Ya Habibi: The Story of a Song, 2020

A 26-minute documentary that explores the intersection of the Cuban and Arab diasporas through music and dance.

A Film by Tiffany Madera

Director: Gina Margillo

Producers: Vivian Marthell, Tiffany Madera

"Ya Habibi, The Story of a Song” is a relevant and timely documentary short film exploring the hidden links and shared histories of Cuban and Middle Eastern identity and culture through the peculiar story of “Ya Habibi Ta‘ala," a classic Egyptian love ballad with some surprising and unexpected origins.  Made famous by Asmahan, the legendary Arabic singer and actress, “Ya Habibi Ta‘ala” — which translates to Come My Darling — turns out to be an unacknowledged adaptation of an obscure Cuban song, borrowed, transported, and in the process transformed, from its Cuban origins to the Middle Eastern classic it became. The song serves as a perfect metaphor of the permeability of culture and identity and the often invisible processes that blur the borders and differences that would otherwise distinguish us, implicating us instead in each other's histories, even against historical odds. It’s a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience for a world increasingly fractured by distancing and divisions.

Recognition: Knight Arts Challenge Final Project

Context: Created as the culminating project of Madera's $100,000 Knight Arts Challenge award, demonstrating resilience and innovation during unprecedented times.

A projection of a film title on a purple background, reading "How to Build a Bridge Across 11,000 Miles: The Story of a Film."

Blog by Jose Portelo for Live Arts Miami Culture Chronicles, Nov. 18, 2020 CLICK TO READ

Filmmakers

  • Director; Specializing in Entertainment-Education, Gina Margillo produces and directs television, radio and web series, documentary films, and concerts for organizations such as the United Nations and Planned Parenthood Global  for environmental justice, public health, and sexual and reproductive rights advocacy campaigns.  Using the mediums of performance, conceptual art, video, and collage to tell stories, deconstruct issues, and build connection, her work is based on the belief that art can be a powerful tool for social change.  Gina Margillo joined the Hanan Arts Executive Board in 2019.

  • Producer; Creative • Collaborator • Protogeek • VR Evangelist • Lizard Whisperer • Chile Lover • Medicine Maker • Flow Hacker • Wanderluster • Banned Book Reader • Transgressor *evil laughter*

    Vivan Marthell joined the Hanan Arts Executive Board in 2019.

  • Producer; Tiffany Madera is an interdisciplinary artist at the intersection of film, dance, theatre, and ethnographic scholarly writing, in concert with her Contemporary Egyptian dance practice and intercultural and humanitarian arts entrepreneurship. She is renowned internationally for her emotive performances that embody the transformative and esoteric inter-dimensionality of spiritual movement arts rooted in feminist and post colonial theory. Her work is activist, confronting, and provocative. She holds a Master’s Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University and a Master’s Degree in Performance Studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She directs the hanan arts cooperative Mideastern Dance Exchange, a 501c3 which produces, performs, and teaches globally. Madera created the “Bellydance Cuba” project in 2002, which was the catalyst for her film Havana Habibi, directed by Joshua Bee Alafia, documenting a 13 year process in Havana, Cuba. She is currently working on an ethnographic memoir and dance project “Dancing My Mother’s Body” as well as curating contemporary art and dance projects internationally. She is the winner of various prestigious grants and awards from the Knight Foundation, Ware Foundation, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs, State of Florida and other organizations and donors.

A woman with black wavy hair wearing a black leather jacket, gold jewelry, and makeup, sitting against a yellow and green leaf-patterned background, gesturing with her hands.
Four musicians performing on stage, two playing guitars, one playing a recorder, and one standing and observing or preparing, with a dark, abstract blue background.
A woman with dark curly hair and a pink dress with embellishments, her eyes closed and head tilted back, appears to be dancing or performing on stage. In the background, there is another woman in a gold dress, also on stage.
A woman in a dress is performing on stage with four musicians nearby, wearing masks. The scene is dark with minimal lighting.
A woman in an elegant, glittering gold gown is standing on stage near a microphone, with a musician playing a wind instrument seated behind her. The stage has a dark backdrop with a pattern, and purple stage lighting.
People on stage adjusting musical instruments, including drums, with several microphones and stage equipment, in a theater setting.
Musicians performing on stage with guitars and flute, wearing face masks, in front of a dark blue background.
An orchestra performing on stage with a choir behind them, a woman in a red dress dancing with a flowing shawl in front, and a conductor leading the musicians.
Two musicians playing acoustic guitars on stage during a performance, with a dark background and a microphone in front.
A woman with dark hair and makeup holding a large, translucent fabric with colorful, gothic-style patterns, illuminated by purple and pink lighting.
Musicians and a dancer performing on a dark stage with purple lighting. The group includes a double bassist, percussionist, vocalist, guitarist, and a female singer at a microphone. The dancer is in a bright pink costume with a flowing veil.
Performer dancing on stage with a yellow and pink scarf in a long purple dress.
A stage performance with dancers and musicians, including a woman dancing with yellow fabric and a singer in a glittery dress, with a band playing instruments.
Black and white photo of a musical performance on stage with female singers and musicians.
A woman in a pink dress with shiny embellishments and a sheer overlay dances in purple/biolet lighting with palm tree leaves in the background.

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