SPRING/SUMMER 2011

Pierre Verger was the one who brought attention to the similarities between Cuba and Bahia. His photogrophy reveals expressions and characteristics that amaze and expose the origins of this group of people who cannot live without music and who are very close in their sensibility, sympathy, and warmth. They both came from the same tribe in Africa and have mixed their blood with the hot Latin blood of the tropics.

Bahia and Cuba are probably the two places in Latin America where Africa has best expressed it's roots, which, to this day, are still alive and strong in it's traditions, colours, and religion.

At first glance, today's Cuba could be printed in black and white.

But one can soon see and "read" the colours through the music and the innate happiness of the people. Colours come into sight, surrounding the island with sounds, sensuality, mixing with our universe from Bahia. Dances, traits, flowers, spices, spells, mixtures. From the same sould, the same mother... Africas from Bahia, Africa from Cuba.

Salinas is inspired by the flowery and colourful people of Cuba and Bahia, who have the simplicity of living happily and the liberty in their souls... and this liberty is something no one can take away from them.

Jacqueline De Biase