dreaming of Cuba

My last trip to Cuba was in 1959 as Fidel Castro took complete control of the island. But...the music, smoke,
laughter and dancing  is still a swirling dream that has not ended.  MICHAEL COLINA

         "I remember as a three year old an early example of
         my musical expressiveness: banging on pots n' pans
         on the kitchen floor, a true joy!  My mother grew tired 
         of the noise and yanked me off the floor by the arm,
         slinging me into the air and tossing me into the pantry
         closet.  My little soul was consumed with fear and total
         darkness.  Finally she let me out. I was shattered, thankful
         to be free, to see light, to be accepted. My eyes opened to
         an orange tropical sunrise, wondering what might happen
         to me in the future."

         "These memories blend into one eternal summer, after rising
         at four in the morning to go fishing till noon, with a swim off
         the boat to shore in the gorgeous Caribbean waters."

         "Growing up in Cuba, thinking about what used to be - the
         wonderful frijoles negros, platanos fritos, arroz con pollo and flan,
         bring back memories of my grandmother and grandfather, true
         conservative Cuban Spanish archetypes; Catholic, traditional
         and extremely proud."

         "We eventually moved to North Carolina, a place that echoed
         with all sorts of sounds, sights and a foreign language; coffee,
         cigars, rum and rumba.  I literally had dozens of cousins, aunts
         and uncles. Our family was large and after the afternoon thunderstorm
         the cooling evening would begin with music in a small local dance
         hall where they would all gather, lead by my dad, the rumba king.
         Everyone would dance until dawn.  Of course, I would fall asleep;
         eventually waking in bed, climb out, stumble outside listening to distant music,
         and smelling the cigar smoke, hearing laughter, part of a Cuban dream I
         still feel and see."