Cuban Culture, History & Everyday Life
Explore Cuban music, literature, history and daily life through stories by Jean Pablo Sciacca, a native Cuban from Camagüey.
To understand Cuban Spanish, get to know the stories behind it. Read Jean Pablo’s writing on Cuban music, literature, daily life, exile and the history that shapes the island.
La Bodega
What is a bodega in Cuba? Explore rationing, neighborhood conversations, shortages and the familiar question: llegó el pollo?
Celia Cruz
Explore the voice, joy and exile of Celia Cruz through a Cuban teacher’s reflection on her music and cultural legacy.
Las Parrandas
Discover Remedios’ parrandas, illuminated floats and neighborhood rivalry, with Jean Pablo’s memories of Cuban celebrations.
The Cuban Vitrina
The glasses for guests, the ornaments and the family history inside a Cuban vitrina, told with Jean Pablo’s familiar humor.
The Cigar Factory Reader (Lector de tabaquería)
Discover the Cuban lector de tabaquería: a tradition of reading novels and newspapers aloud while tobacco workers make cigars.
The Cuban Queue Has Its Own Constitution
Quién es el último? Discover the unwritten rules of a Cuban queue and the conversations that make a cola work.
The Maleconazo
Jean Pablo recalls the Maleconazo of August 1994, repression and the balsero exodus in a reflection on Cuban history.
On Amelia Peláez
Explore fruit bowls, colored glass and interlocking shapes in Amelia Peláez’s paintings of Cuban domestic life.
Camagüey: The Jarred City
Discover Camagüey’s tinajones: the clay jars, courtyard houses and everyday history of native Cuban tutor Jean Pablo’s home province.
Heberto Padilla: a poet, a confession, and Castro’s idea of freedom
Explore the Padilla affair and a Cuban teacher’s perspective on writing, public confession and freedom of expression.
The CDR: when the government lives on your block
Jean Pablo reflects on the CDR, surveillance and how political control affects everyday relationships in Cuban neighborhoods.
What does it really mean to be a doctor in Cuba?
A Cuban teacher’s reflection on doctors, salaries, resources and the conditions of medical work in Cuba.
In Cuba several generations live in the same house
Explore housing shortages and the experience of grandparents, parents and children sharing one home in Cuba.
Reinaldo Arenas and being homosexual in Cuba
Jean Pablo reflects on Reinaldo Arenas, literature, persecution, exile and freedom of expression in Cuba.
How does Cuba’s ration book actually work?
Understand Cuba’s libreta de abastecimiento and a native teacher’s perspective on rationing, shortages and everyday food supplies.
Dominoes! The real Cuban national sport
Discover Cuban dominoes, the double-nine set and the family conversations around the table, with native Cuban tutor Jean Pablo.
Why is every building deteriorating in Cuba?
A reflection on maintenance, building materials, investment and the deterioration of Havana’s buildings.
How was Cuba before 1959?
Jean Pablo reflects on Cuba before 1959, inequality, political changes and the effects of the Revolution on everyday life.
How does Cuba’s public education system work?
Read Jean Pablo’s experience of Cuban public education, school conditions, teaching materials and political pressure.
Why Is Chess So Popular in Cuba?
Capablanca, school chess and Jean Pablo’s childhood memories of one of Cuba’s best-known games.
Full-time job? Here, your $15 USD of the month
Jean Pablo reflects on Cuban state salaries, basic necessities and the everyday informal economy. Figures reflect the article’s context.
Cuban Spanish for Travelers: What You Need Before Going to Cuba
Prepare your ear for Cuban Spanish before a trip: greetings, taxis, food, slang, tone and cultural context with native tutor Jean Pablo.
The secrets of the Cuban dictatorship
Jean Pablo’s perspective on information control, propaganda and the mechanisms that sustain the Cuban regime.
Reflections on a Cuba Left Behind: The Pain of the Cuban Diaspora
A Cuban teacher reflects on exile, family separation, memory and the connection between generations of the Cuban diaspora.
Why you should watch Fresa y Chocolate, the famous Cuban film
Explore Fresa y Chocolate, its characters and the Cuban context of friendship, identity and freedom, with Jean Pablo.
The Pros and Cons of Visiting Cuba Under a Dictatorship
Jean Pablo reflects on the culture, history and practical challenges of visiting Cuba under a dictatorship. An archived perspective.
10 Compelling Reasons to Learn Cuban Spanish in 2026
Explore how learning Cuban Spanish connects language, family, cultural understanding and personal interests beyond a textbook.
10 best places to visit in Cuba
Explore ten Cuban destinations, from Old Havana and Viñales to Baracoa and the cayos, with Cuban Spanish Academy.
Where to learn Cuban Spanish?
Meet the Cuban Spanish academy Jean Pablo created to connect video lessons, weekly live classes and a learner community.
10 best (and controversial) Cuban Films
Discover ten influential Cuban films, from De cierta manera to Memories of Underdevelopment. Explore Cuban cinema, culture and political commentary.
Why Cubans vote for Trump
Jean Pablo offers a perspective on exile, attitudes toward the Cuban regime and some Cuban American political preferences.
Your next conversation could sound a little more Cuban
Courses, culture, live classes and a community to practise with.