Members of the Casa de la Decima ‘Francisco Riveron’ attend a music workshop in Guines, Mayabeque province, Cuba. — Photos: ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP
Forget reggaeton or rap: for children in rural Cuba the epitome of cool is writing and singing a ten-line poem – an art form honed by farmers and preserved over generations.
Improvised oral poetry, known as “repentismo” or “punto cubano” when set to music, was introduced to Latin America by Spanish colonists in the 16th century, and remains an integral part of Cuba’s culture.
