Six repentismo and tonadas workshops for children, sponsored by El Cucalambé Ibero-American Center of the Décima in different municipalities, defend part of our intangible heritage and constitute vehicles for knowledge and the formation of values.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- One of them is the Viajera Peninsular (Peninsular Traveler), which meets every Saturday morning at the aforementioned institution, located in the central Colón Street. A total of 13 children are overcome there with the guidance of specialists Taimara Portillo and Guillermo Castillo Jr.
"For the recruitment of talents, infants must pass an aptitude test that selects those who demonstrate singing and literature skills, and results in the Spanish Language course," said Taimara.
“In addition to the theoretical and practical classes, the boys and girls are inserted into the Pepito Mayedo gathering, which the Center held monthly, in the song event promoted by this institution in the month of April and in other activities related to the Tomasa Varona cultural center of this city, and in the context of the Cucalambeana Fiesta (supreme celebration of the Cuban peasantry), at its different levels,” said Castillo.
According to the teachers of the Workshop, among their reasons for pride is taking more than a decade with results in the National Meeting of Repentismo for Children and Musical Accompaniment, in addition to conquering garlands in the Provincial Meeting of Literary Workshops.
Also, they recognize that these are students with outstanding work in initiatives that are undertaken in their schools such as morning ones and that develop patriotism, solidarity, responsibility, aesthetic taste and other values.
More than 10 years ago, the repentismo and tonadas workshops for children appeared here, with the aim of strengthening peasant traditions and preserving the Cuban identity. Its systematic operation has contributed to the formation of a youth quarry that materializes what has been learned, reaching important achievements in the country.
According to Ramón Batista López, director of the Ibero-American Décima Center, they intend to rescue the workshops of suddenness and tunes in the municipalities of Amancio and Jobabo, which for various reasons were lost and once also existed under their auspices. "The other territories in Las Tunas do have such exponents, with multiple results," he said.
“Only in the year 2019, students trained with these initiatives represented Las Tunas in the Eduardo Saborit contest, which was publicized by the Palmas y Cañas television program, reaching the grand final of the competition. In addition, the province was one of those that showed greater representation in the National Meeting of Repentismo Workshops, with 10 participants.
In this contest, our representatives were recognized by the National Council of Cultural Center and the Ibero-American Center of the Décima and the Improvised Verse," he added.
