Arts summer festival "Havana, Havana" concert celebrates diversity on PBS

Why not shake your booty to the sounds of old Cuba when PBS presents “Havana, Havana” on Friday, July 27, as it continues its arts summer festival.

At a time when a recent PBS survey showed that 90 percent of Americans think arts education is “very important” for school-age children, the PBS “Arts Summer Festival” is delivering such arts entertainment with a fun-filled “Havana, Havana” concert featured this Friday, July 27. “In the last broadcast season, more than a quarter of all U.S. households tuned into our PBS arts programming, including millions who connected to the arts through the PBS Arts Summer Festival,” said PBS President Paula Kerger. “The Summer Arts Festival is an extension of our year-round commitment to arts programming which viewers can enjoy every Friday night on PBS.” In turn, this “Havana, Havana” concert TV program airs on Friday, July 27 at 9 p.m. ET with a reminder to check your local PBS station for complete broadcast information.

Also, the PBS marketing preview for this “Havana, Havana” program states how viewers will “feel the soul and energy of African-Cuban drummers, guajira guitarists and the pulsing melodies of celebrated Cuban musician Raul Paz, who brings together fellow musical stars Descemer Bueno, Kelvis Ochoa and David Torrens for a concert in Havana.”

Let’s party like they do in old Havana on PBS

In turn, PBS explained how each of these musicians “left Cuba years ago,” but their decision to return “has injected a new spirit into Cuban music.”

At the same time, the show claims to “mirroring Cuba’s growing relationship with the world,” with “Havana, Havana” highlighting the evolution of the country’s musical expression in the 21st century.

Also, the “Old Havana” historic center of Cuba – that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1982 – serves as the artistic “muse” for these “Havana, Havana” musicians, states PBS when explained how Havana is “by far the leading cultural center of the country because it offers a wide variety of features that range from museums, palaces, public squares, avenues, churches, fortresses (including the largest fortified complex in the Americas dating from the 16th through 18th centuries), ballet and from art and musical festivals to exhibitions of technology.”

Overall, the goal of the “PBS Arts Summer Festival,” say the show’s producers, is to “expand the scope and diversity of the arts on television, with a multi-part weekly series and new original online content that takes viewers across the country and around the world.”

PBS Arts Festival gives you a front row seat to diverse entertainment

Look for the award-wining television, film and state star Anna Deavere Smith – who starred in the TV shows “Nurse Jackie,” and “The West Wing,” as your host for the PBS Arts Summer Festival that continues Friday, July 27” with the “Havana, Havana” concert show.

At the same time, enjoy Deavere Smith when she hosts four previous episodes from the summer festival that are now available for free viewing on the PBS website.

These summer festival shows include: “Mariachi High” program that aired on June 29, the “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” show that aired on July 6, the “Tales from a Getto Klown” that aired on July 13 and “Homecoming: Kansas City Symphony” that aired on PBS July 20.

As for why is PBS featuring “foreigners on TV,” the show’s host Anna Deavere Smith explained how the “Summer Arts Festival expands diversity of arts with a global reach.”

Summer Arts Festival is prime-time great TV viewing

The Summer Arts Festival line-up is part of PBS’ “ongoing commitment to arts content on-air and online, features films that celebrate the contributions of both American and world artists.”

For instance, a PBS program overview explains how “the Festival explores international arts, including a historic concert July 27 by four Cuban music greats.”
In addition, the PBS Arts Summer Festival takes viewers on an exploration “of nearly 20 cities around the globe, offering an in-depth look at music, theater, art, architecture and cultural history from some of the world’s most unique locations.”

The PBS Arts Summer Festival announcement comes on the heels of a recent independent national survey about public perception of live and televised performing arts programs, conducted by ORC International Online Caravan. The survey found adults 18+ turned most frequently to PBS for televised cultural programs. Forty-two percent (42%) of adults surveyed watch televised arts and culture on PBS, 35% watch traditional networks, 30% basic cable, and 15% premium cable. Additional survey results are available at the PBS website.

Image source of Old Havana, Cuba, that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the art “muse” for Friday’s PBS Arts Summer Festival concert “Havana, Havana.” Photo courtesy Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana

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