Havana/Juana’s namea vibrant and intimate theatrical tribute to the emblematic Cuban diva Juana Bacallao (1925-2024) is presented during this month of May in various theaters on the Island. It will have presentations on the 9th and 10th, at 3:00 pm, at the Bertolt Brecht Theater; on the 12th and 13th, at 9:00 pm, in El Mejunje (Santa Clara); on the 16th, 17th and 26th, at 7:00 pm, at the Teatro Martí; on the 20th and 21st, at 5:00 pm, in Nave Oficio de Isla; and on the 23rd and 24th, also at 5:00 pm, at the National Museum of Fine Arts. Under the text and direction of Osvaldo Doimeadiós, the work features the leading performance of the actress Monse Duany.
Inspired by the book Juana the Cuban. Juana Bacallao: Interviews and testimonies (2025) by writer and producer Lázaro Caballero Aranzola, the proposal deliberately distances itself from traditional biography to explore the human being among sequins and laughter.
The show unfolds a monologue that traces the humble beginnings of Neris Amelia Martínez Salazar (her real name), her rise to stardom, and the liberating force of her art as a poor black woman who defied social and racial barriers to become an icon of Cuban entertainment. Images, music, humor and visual theater are intertwined in a production that exalts the creative audacity of Juana Bacallao.
Juana’s name It is an unmissable event for the Cuban public, a moment to rediscover an artist who not only sang and danced, but also imposed an irreverent, fun and deeply committed presence to her time. The work emphasizes that the memory of the spectacle is also resistance, celebration and cultural revelation.
