Dedicated to the centennial of the birth of Cuban sculptor and ceramic artist Marta Arjona, the event organized two keynote lectures, one related to current heritage challenges and the other to Martí’s thoughts.

After the opening with the presentation of the most autochthonous traditions of the island in terms of country music, the director of the World Heritage Center, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, spoke about the challenges of World Heritage.

Eloundou’s speech was hopeful and with a message of peace for everyone, in which he remarked on the important journey towards the roots of the most sacred of all this universal property and its symbolism.

He highlighted the figure of Arjona as key in the development and conservation of those assets declared of great value, her perseverance in achieving the declaration of monuments as world heritage sites and the need to preserve them.

He also highlighted the inclusive work required by all customs and works in regions of Africa, for example, where sometimes there is not proper accessibility to goods of this type.

He indicated the essential presence here of the Casa de África to preserve and keep this history alive.

Next, the Magisterial Conference “The patrimonial legacy of José Martí” by Eduardo Torres Cuevas, director of the Center for Martí Studies, National Prize of Social Sciences and National Prize of History from the Union of Journalists of Cuba.

“Martí had a special virtue, there are Martian ideas that one matures over time, but we practice some of them with the daily step and they remain valid forever,” said Torres Cuevas.

The afternoon session at the National Museum of Fine Arts includes speeches related to the sound heritage in Mexico and the bolero, in addition, about the song of the divine in Chile and about the Niquero Organ Festival, a municipality in eastern Cuba, its Tradition, Identity and Cubanness.

ef/ro/dpm