Bohemia Magazine (Revista Bohemia), is a Spanish language illustrated magazine based in Havana, Cuba, that was founded in 1908.[1] Is the oldest general consumer magazine in Cuba, and the oldest magazine in all of Latin America.[2][3] It provides articles relating to political commentary, long-form journalism, history, historical analysis, and fashion advice. It claims to be the first magazine to publish the work of Cuban artists in full color.[4]
During the first forty years of its existence, alongside its human-interest articles, Bohemia was often critical of government overreach in Cuba - admonishing the actions of Machado, Batista, Grau, and other Cuban government administrations, enjoying the privileges of free speech.[citation needed]
Early era (1908 - 1947)
editBohemia was created on May 10, 1908, Miguel Ángel Quevedo y Pérez, a former editor of the magazine El Figaro, first published the magazine Bohemia, which he named after his favorite opera, La bohème, by Giacomo Puccini. The magazine folded after a few issues but returned in 1910 and became one of Cuba's most popular weeklies within a few years. Due to failing health, Quevedo Pérez turned over the running of Bohemia to his son, Quevedo de la Lastra (then only eighteen years old).[1]
In 1927, Miguel Ángel Quevedo y de la Lastra became the publisher and editor.[5] Almost immediately, the young Quevedo became one of the principle voices of opposition to the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado, a distinction for which he was jailed several times in the early 1930s. The young Quevedo also became a vocal critic of the myriad dictatorships that gripped Latin America in the 1930s and 1940s.[citation needed]
Boy Scouts in Cuba
editThe Cuban Scouting Movement was founded in the lobby of Bohemia on February 20, 1914.[6] This movement was dissolved in 1930, and later became the Asociation de Scouts de Cuba.
Revolutionary era (1947 - 1959)
editBeginning in 1947 with the establishment of the Orthodox Party, publisher Enrique de la Osa was a devout member of the communist movement and saw the rise of many Orthodox Party members into the Cuban government.[7]
By the 1950s, Quevedo and Bohemia led the mainstream Cuban press in denouncing the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and supported the insurrection and revolution against Batista's regime.[citation needed]
On July 26, 1958 the magazine published the Sierra Maestra Manifesto, a document that purported to unify the opposition groups fighting Batista.[8] On January 11, 1959, one million copies of a special edition of the magazine were printed, and sold out in just a few hours.[8]
Post-censorship era (1959-onwards)
editAfter the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Bohemia became subject to the laws of the communist state, entering into its era of communist government censorship, and its editorial style quickly aligned with state-sponsored ideology.[citation needed]
Quevedo fled the country and published the magazine Bohemia Libre while in exile. He later committed suicide, after apologizing for his role in bringing Castro to power.
Bohemia had a large readership through the 80's and 90's, but its readership has largely been in decline since the turn of the century.[2] Bohemia faces the same issues that all newsmagazines around the world face regarding the digitization of information and the evolving readership model.[2]
Notable journalists
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Cuba's Bohemia magazine celebrates its 115th anniversary - Prensa Latina". 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ a b c Sanchez, Yoani (3 May 2011). "Bohemia, Latin America's Oldest Magazine, Destroyed by Censorship". Huffington Post. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ Benson, Devyn Spence (5 April 2016). Antiracism in Cuba: The Unfinished Revolution. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-4696-2673-4.
- ^ Luis, William (2001). Culture and Customs of Cuba. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-313-30433-0.
- ^ Lugo, Jairo (1 April 2008). The Media in Latin America. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). ISBN 978-0-335-23551-3.
- ^ Wilson, J.S. "Scouting Around the World" (PDF). Scoutscan.com. p. 113. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Joaquín Cabrejas Urtiaga (2015-02-02). The History of Cuba: Truthfully. Internet Archive. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-5078-1904-3.
- ^ a b Fernández, Arnaldo M. (July 16, 2020). "Efemérides de la Contrarrevolución Cubana". Cubacentro.