My Havana

"Carlos has hit a nerve in the Cuban people; his music has expressed what most people are thinking, but are not saying, something that they couldn't verbalize, couldn't even see ... and I think that is the power of his music." -- Benicio del Toro, actor, 'Che' "Just as singer and songwriter Carlos Varela is a unifying figure for his generation of Cubans - a generation fragmented by ideology and migration - so My Havana puts scholars from different countries and traditions together in harmonious dialogue to present a rich picture of a musical icon." -- Ariana Hernandez-Reguant, University of Miami

For more than thirty years, musician Carlos Varela has been a guide to the heart, soul, and sound of Havana. My Havana is a lyrical exploration of Varela’s life and work, and of the vibrant musical, literary, and cinematic culture of his generation.

For more than thirty years, musician Carlos Varela has been a guide to the heart, soul, and sound of Havana. One of the best known singer-songwriters to emerge out of the Cuban nueva trova movement, Varela has toured in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. In North America, Varela is “Cuba’s Bob Dylan.” In Cuba, he is the voice of the generation that came of age in the 1990s and for whom his songs are their generation’s anthems. My Havana is a lyrical exploration of Varela’s life and work, and of the vibrant musical, literary, and cinematic culture of his generation.

Popular both among Cubans on the island and in the diaspora, Varela is legendary for the intense political honesty of lyrics. He is one of the most important musicians in the Cuban scene today. In My Havana, writers living in Canada, Cuba, the United States, and Great Britain use Varela’s life and music to explore the history and cultural politics of contemporary Cuba. The book also contains an extended interview with Varela and English translations of the lyrics to all his recorded songs, most of which are appearing in print for the very first time.