Nine years later, regulars at the club are still talking about the visit.
"No one knew he was coming. It was a surprise to all of us," one man told me. McCartney left behind a note of thanks (in Spanish) that now hangs on a wall.
Another wall is adorned with painted portraits of some of the talented Cuban musicians who have played here over the years, including El Guayabero and Compay Segundo -- a Santiago native -- who was honoured with a Grammy award as part of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Santiago is considered one of Cuba's most musical cities. It certainly lived up to its reputation on the day of our visit. The tour bus had deposited us in the heart of the city at Cespedes Park where a lively cultural show was underway. Costumed dancers and singers, along with a troupe of drummers played in the midday heat, with the four-centuries-old Catedral de la Asuncion as a backdrop. If you're looking for great free entertainment, chances are you'll find it here, amid the many trees and fountains.
In fact you don't have to venture far from the park to see some of the city's many attractions. Aside from the cathedral, there's the 18th-century house where the poet Jose Heredia was born; and the eclectic Casa de la Cultura Miguel Matamoros, a venue for performances and other events.
Santiago, situated between the Sierra Maestra mountains and the sea, has been described as "perhaps the most African," and "the most passionate city in Cuba."
You could also add one of the most historic. The country's oldest museum is here. The beautiful Museo Provincial Bacardi Moreau -- in a Neo Classical building -- contains items ranging from an Egyptian mummy to Cuban paintings and exhibits on the 19th century independence struggles.
Santiago also has what is considered to be the oldest building in Cuba. The home of Spanish conquistador Diego Velazquez, which dates to 1516, is now the Museo de Ambiente Historico Cubano. A tour of the nicely preserved home, which has been declared a national monument, reveals several Moorish features including a long, narrow courtyard, painted frescoes, cedar ceilings with geometric patterns and wooden screens, which protect the balconies from the sun and public view. The rooms include furniture from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
If Havana boasts several Ernest Hemingway haunts, Santiago can claim a brush with another famous author -- Graham Greene. In his book, Our Man In Havana, he describes Santiago's historic Hotel Casa Granda, as a place where spies frequently lurk.
Venturing onto the terrace of this all-white Neo-Classical building, which opened in 1920, I get no sense of the intrigue that once may have pervaded the air. What I discover though, is a pleasant place to have a drink and escape the heat while enjoying the view of Cespedes Park.
Spies aside, Santiago is better known as the "Cradle of the Revolution." It was here on July 26, 1953, that Fidel Castro and his followers launched a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks, an event that became an inspiration to rebels and changed the course of Cuban history.
At the Ayuntamiento or town hall, you can see the central balcony where Castro made his first speech to the Cuban people on Jan. 1, 1959. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the revolution, many consider it a historic place worth visiting.
For more, check gocuba.ca or call the Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto at 416-362-0700.
WRITER@INTERLOG.COM
SIDE TRIPS
An interesting side trip from Santiago is a visit to the Basilica del Cobre about 20 km west of the city. Set on a hill surrounded by tropical vegetation, the basilica contains the statue of the revered Virgen del Cobre.
According to legend, in 1606, three slaves who worked in the copper mines of El Cobre, were out in a boat during a storm. An image of the virgin floating on the waves suddenly appeared and came to their aid. A few years later the virgin became an object of veneration for local people who continued to attribute miraculous powers to her.
The black Madonna, which is kept in a glass case behind the high altar, is dressed in yellow and wears a crown of diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Proclaimed the protectress of Cuba in 1916, the Virgen del Cobre, was blessed by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba in 1998.
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