A variety show, dance troupe, catwalk, participatory games and emerging musicians were the stars of the second “Lo llevamos rizo” (We wear our hair curly) party; a project that was born seven years ago and is shifting from social media to physical space.
The event was held at the Casa de la Música de Playa in Havana, and was also attended by three other collaborative ventures.
“The objective: to make contact, to create stronger links with a community that only knew us from screens. The audience enjoyed it very much, even though it was less attended than we expected, because the weather wasn’t kind to us. They were there, happy, and that was everything for us,” commented Annia Liz de Armas, co-director of Lo llevamos rizo.
Another important goal was to test whether or not these events could become a source of income for the venture and thus generate growth opportunities for the brand.
“It was not an event like the ones we are used to, where we only talk about aesthetics and hair care or racial pride. Instead, we gave ourselves the opportunity to contribute to other emerging projects, to create partnerships within the entrepreneurial sector and to see ourselves beyond the boundaries of competition,” she added.
“Un paso más,” the company belonging to the “Paso a paso” dance academy, was one of the main guests. Lando Lavarra and his young group also livened up the evening with their changotrap. On the other hand, the catwalk was organized by designer Jose Luis, who in an attempt to rescue the eighties collection “Telarte,” showcased fabric prints by visual artist Manuel Mendive.
It was an event in which colors, Afro-Cubanism, roots and curls prevailed, even though the latter were not a premise, since the project is committed to inclusion.
“These events are of great importance. We trust in the diversification of the sources of income of a business and these spaces can generate this. They also strengthen ties with our community, seeing and appreciating each other is undoubtedly synonymous with growth.”
