Showing posts with label cuban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cuban. Show all posts

Sunday, January 17, 2016

From South Of The Border to the Emerald Isle



The LGBT community goes globe trotting more than ever these days with often some very surprising results.  Last week 27 year old Emmie Reek a Brazilian drag performer caused quite a sensation when she performed her version of Adele's One and Only on RTE's The Voice of Ireland TV Show in Dublin earlier this week. Emmie (aka student Emery Modesta) should have been preparing to go back home to marry his Polish fiance but when he got the call from the Producers he delayed the wedding in the hope of becoming Ireland’s next singing sensation.   We think he has a good chance of making it judging by this performance.


Recently two Irish filmmakers made a movie set in Havana, Cuba about a young gay man who really only discovered his purpose in life when he donned a dress to become a rather sensational drag performer.  This rather exhilarating movie called "Viva" was filmed completely in Spanish even though director Paddy Breathnach barely spoke a word of it, and was chosen as Ireland's Official Submission for Best Foreign Film Oscar. Viva  is due to be released in the US in April 2016.




Thursday, November 5, 2015

TransCuba



A stunning new solo show of work from New York based photographer Mariette Pathy Allen is currently on view at the Yeelen Gallery in Miami's Little Haiti district.   The Exhibition is titled TransCuba as it is a collection of some 30 vibrant images that Allen took of the transgender community in Cuba.

Allen's work focuses on the details of the everyday lives of her transgender subjects that reveal the growing visibility and acceptance in a country whose government is transitioning  into a mire "relaxed" model of communism under Raúl Castro’s presidency.   Photographed over several trips she made to Cuba in 2012 and 2013,  the images she witnessed and captured were of strong, smart, active and optimistic transgender people who savor their new freedom to be able to be themselves publicly, while continuing to overcome daily challenges, such as health issues, and the lack of steady work and money.



TransCuba : a solo show by Marriette Pathy Allen at Yeelan Gallery until November 28th 2015.

Information www.yeelanart.com