A Cuban Alex Nunez is 35 years old. He is a singer, composer and producer. He has been living in Kyrgyzstan for a year. Alex is a member of a group performing Latin American songs and dances. At work, he met many Kyrgyz pop stars, including Kairat Primberdiev, Mirbek Atabekov and Nurlan Nasip.
— How did you find yourself in Kyrgyzstan?
— I was looking for new opportunities for self-fulfillment and development of creativity. There are a lot of artists like me in Cuba. But you can stand out in Kyrgyzstan.
Our group performs in the largest halls of the country (such as the Philharmonic Hall), on city squares and at various celebrations. We go to the regions.
— What surprises you here?
— Democracy. The people are free.
— Is there something that reminds you of your homeland?
— No, there is not. Cuba has communist regime, problems with the Internet, shortage of some food products ... Everything is different here.
— What do you miss in Kyrgyzstan?
— I miss my family. My wife and seven-year-old daughter remained in my homeland. We talk on the phone regularly, but I still miss them.
— Do you have a favorite place in Bishkek?
— It is TsUM, GUM, Red Center, Bishkek Park shopping malls. I do shopping there. In particular, I bought the equipment with the help of which I mix music.
I have been to Issyk-Kul, but have not been in the mountains because of the busy work schedule. Once I traveled to Osh by car. I saw a lot of beautiful places on the way. The mountain spiral road was scary.
— What national dishes do you like and what are you afraid to try?
— I liked lagman and plov. I am not a picky eater, but sometimes some local food is difficult to digest. When I have spare time, I cook myself. I love cooking. I treat members of our musical group to Cuban dishes.
— What has fascinated and disappointed you in close acquaintance with the local population?
— I liked cohesion. If you have problems, many people are ready to help. In my country, everybody is on his own.
I am an artist and should be different. Sometimes I wear earrings or dye my hair. There are conservative people who do not like this. Some people also do not like foreigners, their appearance and behavior. Probably, there are such persons in each country, and there may be 0.01 percent of such people of the total population in Kyrgyzstan. I can tell them the following: «You are not alone in the world. We must broaden our horizons, be open to new things and respect people of other nationalities.»
— Would you change something in Kyrgyzstan?
— I did not think about it. I worked in Kazakhstan and Russia, but I especially liked your country. I will possibly stay here forever. The only thing — I will take my wife and child to Kyrgyzstan with me.
