Posted on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008
Race-based clubs see revival in Cuba
By LIZA GROSS
More than 50 years have passed, but Afro-Cuban author Pedro Pérez Sarduy still remembers the dances.
He and his friends would dress smartly in white linen guayaberas and black bow ties to attend balls at La Bella Unión (Beautiful Union), a social club in his hometown of Santa Clara, Cuba. At these matinés, they danced cha-cha-cha and flirted with girls.
''The matiné went from 1 until 5 with a local orchestra for the kids,'' Pérez Sarduy said. ``After that, the dance for adults had a good orchestra because this was important for the prestige of the club.''
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