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By Michael Lopez

Anyone who comes from Latin American descent knows how sacred a figure the Pope is. And in 2012 spring Cuban and Mexican Catholics will have the chance to see His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

Holy Press Director Father Federico Lombardi has stated that Benedict XVI was invited to visit both countries. His Holiness traveled to Brazil back in 2007, but since then has limited his visits to countries in Europe.

"In recent days", Lombardi stated. "The nuncios in Mexico and Cuba have been instructed to inform the highest civil and religious authorities that the Pope is examining concrete plans to visit those States, in response to invitations he has received".

We can only imagine the type of excitement that will build if the Pope does carry through with his plans. And it may be a wise PR move too, at least in Mexico's case. The Central American country is reportedly on its way to becoming the world's largest Catholic nation.

Would you be excited to meet the Pope? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Catholicism, Cuba, Cultura, Fr. Federico Lombardi, Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI, Religion, The Pope

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

Cuban ballet dancers are setting the dance world on fire. How did they pick up their passion for dance? How can that passion be shared with people who are new to the art form? We sat down with ballet royalty Lorena and Lorna Feijoo for a chat.

Blogamole: Your mother was a dancer, your father was an actor. How did you start dancing?

Lorena: My mother took me to the theater, my father took me to the studio... I was always listening to classical music, watching the girls in costume when I was little. In the Ballet Nacional De Cuba, all the dancers brought their kids. You didn't need to ask anybody, 'can you take care of my child?' All the kids watched the dance classes and saw their parents rehearsing, and after a while my interest grew and grew.

Lorna: My sister was watching ballet from the womb! By the time my mother had me, she had stopped dancing, and was a teacher at the National Ballet School, which is the most important ballet school in Cuba. I had never really thought of being a dancer - I wanted to do everything! But one day, I just auditioned, and I passed the test. I went to my mother and I told her: 'I passed the test. I want to study ballet.' My father said, you know, maybe it's better if you are a contemporary dancer, to avoid comparisons with your sister? (By the time I got started, my sister had already been in the school for three years. She had won international prizes.) My mother would say, you're not as disciplined with your diet, you like candy and chocolate, you have to sacrifice a lot, get up early. It's a very hard career. My parents thought I wasn't going to have the discipline for it! But I did it. I wanted it.

B: In the US, Ballet is a passion for a small minority of people. What's the best way to enlarge that audience and get people interested?

Lorena: In recent years, dance has become a real presence in media. Theaters are a medium for a small group of people, whether its for the symphony or opera, for people who already appreciate the performing arts. In the US, television is the best way to reach people. Programs like So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars, bring dance to the people. Dancing with the Stars has a bit of classical dance as part of its program. When people see that classical dance and music is accessible, that it isn't so foreign, they can start understand, to become interested and get a taste and appreciation. We need more arts channels, where we can show the variety and breadth of the performing arts.

Lorna: Dance has always been with us, but, unlike sports, it doesn't have that huge, passionate audience. In Cuba, people live to see the ballet. It's not like that here. So for us, something like (our appearance) on Dancing with the Stars was a huge thing! Truly, when the called us and gave us the news, it was a beautiful thing... Black Swan is another example. It got people going to the movies and looking at people dancing ballet. I'd love to see more movies - not documentaries, although I love them - but movies about ballet. Also, I think community outreach programs are key. At the Boston Ballet, we do lots of performances for schools, and no matter how tired we are from the night before, we are always excited for those matinees. The kids love it! We say to each other in the company, those kids are our very best audience.

So what about you? Are you a ballet fan? Would you hit the theater to check out a new movie with a ballet theme? Tell us in the comments!

Tags Arts and Culture, Black Swan, blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Boston Ballet, Cuba, Cuban Ballet, Dance, Dancing With The Stars, Hispanic Heritage Month, Lorena Feijoo, Lorna Feijoo, San Francisco Ballet, So You Think You Can Dance

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

I sat down with Octavio Roca a few days ago to talk about his latest work, the gorgeous, photo-rich tome Cuban Ballet. Born in Cuba and a long-time US resident, Roca has written music and dance criticism for The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among others, and is chair of the Arts and Philosophy department at Miami Dade College.

Growing up in the US in the 80s, I struggled to identify role models who were like me. What's it like today? Octavio Roca shared some of his thoughts on the significance of the Cuban diaspora on the ballet world, and how Hispanics in general and Cuban ballet dancers in particular are shaping American culture.

Blogamole: So tell us - how did Cuban Ballet come to be?

O.R. I have been a music and dance critic most of my life, and I am also Cuban. Being very close both to Cuba and to the art form, I noticed... Cubans are the Russians of the 21st century. The influence Cuban dancers are having on dance today, especially dance in America, is like that of the Russians in the 1980s. In the case of Russia, it's easier to understand - Russia's huge! Cuba is little... it's a miracle, that kind of influence that Cuba has in culture in general, but especially in dance.

I was working at the San Francisco Chronicle as lead dance critic, and by sheer coincidence, back to back, I got to see Lorna Feijoo with the Cuban National Ballet, in Giselle, before she defected, and then her sister Lorena's first Giselle with the San Francisco Ballet. I was so touched. They were so beautiful. Those two women are as good as it gets today. It touched me, because I thought I couldn't recover that kind of culture.

So I thought - Let's tell the whole story! I was in a perfect place to do this, because my mother danced in the company (The Cuban National Ballet), my mother was a Wili in the first Giselle I ever saw, with Alicia Alonso with Igor Youskevitch! When you start with the best, you get marked for life.

I told the story of ballet in Cuba, going back to the 19th century, through the beginnings of the present company, in 1948 before the Revolution: Alicia Alonso -Cuban National Ballet's director-, Fernando Alonso, and Alberto Alonso, the founders. I also chose to tell the stories of the new Cubans. The young ones are doing two very important things: they are keeping Cuban culture alive at a time that is very difficult, because Cuba has gone through a lot, and is going through a lot. And yet, here you have this art form that is so beautiful, thriving.

It interested me that people like Lorena and Lorna Feijoo are leading dancers of the San Francisco Ballet and the Boston Ballet. Every major American company has Cuban principals and Cuban teachers. At the same time as all of us Cuban writers and artists are trying to maintain our own identity, there is a dialog going on: we are also shaping the culture of the country we now call home.

American culture today is Hispanic-accented, and our particular Hispanic influence is a source of pride. We are making a major contribution to American culture."

Octavio Roca's book, Cuban Ballet, with forewords by Alicia Alonso and Mikhail Baryshnikov, is available for purchase now.

Tags Alicia Alonso, arts, Ballet, blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Boston Ballet, Cuba, Cuban Ballet, Dance, Hispanic Heritage Month, Lorena Feijoo, Lorna Feijoo, Mikhail Bayshnikov, Octavio Roca, San Francisco Ballet

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to believe that Bob Marley has been gone for over 30 years. Since his passing in 1981, countless tribute have been bestowed upon the reggae music legend. And the latest one happens to be a special concert held in Cuba at the end of the month.

Labeled the Jamaica to Toronto Project, the Marley jam session will feature artists like Paul Everton, Dave West, and Ruy Lopez Nusa. They will all be performing at Havana’s Fine Arts Theater on October 22 for what they call, Paul does Marley y La Academia.

When asked why the group chose Cuba as their venue, Lopez Nusa, a Cuban percussionist responded,

"[We chose it] as a sign of the brotherhood, solidarity and musical richness that distinguishes us among the peoples of the region."

As of right now, no Marley family members have confirmed their participation. But we won't be surprised if at least one of Bob's kids pops up in Havana at the end of the month. The Rasta God reportedly had 12 children, who never miss a chance to honor their dad's legacy.

What’s your favorite Bob Marley song? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bob Marley, Concerts, Cuba, Dave West, Jamaica to Toronto Project, Música, Paul Everton, Ruy Lopez Nusa

By Michael Lopez

A few weeks back President Barack Obama pledged his support for Hispanic Heritage Month and now he’s carrying through on that promise. Appearing at a live online roundtable today, the Commander-in-Chief answered questions about immigration, the DREAM Act, and even the possibility of a Latino President.

"I am absolutely confident that within my lifetime we will have a Latino candidate for president who will be very competitive, and may win," Obama stated at the conference.

Though, by the sounds of it, the President didn’t believe that candidate would come from the Republican party (or at least not now). Obama went on to explain how the GOP lacked leadership on topics like immigration reform.

"Only a few years ago, you had some Republicans who recognized that we needed to fix our immigration system," Obama said, referring to his predecessor, George W. Bush. "Right now you do not have that kind of leadership coming from the Republican party."

But that of course begs the question, what would Obama and his fellow Democrats do to help with the issue? The Prez was quick to bring up the national DREAM Act again, which would give undocumented college students and military personal a path to citizenship. He said he has continually pushed Congress to pass the bill and that he is more than ready to sign it.

Obama also addressed issues like Puerto Rico’s statehood (which he believes will remain a commonwealth) and Cuban relations.

"We are open to a new relationship with Cuba," the President went on to say. "If the Cuban government starts taking the proper steps to open up its own country and provide the space and the respect for human rights that would allow the Cuban people to determine their own destiny."

All of Obama's remarks toward the audience did sound very encouraging. But will he follow through on his promises to help the Latino community? Perhaps the real answers will reveal themselves after the 2012 Presidential Election.

Would you vote for Obama in the next election? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Barack Obama, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cuba, Cultura, DREAM ACt, Hispanic Heritage Month, Immigration, Politics, President Obama, Puerto Rico

By Michael Lopez

Any fan of Cuban music and culture knows about the Rotilla Festival. Nicknamed "The Cuban Woodstock," it's an annual celebration filled with dancing, DJs, and thousands of party-goers on the beach. But this year things may change, as the government has taken over the festivities, according to the organizers.

Now that doesn't mean that Rotilla won't happen, but it will certainly be different from what fans have enjoyed for the past 11 years. Organizer Michel Matos angrily spoke out against the Cuban government and what he calls their plans to control every aspect of the festival.

"They're kidnapping, stealing our festival," Matos exclaimed. "It's not a simple case of censorship, of them shutting it down. It's an abduction! On the one hand, they're taking it away from us and on the other hand, they are organizing it themselves through official institutions."

Cuban government representatives didn't comment.

And Matos definitely deserves a say in the matter, as he was one of Rotilla's original founders back in 1999. Now he worries that the entire tone of the festival will change, from a free-spirited message of love, to a soulless government-run institution.

Although on the flip side, it would certainly be interesting to see Fidel Castro attempt to scratch it up in the DJ booth.

What do you think about Rotilla's government smackdown? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Cuba, Música, Politics, Rotilla Festival

By Michael Lopez

Depending on which paper you read, Anthony Bourdain's recent televised trip to Cuba was either harmless fun or mired in controversy. USA Today seemed to think cameras from his No Reservations series captured "beauty" and "unspoiled architecture," while El Nuevo Herald found the visit to be glossy and a tad unrealistic.

For example, on one culinary outing Anthony seemed to be surrounded by happy locals enjoying fancy meals, baseball games, and lush surroundings. What the Herald pointed out, was that most of those people survive on $20 a day and, in reality, are unable to enjoy the spoils filmed by Bourdain's cameras.

Food rationing is a major part of the Cuban lifestyle as well, which means residents get rice and beans, while tourists like Bourdain can enjoy steak dinners. So the question is, is it Anthony's responsibility to depict that lifestyle on his culinary show?

It's hard to find the "right" answer to that question, especially since No Reservations has nothing to do with politics. Truth be told, it is difficult to deny the delicious qualities of fancy Cuban food. Let's just hope that soon more people on the island will get to enjoy it.

What did you think about Anthony's adventures in Cuba? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Anthony Bourdain, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cuba, Cultura, Food, No Reservations, Television

By Michael Lopez

It seems like filmmakers never run out of zombie ideas. There were flesh-eating mall shoppers in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, brain-hungry Brits in Shaun of the Dead, and now Latino grave risers in Juan of the Dead! Yup, Cuba has decided to enter the zombie film circuit too, leaking a trailer of their first "undead" feature.

Judging from the two-minute clip that was released online, Juan has all of the elements you'd expect from a walking corpse flick. There are rotting grannies, skeleton-faced freaks, and even a Thriller-like monster popping out of the ocean!

And who would you expect to save the island from the muerto army? That would be Juan, a deadpan local who specializes in bashing zombie skulls with baseball bats.

Obviously Juan (like Shaun) is going for the humor factor over straight-laced horror, but there are plenty of OMG scares mixed in too. It appears as though Juan is even throwing in a few political messages, with jabs about the Cuban revolution and the "evils" of America.

Look for it to debut in the U.S. later this year.

Would you be interested in seeing Juan of the Dead? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cuba, Juan of the Dead, Movies & CineMás, Zombies

By Michael Lopez

If you want to know what it's like to live a life in exile, check out Cuban-American music producer Emilio Estefan's latest project. The Exile Experience: Journey to Freedom — a bilingual coffee-table book created in collaboration with The Miami Herald Co. and its subsidiary, HCP Aboard Publishing — features photos of and stories about Cuban immigrants living in exile.

“This [book] is not about me, it’s about the whole Cuban community,” Emilio told AOL Latino. “And how proud I am to be born in Cuba, to be a Cuban-American, and to tell the world how lucky we are to live in a free country.”

Emilio knows the struggle firsthand. As a teen, he fled the country with his family shortly after Fidel Castro’s rise to power. The Exile Experience documents the journey of Estefan and countless other Cuban entertainers and politicians.

“It has been an exile [community] that has fought a lot,'' Estefan told the Miami Herald. "They have had to work hard, to defend themselves against everything, to separate from their families, their properties, even their own personalities, because they have had to start all over again in a totally new country.''

The Exile Experience is available in three editions, each tailored to immigrants who left Cuba via Operation Pedro Pan, the Freedom Flights and the Mariel boatlift. More than 400,000 exiles are mentioned in the books.

Are you or any of your family members living in exile? Tell us about it in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Books, Cuba, Cultura, Emilio Estefan, Politics, The Exile Experience

By Michael Lopez

Believe it or not, many world leaders tweet (or, more accurately, their staff members do it for them). Barack Obama is one of the most popular with nearly 7 million followers, the posts of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez are read by 1.3 million, and now former Cuban president Fidel Castro has more than 100,000 people subscribing to his tweets.

Though the Cuban government has acknowledged that Castro doesn’t actually type the posts himself, they are all taken from his writings. Tweeted mostly in Spanish, Fidel’s ramblings are almost always political, ranging from such topics as Libya, to NATO, and beyond.

Since stepping down as Cuba’s leader in 2006, the 84-year-old has reportedly had plenty of time on his hands. According to CBS News, Castro spends hours surfing Internet news sites and is writing memoir books about his years in power.

So, are the 100,000 followers loyal Cuban citizens clinging to his every word? Not so much. As of right now, less than 2 percent of the island’s residents have access to the Internet. And even if they all did, Castro would need at least 8 million social media hounds to catch up to tweet hall of famers Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

Would you follow Fidel Castro on Twitter? Sound off in the comments or MTV3.

Tags Chisme, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Politics, Technology, twitter