Identity elements
Name and location of repository
Beschrijvingsniveau
Collectie
Titel
Caridad "Pitucha" Vega papers
Datum(s)
- 1960s-1970s (Vervaardig)
Omvang
1 box
Naam van de archiefvormer
Biografie
Caridad “Pitucha” Vega was a Cuban rumba dancer from Havana who was one of the first to bring Afro-Cuban music and dance to the popular stage in the United States. The “Tropicana Nightclub” in Havana was a famous tourist spot that showcased Rumba, becoming an icon of the post-1959 Cuban cultural scene. Vega was part of Tampa billionaire Leon Claxon’s “Harlem in Havana” revue, where she and her dancing partner Mario Valdes were recruited from the Tropicana and became showrunners in the 1957 and 1959 seasons of “Harlem in Havana.” She and dozens of other cast members of the revue are said to have performed more than a dozen shows per day, depending on the size of the audience. Vega reportedly said of her performances in the U.S. that “I love the evening shows because then you get the feel.” After the Cuban Revolution of 1959 when Cuban artists were no longer free to travel between the U.S. and Cuba and visas were restricted, the revue never recovered to its heyday when Vega, “The Cuban Dancing Dolls,” Mercedes Valdes, the Rodríguez Brothers, and others were top performers. Many of the artists, like Vega, decided to remain in the United States after Castro took power.
Content and structure elements
Bereik en inhoud
The collection contains correspondence, photos, performance fliers, a plaque, and posters of dancer Caridad "Pitucha" Vega.
Ordeningstelsel
Conditions of access and use elements
Voorwaarden voor raadpleging
This collection is open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Voorwaarden voor reproductie
Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. Please contact chc@miami.edu for more information.
Preferred citation: Caridad "Pitucha" Vega papers, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida.
Languages of the material
- Spaans
Scripts of the material
Taal en schrift aantekeningen
Toegangen
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Geschiedenis beheer
Directe bron van verwerving
Gift of Caridad "Pitucha" Vega, 2017.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Aanvullingen
Related materials elements
Bestaan en verblifplaats van originelen
Bestaan en verblijfplaats van kopieën
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Regels of conventies
Sources used
Aantekeningen van de archivaris
Collection level record by Amanda Moreno, February 2024.