A narrow Havana street with a motorbike and pastel, weathered buildings, people going by, Cuba
Nº 02Travel PhotographyCuba

Cuba

A record of a place I fell in love with through a record — and what I found when I finally went.

An overhead of a yellow classic convertible with its driver, Havana, Cuba
An ox standing in a ploughed field below green hills and a farmhouse, Viñales, Cuba
The Viñales valley — limestone mogotes rising over green tobacco fields and palms, Cuba
A Trinidad street of pastel houses with a clipped topiary tree, a man in a doorway, Cuba
A man with a horse and a neighbour by a red gate in a Viñales village, Cuba

A travel and documentary photography and film series from Havana to Viñales — a place I fell for through its music, long before I ever went.

Cuba is suffering, but it's not defined solely by suffering. Multiple realities coexist within its borders.

Words & pictures — Jacob SigalaHavana · ViñalesOngoing series

I discovered Buena Vista Social Club back in college, and their self-titled album immediately became a daily ritual for me. It offered a sense of security and transported me to different places. First, to a cozy bar—a hole-in-the-wall—at sunset. I could feel the warmth of the setting sun and the sweat breaking through my shirt, mixed with the occasional breeze from an old metal fan, providing some relief from the heat. Nothing else mattered.

Then, the music carried me to Havana, Viñales, and other corners of Cuba I had never imagined. Without ever setting foot in the country, I gained a deep appreciation for Cuban heritage and traditions, falling in love with the culture along the way.

A green vintage American car parked on a cobbled street by a blue house, Trinidad, Cuba
A steep Havana street from above — crumbling buildings, an auto-rickshaw and passers-by, Cuba
Bici-taxis and pedestrians under the arcade of a Havana street, a man with a guitar seated, Cuba
The old 'Cine El Mégano' cinema facade, a figure crossing the street, Havana, Cuba
An older woman on a wrought-iron balcony of an old building, Havana, Cuba
An older potter shaping clay at his wheel, framed photos on the wall, Trinidad, Cuba
A laughing dancer in a yellow-and-red folkloric costume and straw hat, Cuba
A dancer in a yellow dress and headwrap twirling her skirt before a colourful mural, Cuba
A person seated beneath a cascade of pink bougainvillea by a colonial building, Havana, Cuba
A Havana street under the 'Lafayette Bar' neon sign, men and an orange produce cart, Cuba
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I've tried to capture that same feeling that Buena Vista gave me in this Cuba series. In Cuba, I discovered beauty but also the harsh and prominent realities of life.

Play filmCuba
A comment called my work "romanticized misery," and struck a chord with me.

While I think that in a sense it's true, I hope that my work serves as a window, even if limited, into this world—a way of resonating with others and offering insight into someone else's experiences.

Cuba is suffering, but it's not defined solely by suffering. From my own encounters, I've learned that multiple realities coexist within its borders. There are moments of happiness, hope, anger, frustration, love, and more—complexities that reflect the multifaceted nature of a human experience.

A shirtless man resting by an oil drum against a red earthen wall, rural Cuba
A hotel pool looking out to the Viñales mogotes, Cuba
The yellow church of Viñales with its bell tower and dome beside a tall palm, Cuba
A man carrying a sack up a cobbled Trinidad street of tile-roofed houses, Cuba
A farmer in a hat working a green tobacco field, Viñales, Cuba
A portrait of a smiling guajiro farmer in a straw hat and red shirt, Cuba
A young man in sunglasses leaning in the doorway of a colonial building, Cuba
A rooster on a dirt lot before a pastel-blue house, Cuba
The twin red-domed towers of the Cienfuegos cathedral, a vintage car passing, Cuba
A cobbled Trinidad street of pastel colonial houses and tile roofs, a parked motorbike, Cuba
CubaJacob Sigala