Johan Bergelin: “Known as a playground for the mafia and wealthy elite, Havana in the mid 1900s hosted many vibrant music venues like the Tropicana or the members ́ guild Buena Vista Social Club. The rhythmic pulsations of Habanera, Latin Jazz and Salsa that were heard everywhere coupled with the dazzling showgirls, added to the tropical island’s allure. After the revolution in 1959 many establishments closed down and with that an era of Havana ended. The scent La Habana is inspired by my uncle who was a sailor, his narratives of Cuba.
La Habana Fragrance Journey - A Sailor´s Reminiscence of Cuba JB: “So, in the 1950s one of my four uncles, Gunnar went to sea where he stayed for nearly thirty years. When I was a kid he would tell me stories of all the exotic places he’d visited like Japan, China and Australia. And time after time he returned to his memories of Cuba. It was so different then, before the revolution. The most beautiful caramel-colored showgirls all dressed up in feathers and headdresses at the Tropicana. Everywhere casinos and vibrant music venues offered the very best of Habanera, Latin Jazz and Salsa music.”
“You know, Havana was very much like a rose.” my uncle told me. “It had petals, it had thorns. It was so sensual yet had a darker side to it. They were all there: Sinatra, Nat King Cole but also Al Capone, “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky, staying at the Hotel Nacional. There were the horse races at the Oriental Park and the small alleys, church towers, and roofs of terra-cotta. I can still recall the different smells lingering like saffron from a kitchen window. The music that was everywhere and the cigars. My friend who worked for a big hotel drove us around in his Cadillac. After the revolution things changed. But on one visit I met a girl and decided to stay. Marry her, have a few kids you know. I let the ship return to Sweden without me. Though it didn’t take long for the police to catch the escapee. I was sent to jail for three months until the next boat arrived. However, jail was OK. I spent all my time in this mafioso’s jail cell, playing poker and drinking Bacardi.”
*The Fragrance Journey of La Habana Eau de Parfum is based on a sailor’s reminiscence of Cuba before the revolution.
