Buena Vista Artists of Today

Standing at his bedroom window Dixon, a jewelry maker and psychology student, tells me that most of the boys he went to school with are now in prison for robbery, drugs, as political dissidents or an array of other crimes that communism puts men in jail for. Dixon explains that it is illegal for Cuban’s to purchase or have beef or lobster in their homes. I wonder how many men are in prison for getting caught with beef? He tells me that his “hood”, The Buena Vista neighborhood, is a little “rough”.

I met Dixon on my first trip to Cuba, when the Buena Vista Social Club was, to me, just some Cuban band. Dixon is from the Buena Vista neighborhood in Havana from which this band takes its name. The Buena Vista Social Club was actually a pre-revolutionary gathering place for the mostly black neighborhood. It was a creative hub where artists convened; musicians made music, dancers danced and partiers partied.

The idea of a club like that captivates me and I wanted to document how the neighborhood has retained the creative DNA that made it so famous. So I asked Dixon to show me around his barrio. (Neighborhood)

Armando, wood worker




Agustin, tattoo artist





Lineanny, manicurist





Dixon, metallurgist and fine jewler




I am in awe of the creative souls I met in the Buena Vista neighborhood. With little to no influences from the media, the Internet and opportunity to travel they are cut off from the outside world. The people seem to “meet themselves before they meet society,” as Dixon puts it. The creators in this land seem to find an internal motivation with fewer influences from external sources. With the repressive laws and rules of communism looming, Cuban’s have come to declare themselves through their art. Perhaps it is for this reason the colors, sounds, and endless forms of expression seem so rich in Cuba. I believe I am witnessing a new generation of artisans who are transforming the landscape of the Buena Vista neighborhood and the streets of Havana.

*See more on the Buena Vista Artists of Today on my website www.shaunaintelisano.com in the stories section of my Portfolio