408 Chapter 18
tro Habana or the Vedado from more distant municipalities must have
enough money to get there by collective or private taxi. Thus, what
tends to distinguish the audiences at these difference events, more
than their race (most are black or mulato), is not only their neighbor-
hood of origin, but also their economic resources and access to dol-
lars. The Callejón rumba inevitably attracts a poorer audience because,
being free, it is the only event that this audience can regularly attend,
whereas rumba aficionados who have access to dollars often choose
to attend other events which offer the comforts of being inside—with
air conditioning and away from the humid heat and big crowds—or at
least sitting down. In contrast to the Callejón, the Delirio Habanero
rumba event is located above the Plaza de la Revolución, in a part of
the Vedado that is less accessible by public transportation, and most
of the people who regularly attend the Callejón event cannot afford to
get there, much less pay the entrance fee of $50 MN ($2 CUC).
In addition to the factors of class and neighborhood of origin, it is
also important to discuss the issues of generation and gender within
the spaces in which rumba is performed. In general, contemporary
rumba audiences can be characterized by a wide age range: the young-
est spectators tend to be in their late teens—although there are always
many children on hand at free events such as the Callejón rumba—
and there are usually several rumba elders in their 60s and 70s. In fact,
rumba events have an inter-generational quality: the children and/or
parents of an adult performer often attend the performance, and audi-
ence members often go to these events with family members. The
majority of rumba audiences at any given event appear to be between
25 and 50 years old. However, there are also distinctions to be made in
terms of particular venues and rumba groups. While the Callejón and
CFN events tend to attract many young spectators, the UNEAC event
attracts some older, non-rumba audiences as well as rumba aficiona-
dos. Members of the UNEAC—including writers and television pro-
ducers—are given priority in terms of admission to the event and
having tables reserved for them, and so many of them attend the
event despite not considering themselves to be rumba lovers. While