Immigrants-Part One: Los Cubanos

I have said this before and I will say it again; I am an immigrant. As I wrote in a previous post, I have many Ecuadorian friends, but most of the folks in my little community are immigrants. My circle of immigrant friends come from about a dozen different countries. Our native languages and our cultures are different, but what we have in common outweighs our differences. We all came to Ecuador for different reasons, but one thing we all have in common is our desire for a better, simpler life. We have been welcomed by the Ecuadorian people; we are part of the Ecuadorian community. I have never been made to feel like I am not welcome and I have never had to fear being deported. In this post, Immigrants: Part One, I would like to introduce you to three of my friends that have come here from Cuba. They have made this country, this community, and my life better because they are here.

Anayvis, Noel, and Yunior are brilliant musicians that bring joy to everyone who hears their music and are fortunate enough to know them. I first met Anayvis when I was sitting on the patio of my favorite craft beer establishment. She had just arrived in Cuenca and her first job was as a server at the cervecería were I was sitting. When she came to my table to take my order I knew immediately that she was one of those people that lets the light in. We struck up a conversation and I learned of her passion for music, for performing and for the joy she gets from making people happy with her music. We have been friends ever since and every time I see her I am always met with huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. You cannot help but smile whenever you see her. Shortly after I met her, Anayvis and two other Cuban musicians formed band called Trio NoAn (short for Noel and Anayvis) and took the city by storm. Their shows always sell out; they radiate the kind of energy that just makes people want to move, to sing, and to dance. They bring light and joy to every room that they play in.

Anayvis Beltran

The Voice of an Angel

I first met Noel through Anayvis. He is a brilliant song writer, guitarist, and performer. In addition to his musical talents, he has a passion for mentoring and encouraging other young musicians. He can often be seen being the sound technician or playing backup at the performances of other musicians. He is one of those performers that can own a room or step back and let others shine. In spite of the fact that I struggle to understand his heavily Cuban accented Spanish, we still manage to communicate through the shared immigrant experience, a love of music, and my heavily gringo accented Spanish.

Noel Batistia

Yunior is natural performer; he is one of those rare humans that lights up every room he walks into. I have known him for several years and I don't think that I have ever seen him without a smile on his face. In addition to playing percussion and guitar for Trio NoAn and a few other bands, he is an amazing dancer and owns his own dance school/studio. If you have known me for any length of time you know that I cannot and will not dance, Yunior says that if I take lessons from him, he will cure that...we'll see. When you see Yunior perform or just hang out with him you cannot help but smile or laugh out loud. He has a gorgeous wife and and an adorable little daughter and watching them together you just know what a great husband and dad he is.

Yunior Hernandez

The shared immigrant experience is an amazing thing and I am blessed to have these Cubanos in my life. They selflessly share themselves and their talents with our community and make it a better place and I am a better person for having the honor of their friendship.

¡Hasta la próxima!

PS; Thanks to everyone that has been reading this blog and a special thanks to those that have left comments, they mean a lot to me. If you do decide to leave a comment below, please include your name so that I know that you were here. To see more photos of these awesome people you can check out my photography galleries by clicking on the "Albums" link at the top of the page or by clicking here: https://www.global-dispatches.com/client-showcase

Thanks!