Wax Statues of Che and Cespedes to Be Exhibited at Bayamo’s Museum

BAYAMO, Cuba, Jan 17 - Statues of Cuban independence hero Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, known as the Forefather of the Homeland, and Argentinean-born Ernesto Che Guevara, will be part of the collection of the Wax Museum of Bayamo, the only one of its type in the country.

Museum specialist Ismarys Lopez told ACN that like the rest of the wax statues exhibited in the museum, the new statues will be modeled life-size in polychrome wax by Rafael Barrios and his sons Rafael and Leander Barrios.

Lopez said the museum will be promoted by several travel agencies to attract foreignvisitors to the city.

The museum shows wax statues of Cuban national hero Jose Marty; musicians Beny More, Sindo Garay, Bola de Nieve, Compay Segundo, Carlos Puebla and Polo Montañez; young Italian Fabio Di Celmo, who died in a terrorist attempt in Havana; and American writer Ernest Hemingway, among local figures. The collection also includes sculptures of birds, most of them originary from the Sierra Maestra mountain range.

Lopez said since the opening of the museum in July of 2004 until 2010, the institution has received more than 700,000 visitors and in 2008 a year record of visits was set with more than 152,000.

Meanwhile, Barrios Madrigal said he learned wax modeling from his sons. He said they used to make figures out of clay when they were little and when he saw how good they were, he took them to local artist Luis Enrique Basterrechea who taught them the craft, which according to specialists dates back to the 19th century. (AIN)