Al Son de Pregón -valokuvanäyttely

AL SON DE PREGÓN

You wake up in the morning hearing that someone is singing. The sound can be heard from the street, which is otherwise surprisingly quiet to be in the center of the big city. Pregonero. Singing street vendor. Fresh bread arrives at your door with him during the rooster's song. If you're quick, you'll have time to buy a couple of rolls before he keeps going. His slowly receding vocals echo in your ears.
Cuba still has a tradition of the Pregoneros – singing and wandering street vendors. While wandering around Havana and Santiago de Cuba in November 2023, I encountered numerous vendors. Many of them agreed to be photographed by me. I also recorded their original songs about the products on offer. Most of them were edible: from bread to pizza, biscuits to candy, and from vegetables imported from the countryside to tropical fruits. Some sellers had to push or pull their products in heavy carts which shows that the job is not easy.

Hiking in hot and rainy weather requires strength and perseverance. Pregonero is a true servant of the people: there is no need to go shopping because the seller will come to you. However, the Cuban tradition differs from the mere delivery of goods in that in Cuba each seller literally has his own voice. Their songs form an important part of Cuba's rich soundscape. My exhibition is a tribute to these toilers.

I would like to thank two Cubans for the exhibition idea. They proposed to me on the same day to photograph pregoneros: Esperanza Pérez Machado in the morning y Félix Ambrosius Hernández in the afternoon. The rest is history.