
From Santiago de Cuba in Cuba to Palamós in Catalunya, Spain
Rodney Homar Vazquez Rodriguez is a professional musician from Santiago de Cuba and has been living in Palamós on La Costa Brava since 2017.
Where are you originally from?
I am from the town of Santiago de Cuba.
How long have you been living on the Costa Brava?
I have been here for since May 2017.
Why did you leave your country?
I felt I needed a change and I had a strong desire to travel and see new places.
What made you move to Palamós?
Originally I had intended going to Canada, but then I met a girl from Palamós who was on holiday in Cuba and we connected through music, and so I ended up coming here instead.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a professional musician. I mostly play classical guitar but also accompany other singer/songwriters, in whatever style they play.
What do you most like about living on the Costa Brava?
Everything really! I like socialising, going for a beer or two with friends. I also like sampling some of the local wines from around the Empordà.
Do you have a favourite place?
My favourite bar for meeting friends is probably The Currach, and for when I want a taste of home I go to Habana 1956, the Cuban place on Av. 11 de Setembre.
What’s your favourite food here?
Mussels! The first thing that I tried here that was new for me were mussels, and they’re still my favourite. I love pretty much anything that comes from the sea, shellfish and black rice for example, and just seafood in general – but especially mussels! When I’m cooking at home I also sometimes prepare Cuban standard dishes with rice and black beans, for example.

Some of Rodney’s highlights about life in the Empordà
What do you most like about Catalan culture?
A little bit of everything… Cuban and Catalan culture have quite a lot in common – including musically, like the Habanera which originally came here from Cuba. I also get along well with the people here as they are warm and friendly like the people back home. It’s not exactly “culture”, but one of the things that’s different here is having to learn new road signs for the theory exam to get my Spanish driving licence; things like “hunting”, and “snow”. We don’t have hunting in Cuba and we certainly don’t have snow!
Are your friends here mostly Catalan or foreign?
The majority are Catalan, but I am also friendly with quite a few people from a variety of other countries.
How often do you travel home, or is this your home now?
I haven’t been back to Cuba in the three years I have been here, and at the moment I have no plans to do so either. I’ll get back there for a visit someday but for now, this is home.
Do you think you’ll ever return to live in your country?
As I said, I have no plans to return for the foreseeable future, but who knows? At the moment Palamós is where I live, but that might change too? Maybe I’ll even go and live somewhere else at some stage – but not just yet!
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