Sancti Spiritus: Zaza del Medio Parrandas Awarded Culture Prize

For five consecutive years researcher Maida Estrada, from the Council of Houses of Culture in Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba, has been awarded the Memoria Viva (Living Memory) prize. On this occasion she, together with art instructor Dixán González González, investigated on the historical route of the Zaza del Medio Parrandas festivity.

“The idea came up after the announcement of this kind of festivity as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the other hand, the Parrandas of Guayos [a nearby town] had been already granted the Memoria Viva prize. I must confess that of all the investigations so far carried out, this one was the easiest because all the information on the issue is preserved at Zaza del Medio House of Culture”, Maida said.

According to the expert, the most complicated thing was to summarize in just five pages so much information about a subject that might not be so well known by the members of the jury that evaluates the papers received from all over the country.

The Memoria Viva prize is conferred every year by the Juan Marinello Cuban Institute of Cultural Research in recognition of institutions, projects, artistic groups, personalities and researches that contribute to the preservation of Cuban culture.