Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka was honored with the prestigious Haydee Santamaria Medal by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on August 23The award recognizes Soyinka’s lifelong dedication to justice, culture, and human improvementThe event also celebrated Soyinka’s 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his first visit to Cuba
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka was honored on August 23 by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel with the prestigious Haydee Santamaria Medal.
This medal, one of Cuba’s highest honours, was awarded to Soyinka in recognition of his lifelong dedication to justice, culture, and human improvement, Tolu Ogunlesi, a public figure, shared.
Soyinka honoured in Cuba. Photo credit: Cuba
Source: Original
President Diaz-Canel, in a statement from the Cuban presidency, emphasized the significance of Soyinka’s visit to the country, describing it as “the visit of a brother who has always fought for just causes.”
Wole Soyinka awarded by Cuban president
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He further remarked, “Awarding Soyinka the medal is an expression of many feelings for Cuba. The Haydee always harped on the importance of culture to revolution.”
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Director of the Centre for Literary Research at Casa de las Americas, Jorge Fornet, echoed the president’s sentiments, “Awarding Soyinka the Haydee Santamaria Medal, which has been previously received by many of the most outstanding figures of Latin American, Caribbean, and other world intellectuals, is an act of justice that honors us.”
The event was also a dual celebration, marking Soyinka’s 90th birthday and commemorating the 60th anniversary of his first visit to Cuba.
Reflecting on the deep cultural ties between Africa and Cuba, Soyinka expressed his affection for the South American nation.
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“Our ties with Cuba are not limited to art and literature, but also to liberation,” he said as fondly recalled, “I grew up listening to Cuban music in those days when there were gramophones, when there was no electricity. This has been a wonderful way to bring me back and remind me that Cuba is also my home. And it is proof that Yoruba is everywhere here, and that completes the spiritual aspect of people like me.”
The Haydee Santamaria Medal, named after a revolutionary icon, is awarded to Cuban and foreign individuals and groups who have significantly contributed to realizing the objectives of the Casa de las Américas, a leading cultural institution in Cuba.
In addition to the national medal, Soyinka was also presented with the Dulce María Loynaz International Prize by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a group called Initiative for Information, Arts, and Culture Development announced it had gathered over 80 schools to mark and celebrate Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday.
Wole Soyinka, born in 1934, would be 90 on July 13, 2024.
Source: Legit.ng
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Publish date : 2024-08-30 03:32:00
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