With a gala night held at the Mella Theater in the Cuban capital on Thursday Feb. 11, the Excelencias Group presented the fifth edition of the Cuba Excelencias Awards, a recognition that each year goes to boldface names and institutions in an effort to foster excellence in a number of fields, all of the them related to tourism, culture, education, gastronomy and society.This year in Cuba, 28 institutions, personalities and projects were recognized during a gala night that brimmed with the cultural spirit this island nation is marked by.
This year, the gala had special significance for being the fifth Cuba edition of the Excelencias Awards created in 2005 by the celebrated Spain-based media group. Since then, these awards have turned out to be a reference for those who work hard in a bid to achieve higher goals on the road to excellence.
Over the past three years, the EXCELENCIAS AWARDS are presented in Cuba together with the EXCELENCIAS GOURMET AWARDS, the EXCELENCIAS DEL ARTE AWARDS and the SPECIAL CARIBBEAN NEWS DIGITAL AWARD.
In addition, the SILVIA ZORZANELLO AWARD, in tribute to the lifetime achievements of Brazil’s Silvia Zorzanello; the “RAMÓN ÁLVAREZ AWARD” that recognizes personalities that have excelled in the travel and tourism industry and that’s always granted to either an individual or institution committed to MICE travel; as well as the “EXCELENCIAS SPIRIT SPECIAL AWARD”, aimed at distinguishing those who carry the ideal tourism-oriented spirit of respect for society.
The presentation of the 11th edition of the 2015 EXCELENCIAS AWARDS took place January 20, 2016 within the framework of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain.
This time around, 35 projects and individuals were recognized in different categories, all of them boasting outstanding careers in the fields of travel and tourism, culture and gastronomy.
For further information on the international edition of the Excelencias Awards, visit http://www.caribbeannewsdigital.com/premios_excelencias/index.html)
The gala night featured a fusion of both seasoned and new artists, including the Jazz Band, the Revacer vocal group, the Polaroid Band, singers Zunilda, Cristian Alejandro and Mayco de Alma, instrumentalists César López and Héctor Quinta, as well as Eme Alfonso, Polito Ibañez and the Buena Fé Duet.
At the entrance of the Mella Theater, guests had the chance to take a closer look at a socio-cultural project entitled Chessboards, an initiative launched by the Excelencias Group and the Jose Raul Capablanca Chess Club that has brought together a number of celebrated fine artists with a view to encourage the practice of chess on the island, especially among children and youngsters.
The Chessboard socio-cultural project is made up of fine artists Zaida del Río, Alicia de la Campa, Sinecio Cuétara, Gabriel Antonio Cuétara de la Campa, Milton Bernal, Alberto Sautúa Fernández, Landy Mesis Alvarez, Guillermo Zaldívar Rodríguez, Irving Torres Barroso, Adrián Cuba, José Antonio Oliva Alfonso, Jorge Salvador Guanche García, Reynaldo L. Alvarez Villamil, Héctor Montaner Naranjo, Iskra Ravelo and Ricardo Labarca Lebrigio.
The winners of the 2015 Cuba Excelencias Awards were:
Excelencias Gourmet Award to International Chef Ismel Navarro Torres for his contribution to the recovery of Cuban culinary traditions, by developing a varied, exquisite, abundant and affordable cuisine in such emblematic places in Havana as restaurants La Flor de Loto, Mimosa, Los Nardos, El Asturianito, El Trofeo and now D´Lirio, right in front of the Capitol in Old Havana.
Excelencias Gourmet Award to Master Rum Maker Tranquilino Palencia Estruch for his work devoted to recover the rum culture and tradition of Cuba, the training of new master rum makers, including women for the first time ever, and his contribution to the creation of Ron Santiago 500, the greatest exponent of Cuban Light Rum.
Excelencias Gourmet Award to Professor Maria Esther Abreu Reus, head manager and general coordinator of the First Seminar of Gastronomic Journalism, which was given in Cuba, with the collaboration of the Communication Faculty of Havana, in a bid to foster gastronomic culture among professionals that work for Cuban mass media.
Excelencias del Motor Award to BDC International S.A. for its contribution for over 30 years in different spheres of the national economy by providing numerous products and services, as well as different automobile brands, and the development of several programs to support education, culture and sports.
Special Caribbean News Digital Award to Hemingway International Nautical Club and its president Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, for his contribution to the development of friendship bonds among enthusiasts of the nautical realm worldwide, and especially for the work carried out to organize and sponsor important competitions, regattas and sport fishing events that have strengthened ties between the people of Cuba and the United States.
Excelencias Award to the National Elementary Education Division of the Ministry of Education for contributing to the promotion of comprehensive attention to boys and girls in an educative and community environment, developed as part of the Elementary Education Agreement signed by the Ministry of Education, the Spain Save the Children NGO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
Excelencias del Arte Award to the Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales, EGREM,and its director Mario Angel Escalona Serrano, the main Cuban record label that has tirelessly worked to support the creative efforts of songwriters and musicians, as well as the consumption of the very best and most authentic exponents of Cuban music, and the marketing of live music and artistic performances in Cuba and overseas, as well as the participation in national and international fairs and events.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Septeto Santiaguero, a band founded in 1995, which has not only been given several awards in over 20 years of career, such as Cubadisco Award or the Latin Grammy Award, but it has stood out as one of the main exponents of Cuban traditional music and it has promoted the traditional trova of Santiago de Cuba.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Jose Antonio Rodriguez Fuster, painter, engraver, ceramist and graphic designer, who has also developed an outstanding community work in his hometown, Jaimanitas, where he applies his knowledge in terms of ceramics and mural painting, and he has introduced local children and youngsters in the project.
Excelencias Award to Jose Pardo de Santayana y Gomez de Olea, military attaché of Spain’s Embassy in Cuba, for his contribution to the recovery of the historic memory between the people of Spain and Cuba, especially everything related to the Hispanic-Cuban-North American War and the shipwrecks of the Naval Battle carried out by Admiral Cervera, which were recently declared National Heritage.
Excelencias Turisticas Award to Blue Diamond Resorts, the second hotel chain managed by foreigners in Cuba, for its successful expansion strategy that, since its foundation in 2011,has helped it grow in over 13,000 rooms in 8 countries. It already manages 15 properties in Cuba, with over 8,400 rooms in the main tourism circuits on the Island. In 2015 its hotels Royalton Cayo Santa Maria and Royalton Hicacos were given important awards and ranked among the top 25 All Inclusive hotels in the Caribbean.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Radio Taino radio station, the tourism FM of Cuba, which has worked on a daily basis for over 30 years so as to spread the cultural elements that enrich Cubaas a destination, and it has accompanied the evolution of the travel industry in the country, thus representing an efficient platform for all Cuban and foreign communicators that provided media coverage to Cuba as a tourism destination.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Haydee Milanes, singer, songwriter, arranger and musical producer, who despite her youth has develop an outstanding record production, especially in 2015 when she launched her album entitled “Palabras, Haydee Milanes Canta a Marta Valdes”, the most complete musical anthology on a key author of the Cuban musical realm in the 20th century, winner of a Cubadisco Award in the Song category and six Lucas Awards with video clip “Cancion Facil”, directed by Fernando Perez.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Salvador Gonzalez Escalona, painter, sculptor and muralist, who has devoted his time to the work in the community with his Hammel Alley project. His work has significantly contributed to the understanding of Cuban popular culture and its identification with the Afro-Cuban popular society.
Excelencias Award to Margarita Suarez Garcia, who has tirelessly contributed, throughout her career and especially by means of her current status as Director of Heritage Assets with the Historian’s Office in Havana, to safeguard the Cuban heritage and create awareness on its importance as a significant element of the national identity.
Excelencias Turisticas Award to Antonio Martinez Rodriguez, general manager of Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a token of the Cuban hotel industry with over 85 years of history and 10-time winner of Cuba’s Leading Hotel distinction, awarded by World Travel Awards, which is given after a rigorous process that involves over half a million travel professionals and tourists from some 170 countries, a status that speaks of the prestige and high quality of the services provided by Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Excelencias Award to Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana, Minister of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and member of the Congregations for the Clergy and the Pastoral of the Holy See, who has stood out due to the ecumenical work developed in favor of the people of Cuba and the successful organization of His Holiness’ visit to Cuba. The award is received by Engineer Jorge Mandilego, head of the Cuba Emprende project, by the Archdiocese of Havana.
Excelencias Award to Doctor of Science Nicasio Viña Bayes, geographer and naturalist,president of the eastern subsidiary of Cuba’s Academy of Sciences and consultant of the Eastern Center of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (BIOECO), for his contribution to the preservation of Cuba’s natural and cultural underwater heritage.
Excelencias Award to Gladys Collazo Usallan, director of the National Council of Cultural Heritage and president of the Monuments Commission, for her work in the preservation of the Cuban nation’s Material and Immaterial Heritage.
Excelencias del Arte Award to “A Compás Flamenco” Cultural Project and its director Karelia Cadavid, who has contributed to foster and enhance the human potential of children and youngsters by means of dance and culture in Havana’s “Los Sitios” neighborhood, thus using art as a factor of social cohesion, in order to promote talks among families and the socio-cultural development of the area and surrounding municipalities. The award is received byprofessor Lisandra Fernandez Parson.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Jorge Perugorria Rodriguez, actor, producer, director and painter with a multifaceted and successful career on television and the movie industry, who has performed in over fifty movies and has gone beyond Cuba’s borders with his professional work, thus becoming a source of inspiration and pride for several generations of Cubans.
Excelencias Turisticas Award to Meliá Hotels International Cuba, a Spanish tourism company that has contributed to boost the development of the national travel industry for over 25 years, by extolling its allures, diversifying markets, promoting its culture, championing the environment, training human resources, sharing know-how and fostering new tourism segments.
Excelencias Award to Doctor in Sciences Vicente Gonzalez Diaz, director of the Regional Center of Natural and Cultural Underwater Heritage Management, for his efforts for over three decades to declare Santiago de Cuba’s Naval Battle Natural and Cultural Archaeological Park as National Monument.
Excelencias Award to Doctor Lorenzo Jorge Perez Avila, for his dedication to the clinical and therapeutic study of HIV-AIDS and the treatment to patients that suffer from this disease, as well as his scientific and social contributions in the field of infectious diseases at both national and international levels.
Excelencias Award to the National Center of Sexual Education (Cenesex), an academic, scientific and welfare institution founded over 26 years ago, specialized in the field of human sexuality with a gender and rights approach, which has fostered the scientific exchange and integration of knowledge and experiences in different spheres so as to transform the Cuban society and promote the inclusion and equity of every citizen, no matter what their sexual orientation and gender identity are.
Excelencias del Arte Award to Maestro Leo Brouwer, composer, arranger, performer and director, driving force behind a matchless event in Havana as he has gathered on the island an unusual repertoire and some of the privileged voices of the 20th century for the Les voix humaines Festival, (The Human Voices), a perfect pairing of smart music that found a home in Cuba, since Leo Brouwer’s Office has worked for over 15 years in order to make this country a better place by means of culture.
Excelencias Turisticas Special Award to Cuba Ron, for perpetuating the most genuine Cuban traditions and fostering the values related to the rum culture around the world. Moreover, for the introduction of women in the rum making trade, since there were only men.
Excelencias Turisticas Special Award to Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism for the tourism growth in 2015, with a historic increase record above 17 percent, and its contribution to the gastronomic development of the private sector. The award is received by: Maria del Carmen Orellana, Marketing General Manager.
Source: www.caribbeannewsdigital.com
