410 Chapter 18
While there has been a fair amount of research on the Havana rumba
scene since the Special Period, there has not been any in-depth
research on the contemporary rumba scene in Matanzas. My discus-
sion of current rumba and folkloric music venues in Matanzas is not
necessarily comprehensive, given that my research was delimited by
my methodological choice to focus on one group, Afrocuba de
Matanzas (from now on referred to as “Afrocuba”). However, Matan-
zas is a small city, and presents a major contrast in many ways to the
sprawling and seemingly endless geography of Havana; in the former
there are only a few regular venues for rumba and folkloric music per-
formance. In addition to its geographical compactness, cultural per-
formance within the city of Matanzas is affected by its impoverished
status vis-à-vis the tourism industry. For most foreigners Matanzas
city is merely a stop on the bus line from Havana to Varadero, the
island’s most famous beach resort, located 22 miles northeast of
Matanzas. The city is currently characterized by a rather depressing
restaurant and nightlife scene and a striking lack of tourist-oriented
amenities; for example, during the ten weeks I spent conducting
research there in early 2007, both of the city’s hotels were closed for
repairs. While Matanzas’ folkloric scene is internationally renowned
and foreigners come somewhat regularly for religious purposes or to
take lessons with members of Afrocuba or Los Muñequitos de Matan-
zas, local musicians often experience periods of tourist draught and,
consequently, economic hardship. Despite the negative economic
effects correlated with the lack of a tourist infrastructure in Matanzas,
and the fact that some Cubans consider Matanzas to be a “boring
place,” conducting research there generally presented fewer problems
for me in terms of transportation, the relatively small amount of petty
crime and hustling, and the less hectic nature of the city as compared
to the capital.
Some of my friends in Matanzas have suggested that the city’s lack
of restaurants and entertainment venues is related to its proximity to
Varadero, the island’s most successful, and for many years its most
exclusive, tourist resort. They feel that the state has made a decision