John Lennon Park or Parque John Lennon (formerly known as Parque Menocal) is a public park, located in the
Vedado
Vedado ( es, El Vedado, ) is a central business district and urban neighborhood in the city of Havana, Cuba. Bordered on the east by Calzada de Infanta and Central Havana, and on the west by the Alemendares River and Miramar / Playa distric ...
district in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
.
Overview
On one of the benches of the park, nearer the corner of streets 17th and 6th, there is a sculpture of the former
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
member
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, sculpted by Cuban artist
José Villa Soberón
José Ramón Villa Soberón (born September 2, 1950, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba) is a Cuban artist, particularly known for his public sculptures around Havana. He studied at the ''Escuela Nacional de Arte'' ( en, The National School of Art) in Havana, ...
, seated on the bench's right end. On a marble tile at the foot of the bench there is an inscription reading: "Dirás que soy un soñador pero no soy el único" ''John Lennon'', which is a Spanish translation of the English lyrics, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one," from the song "
Imagine
Imagine may refer to:
* Imagination
Music Albums
* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
* ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002
* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
".
The sculpture of Lennon is currently not wearing his signature round-lens glasses, which have been stolen, or vandalized, several times. However, during the day, a security guard can be found sitting next to the bench, and he will place glasses on the statue if there is a request.
The statue was unveiled on 8 December 2000, the 20th anniversary of Lennon's murder. One year later, Cuban author
Ernesto Juan Castellanos Ernesto, form of the name Ernest in several Romance languages, may refer to:
* ''Ernesto'' (novel) (1953), an unfinished autobiographical novel by Umberto Saba, published posthumously in 1975
** ''Ernesto'' (film), a 1979 Italian drama loosely ba ...
wrote a book about the statue, ''John Lennon en La Habana with a little help from my friends'',
and about the ban that
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
suffered in Cuba during the 1960s and 1970s.
Gallery
File:JohnLennonPark Havana2.JPG, John Lennon bronze sculpture with his current removable glasses.
File:Lennon plaque.JPG, A plaque with inscription. " You can say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
See also
*
Lennon Wall
The Lennon Wall or John Lennon Wall is a wall in Prague, Czech Republic. Since the 1980s, this once-typical wall has been filled with John Lennon–inspired graffiti, lyrics from Beatles' songs, and designs relating to local and global cau ...
References
CNN article
External links
Geography of Havana
Tourist attractions in Havana
Parks in Cuba
Monuments and memorials to John Lennon
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