A unique presentation on Mexico’s cine de rumberas, a cinematic tour de force that turned the rumba, the popular Cuban dance, into veritable melodrama, and launched the careers of statuesque bombshells Ninón Sevilla, María Antonieta Pons, and Amalia Aguilar, Cuban dancers whom the press referred to as “The Caribbean Cyclone,” “The Golden Venus,“ and “The Atomic Bomb.” With the passing of time, these films from the 40’s and 50’s became a cult, screened again with fanatic fervor in film festivals across France, Spain, Brazil, and Germany. In 2016, the Cuban rumba was defined by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This rare presentation by cultural critic Armando López will include a sociological overview of the origins of the rumba, as well as an exquisite musical component, with the most representative film clips of these artists performing the frenetic dance.
This event will be held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation through earphones.
INSTITUTO CERVANTES
211 East 49th Street, bet. 2nd & 3rd Aves., NYC
ADMISSION $10
FREE for CCCNY or IC Members
PLEASE RSVP at: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
Armando López is a notable cultural journalist and producer with a long trajectory in the entertainment industry, dating to 
his work in Cuban television, where he was writer for several years for the Saturday evening show Juntos a las 9:00 and for the cultural newscast Televista. He was founding editor of the popular journal Opina, and was the creator of Premio Girasol, awarded to the Cuba’s most popular artists. In New York he has produced musical extravaganzas at Avery Fisher Hall, The Town Hall, and The Manhattan Center. His articles, columns and interviews have appeared in major Hispanic media outlets in the U.S., as well as in Spain and Latin America. He is a frequent lecturer on Cuban popular music in colleges and cultural institutions throughout the U.S.
This event is co-sponsored by Instituto Cervantes
And is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
With the promotional coverage of
