An artist at the Sociedad Grafica de Cienfuegos works on a linoleum cut for printmaking. Education in Cuba is free and accessible to all, with a general stipulation that upon completing their degrees, students will go on a several year mission to give back to society. Cienfuegos, Cuba. January 5th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)A bicycle taxi driver waits for a fare in the central plaza of Havana. Despite the easy access to education, the most lucrative careers are those that put workers in contact with tourist CUCs. With high end salaries paying only around $30 a month, many find extra work to supplement their ration cards. Havana, Cuba. January 7th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)Students from City College of San Francisco tour the printshop of the Sociedad Grafica de Cienfuegos. The mission of ths printshop is to provide activities and support for children with Down’s Syndrome. Cienfuegos, Cuba. January 5th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)
The only billboards present on the island of Cuba are slogans referencing the revolution, such as this, seen on a wall in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Cienfuegos, Cuba. January 5th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)A pre-1959 Ford parked on the street outside the Sociedad Grafica de Cienfuegos. Following the Revolution in Cuba, the United States cut off all trade with the island. Mechanics have lovingly kept the island’s large fleet of such cars running mostly on ingenuity, skill, and a prayer. New parts are virtually impossible to obtain. Cienfuegos, Cuba. January 5th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)A devotee with the Hijos de Santa Barbara dances in the role of Ochun. Ochun is the master of feminity and love. She is one of the primary characters in the Yoruba pantheon, as the partner of Chango, who is represented in the Catholic Saint Barbara. Palmira, Cuba. January 4th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)
A drummer with Hijos de Santa Barbara plays at a ceremony attended by students of City College of San Francisco. These ceremonies are a blend of Yoruba traditions and Catholic traditions, a blend used in part to disguise the African roots of these ceremonies from the slavemasters. Palmira, Cuba. January 4th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)Drummers at the Casino Congo play congos during a Palo Monte ceremony in Lajas, Cuba. Lajas, Cuba. January 4th, 2013 (Photo by Matt Lambert)
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