Visual Culture from Middlesex University in 2005.[3]

Coco Fusco is a Cuban-American performance artist, writer, teacher, and cultural critic. She began her career as an assistant professor of Visual Arts at Temple University, and in 1988 became an associate professor until 2001 when she became an associate professor at the School of Arts at Columbia University up to 2006.

 

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In 1995 she received the ATHE Research Award for Outstanding Article in a Journal, for the essay “The Other History of Intercultural Performance” The same year, she received the Critics’ Choice Award for the book English Is Broken Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion in the Americas, a collection of interviews and essays. She has created several stage performances with the themes of colonialism, power, race, gender, and history. In 1992 she created performance piece Two Undiscovered Amerindians Visit the West, a critic of colonialism; in 1997 Better Yet When Dead and The Last Wish, related to death and burial, and in 2000 The Postponed Event, where she plays dead for an audience.

Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Coco Fusco perform Two Undiscovered Amerindians Visit the West

 

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From 2006- 2008, Coco Fusco was a Visiting Associate Professor at the Center for the
Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University. From 2008-2013, she was an Associate Professor at the Parsons The New School for Design Fine Arts program. From 2014-2016, a MLK Visiting Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2016 she serves as the Andrew Banks Endowed Chair at the College of the Arts, University of Florida.

 

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She has published another five books. In 1999, Corpus Delecti: Performance Art of the Americas, about Latin performance art; in 2001, The Bodies that Were Not Ours and Other Writings, about the legacy of colonialism; in 2003, Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self, a catalogue for a photography exhibition of the same name; in 12008, A Field Guide for Female Interrogators, which examines the sexualized role of women in US military interrogations, and in 2015, Dangerous Moves: Performance and Politics in Cuba, a history about performance, and identity in Cuba as a facilitator for change.

 

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Coco Fusco Denied Entry into Cuba as Campaign Against Decree 349 Continues - Artforum International

April 10, 2019

On Wednesday, artist, writer, and arts educator Coco Fusco was denied entry into Cuba in what may be the latest move in a crackdown on artistic freedom in the nation. State security officials stopped Fusco after she arrived at José Martí Airport in Havana this morning and told her she had to return to the United States. They did not provide a reason for why she has been barred from entering the country.

Fusco told Artforum that she believes her activism prompted the refusal. She has publicly supported the artist-led campaign against the government’s new Decree 349 and the criminalization of independent cultural activity in Cuba. “I am not the first or the last intellectual with close ties to Cuba who has been punished in this way for expressing my views and advocating for greater freedom of expression in Cuba,” Fusco said. “It has become a sad routine.”

Decree 35 criminalize social media posts and other digital publications that are critical of the Castroist regime. Dozens of artists, activists, and independent journalists who have protested escalating repression of civil liberties have been subject to under house arrest for months.

The censorship law, which was first passed by President Miguel Díaz-Canel in April 2018, sparked an outcry and has been criticized by artists and arts organizations across the globe. Local cultural producers have organized demonstrations, performances, sit-ins, and talks with state officials to protest the legislation, which was supposed to be enforced starting December 2018. Members of Cuba’s culture ministry have since informed the public that parts of the law may be scaled back and that it would clarify how the law would be applied.

Among the artists fighting the decree are Tania Bruguera, Amaury Pacheco, Michel Matos, and Havana Biennial organizers Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Yanelys Nuñez

 

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Lucy Arner

Biography (lucyarner.com)

Born in Santiago, Cuba, Lucy Arner began her musical studies at the age of twelve. She attended Baldwin-Wallace College, Indiana University, receiving Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees and continued her doctoral studies at the University of Miami. She has been honored with Distinguished Alumnae awards from both Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Miami. Currently she is on the faculty of Mannes College of Music and coaches privately in New York City in addition to her busy conducting schedule.

Lucy Arner

Lucy Arner is a Cuban American pianist, conductor and music teacher. She was borne in Santiago de Cuba in 1961. She began her career as a pianist, working with singers teaching young ones in vocal arts since 1990. She is known as “a true singer’s conductor.” Arner was a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff from 1994 through the 2007-08 season. In 1996 made her professional debut as a conductor at the Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto, Italy.

 

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Ms. Arner was appointed Artistic Director of the New York Chamber Opera in November 2000, making her debut conducting Britten’s Rape of Lucretia. She has conducted opera and concerts all over the world and was the first woman to conduct opera in Mexico City’s historic Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Conducting
She made her South American debut in Lima, Perú with a new production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly in 2001, followed by Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Puccini’s Tosca. She made her New York City Opera debut conducting scenes from Richard Danielpour’s opera Margaret Garner.

 

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Lucy Arner was the Artistic Director of the New York Chamber Opera from 2000-2005 and was the interim Music Director of the University of Houston’s Opera Center in 2008-2009 season, conducting Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and critically acclaimed performances of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas.

Lucy Arner & Placido Domingo
She conducted a nationally televised performance of the Verdi Requiem in Santo Domingo with the Cathedral Choir and the Orquesta Nacional. She made a sensational debut with Florida Grand Opera as the first Cuban woman to conduct an opera with the company and received the Henry C. Clark Distinguished Conductor Award for her work on Offenbach's Les Contes d’Hoffmann.

 

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From the fall of 2015 to December 2019, Lucy Arner was Music Director and Principal Conductor of New Jersey Verismo Opera, becoming the first female music director for the company. She conducted operas like La Gioconda, Rigoletto, Tosca, and others. She is also the Artistic Director of Canto Vocal Programs, since January 2015 to the present. Since October 2009 to the present, she has been vocal coaching singers and teaching a class on Spanish song repertoire and vocal music.

 

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Lisette Oropesa

Lisette Oropesa - Wikipedia

Oropesa was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her parents emigrated from Cuba.[2]

She originally studied to be a flautist before her mother, a music teacher and former operatic soprano,[2] suggested she audition for the voice faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Music.[6] She joined the voice program under the guidance of Robert Grayson[7] who was the chair of the Voice/Opera at the LSU School of Music.

Lisette Oropesa parents emigrated from Cuba. Her mother Rebeca Ulloa was only 7 years old when her parents fled to Miami from Cuba in 1968 thru the Freedom Flies, and later on moved to new Orleans. Rebeca was a classically trained soprano opera singer. Her father Mariel Oropesa was put in a boat and sent to U.S. during the Mariel Boatlift, and made his way New Orleans, since he has family there, where he met his future wife Rebeca. They have three daughters, and when the girls were young Mariel was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Rebecca began working as a music teacher to help support the family and gave up her dream of returning to the stage. Mariel Oropesa passed away in 2010.

 

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Lisette was taught by her mother how to sing and play the piano. She originally studied to be a flautist, studying and playing the flute for 12 years, from fifth grade through college, which help her singing. Because of her vocal gift, her mother suggested she audition for the voice faculty at the LSU School of Music at Louisiana State University. Her audition went so well that she joined the voice program with Robert Grayson as her mentor, graduating in vocal interpretation.

Lisette Oropesa October 2011

 

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Lisette graduate from the voice program in 2008. In the 2008-09 Metropolitan Opera season, she sang the role of Lisette in La rondine. She also sang Der Ring des Nibelungen.

In 2010, she reprised her Rhinemaiden in the Met's season-opening production of Das Rheingold, for which won a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 2012. In the end of 2012–13 season, she sang as Gilda in Rigoletto, and sang in the role of Nannetta in Faistaff.

In 2013, she sang the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute at Florida Grand Opera, and as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at The Santa Fe Opera. After here performance at the Met early in 2014, she performed in many concerts in US. In In 2015, she started the year at the Paris Opera as Konstanze. Her next performance was at the Cocertgebouw in Amsterdam, where she sang Caro Nome, received a standing ovation. She returned home to New Orleans to acclaim as Susanna. She has performed roles in Spanish, English, German, French and Italian. She is an internationally acclaimed operatic soprano.

(65) Rigoletto - 'Caro nome' (Lisette Oropesa, The Royal Opera) - YouTube
Lisette Oropesa sings Gilda's aria 'Caro nome' from Act I of Verdi's Rigoletto, at the Royal Opera House.

 

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In 2016, Oropesa gave her first NYC solo recital with the Park Avenue Armory. In 2017 she returned to the Met as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. In 2019, she debuted in the role of Manon. She is one of the most in demand soprano today. She has performed leading roles at many opera houses around the world.

Grammy-winning operatic soprano Lisette Oropesa, winner of the Richard Tucker Award and the Beverly Sills Award, discusses finding ourselves on stage and off. Subjects of fitness and image come up, feeling ready for opportunities, and dealing with setbacks and disappointment. Lively and engaging, she is sure to inspire many on their paths.

French Bel Cano Arias -Interview with Lisette Oropesa 6.10 min
(75) Lisette Oropesa - YouTube

 

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In the year 2020, Oropesa performed the role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville at the Paris Opera and was rewarded in the press for a "brilliant voice”. In the Teatro Real in Madrid to perform the role of Violetta Valéry in La traviata. She returned to the Opera House to perform in a benefit concert. In October, she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera in Die Entführung aus dem Serai, where she was regarded as a "World class Konstanze". Her last performances of 2020 were at the Liceu in Barcelona in La traviata.

In 2021, she started with a performance with the Bilbao Opera in a recital that was an "unmitigated success". In April, she starred in a movie production of La traviata, which was viewed by over a million people when it was aired by Rai in Italy. She also performed at the Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. On September 13, she opened the season at the Royal Opera House in London, with Rigoletto, which won rave reviews. In October, in the same place, she perform the role of Violetta in La Traviata, where her performance was "Without a doubt she is one of the finest, most complete Violettas to grace this staging in its almost 30 year history." In December, she returned to Spain to perform two zarzuelas, where she reaped one of the greatest successes we have witnessed at the Teatro de la Zarzuela".
(11) Opera Philadelphia | "Sempre Libera" La traviata - YouTube 1:28 min.

 

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Lisette Oropesa perform numerous parts of zarzuelas and at the end, the entrance of Cuban zarzuela Cecilia Valdés at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, December 13, 2021. At the end of the program the soprano was applauded and brave by the public. The zarzuela Cecilia Valdés was composed by Gonzalo Roig and premiered in Havana in 1932. It is base in the famous folk novel Cecilia Valdés of the 19 century by Cirilo Villaverde, a teacher, journalist and novelist. It takes place in the old part of the City of Havana.

Entrance of Yo soy Cecilia
(20+) Video | Facebook

 

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In February 2023, Oropesa was awarded "Best Female Opera Singer" by the German magazine OPER!, and on March was awarded the prestigious merit of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French minister of Culture. she played the role of Ophélie in Hamlet at the Opéra national de Paris, which had not been performed there since 1938. On April 19, she was awarded the Franco Abbiati Music Critics Award for her performances in Italy in the year 2022, and on April 13, she On April 13, Oropesa returned to the Teatro alla Scala to perform to in Lucia di Lammermoor. In October, she returned to the Vienna State Opera to perform in La traviata, and in November, she made her debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in La fille du régiment. That month, her album French Bel Canto Arias won best Recording Solo Recital at the International Opera Awards.

 

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Oropesa says that her husband travel with her. He’s a web developer, and his skills have been irreplaceable in producing her recordings, creating and maintaining her website, photos, social media, and videos. “We run together and cook together, and really are so happy in this life. He loves traveling and has found his stride in this career path with me. I’m so lucky! We love cooking, running, wine, and good old fashioned debate.”

 

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María Elvira Salazar - Wikipedia

María Elvira Salazar (/ɛlˈvaɪrə ˈsæləzɑːr/ el-VY-rə SAL-ə-zar; born November 1, 1961) is an American journalist, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 27th congressional district. She is a Republican assistant whip.[1] Before entering politics, Salazar worked for the Spanish-language network Telemundo for three decades after serving as a news anchor for Miami-based WSBS TV. She has also worked for CNN Español and Univision.

Salazar was the Republican nominee for Congress in 2018, losing to Donna Shalala. She won the 2020 rematch with 51.4% of the vote to Shalala's 48.6%. Salazar's term in office began on January 3, 2021, and she was scheduled to be sworn in to the 117th United States Congress that day, but was diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly before the start of the term, and was sworn in on January 12 instead.[2]

María Elvira Salazar

Maíra Elvira Salazar, the daughter of Cuban exiles who emigrated to the United States, fleeing Cuba due to the conquer of power by Fidel Castro, was born in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood on November 1, 1961. She listened as her parents told stories of the oppressive communist regime from which they escaped. pursuit of freedom and the American Dream shaped Maria Elvira Salazar’s early life. The pursuit of freedom and the American Dream shaped her early life.

Salazar studied at the Deerborne School of Coral Gables and graduated from Miami Dade College. In 1983, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Miami, and in 1995, she earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. at Harvard University.

 

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Salazar began a career in journalism in 1983 covering local stories for Univision TV channel, and in 1984 served as senior political correspondent for Univision. In 1988, she work as a White House correspondent for the same company. In 1991, she was promoted to the bureau chief of the Central American division of Univision. In 1993, she started to work the Telemundo Network as a senior political correspondent, working there until 2002. In 2003, she started to work for Channel 22 known now as Mega TV. Her show has won 5 Emmy Awards. She became the anchor for CNN Español.

As a reporter, she has obtained a number of interviews with prestigious people from all corners of the globe including American presidents Bill Clinton (1999) and George W. Bush (2001), Chilean president Augusto Pinochet (2003), Mexican president Vicente Fox (2005), Spanish President José María Aznar (2007), Colombian presidents Alvaro Uribe (2008) and Juan Manuel Santos (2014), and Mother Teresa of Calcuta.

 

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In 2016, Salazar returned to Mega TV as the anchor of the night newscast and previously hosted her own daily prime-time political news show called “Maria Elvira Live.”

Congressional Hispanic Conference Holds News

In March 2018, she ran for the Florida 27th Congressional District, a district considered Democratic leaning, and she was defeated by the Democratic candidate. In 2020, she ran again for the seat and this time, in a very tied race she won the election. In 2021, she co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, a bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.

Salazar won again in 2022. That year, she votes for the Global Respect Act, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of the internationally recognized human rights of LGBTQ people. She also voted or the Respect for Marriage Act which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

Salazar is a supporter of Israel. She said that democratic socialism means "misery, oppression and exile" She attended the inauguration of Argentine President Milei, invited by the government. She currently serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee and on the House Committee on Small Business.

 

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Liz Balmaseda - Wikipedia

Liz Balmaseda (born January 17, 1959) is a journalist who writes for The Palm Beach Post.

Balmaseda was born in Puerto Padre, Cuba, amidst the Cuban Revolution. Her family emigrated to the United States, and she grew up in Miami, Florida. She received an associate's degree from Miami Dade College, and then a bachelor's degree from Florida International University in communications in 1981. She had been an intern for the Miami Herald in 1980, and was hired upon her graduation in 1981 to write for El Herald, the Miami Herald's Spanish-language sister paper. She worked in this and several other reporting assignments at the Herald until 1985, when she left to become Central America bureau chief, based in El Salvador, for Newsweek. She moved to NBC News as a field producer based in Honduras before returning to the Miami Herald in November 1987 as a feature writer.

Liz Balmaseda
Liz Balmaseda 1993 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her writings on the plight of Haitian refugees due to the deteriorating political and social conditions in Haiti and her columns about Cuban-Americans in Miami. During her career she had been reporting on human rights and social justice.

 

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Balmaseda shared a second Pulitzer with the Miami Herald news team for breaking-news reporting in 2001, for the coverage of the pre-dawn raid by federal agents that took the Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez from his Miami relatives and reunited him with his Cuban father. That same year, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., she won the Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature in 2001.

 

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Balmaseda has authored several nationally published books. In 1999, She co-authored the book Waking Up in America: How One Doctor Brings Hope to Those Who Need It Mos. In 2007, she co-authored the book I Am My Father's Daughter. In 2009 her novel Sweet Mary was published by Simon & Schuster.

She served as an associate producer for the HBO film "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story."

Liz Balmaseda and Andy García