What a Vietnamese singer’s marriage reveals about life in Cuba

The national dish is made from shredded beef stewed with tomato sauce and vegetables. Cuban legend says a poor man, left with only rags, put them in a pot and prayed until they turned into food for his family.

"It is an old tale but food shortages and scarcity is very much a reality in Cuba today," Nhi, a 30-year-old living with Maikel in HCMC, says.

Maikel (far left) with his parents and wife Yen Nhi in HCMC in 2024. Yen Nhi was runner-up at the 2017 Sao Mai singing contest, while Maikel is a musician. Photo by courtesy of the couple

Nguyen Yen Nhi, a singer originally from Can Tho City, married musician Martinez Vega Maikel nearly a year ago. She says she was drawn to Cuban culture, people and lifestyle when they first met three years earlier.

Maikel often takes her to large Cuban gatherings in HCMC, where guitar and cajón rhythms mix with mojitos in a Caribbean atmosphere. For Cubans, singing and dancing are part of everyday life. Maikel even dances while watching TV or cooking at home, and on the street he moves to music he hears.

Nhi says: "When I met him, I was being treated for depression after a painful breakup. Maikel pulled me out of those dark days with his Cuban spirit.

"Over time I got used to joining him in spontaneous salsa."

Maikel’s positivity shows even in the toughest moments. When the couple started a music company, they struggled with paperwork and sudden staff resignations.

On one occasion, a singer quit just before a show. Nhi panicked but Maikel calmly reassured her and called in friends for support.

After meeting his friends and relatives, Nhi realized that Cubans face challenges with composure and find solutions instead of complaining.

Her mother-in-law, Vega Hernandez Juana Elena, was told she had high blood pressure and cholesterol. With the ongoing shortage of medical supplies, she would have had to wait in long queues or pay high prices on the black market.

Nhi offered to send supplies, but her mother-in-law refused, saying: "I will exercise or find another way. We should not be down about this."

Cubans keep this optimism even during important life events. In November 2024 Maikel’s younger brother could not attend the couple’s wedding because of work. Though disappointed, he told his sister-in-law: "We still have the rest of our lives to get to know each other after the wedding."

Maikel and his parents led the bridal procession by boat in Can Tho’s river in November 2024. Photo by courtesy of the couple

Nhi says Cuban culture emphasizes family values and respect for women. Maikel often kneels to put on her shoes in public, much to her embarrassment at first, and her father-in-law does the same for his wife whenever they go out.

Maikel also enjoys caring for the household and takes pride in keeping their home clean and orderly.

"It is a principle of life for him." She says her husband rarely lets her wait and always leaves a message if he is five or 10 minutes late.

Cubans have adopted frugality as a rule for survival because they face shortages on a daily basis. Cuba is now sadly suffering from the worst economic crisis in decades, with a shrinking GDP, inflation and chronic shortages of food, medicine, fuel, drinking water, and electricity.

In Havana, where many of Maikel’s relatives live, blackouts last for up to four days. People struggle to sleep in the heat. Without electricity and functional gas stoves, families are forced to cook with firewood. The lack of running water makes bathing and washing dishes a luxury. People queue in long lines for rice, cooking oil and powdered milk daily.

Nhi noticed this when her in-laws visited Vietnam. They declined to eat out and had leftovers from lunch. They disliked storing food in the fridge and refused to waste it. If they planned to eat out, they would not cook at home.

"My husband thanks me even for a loaf of bread. When I take my mother-in-law to a spa or salon, she is very grateful. She often wishes Cuba had the affordable and convenient options of Vietnam."

Maikel’s parents now live in Mexico with his younger brother, but many of his relatives remain in Cuba.

Last year her sister-in-law, who had cancer, could not find disposable medical bags and had to wash and reuse them.

"Even basic needs are unavailable, and so I often send money, supplements and medical bags to her."

Nhi’s parents see off her in-laws as they return home, with gifts from Vietnam. Photo by courtesy of the family

Hardship has forced many Cubans to leave their country, and Maikel was one of them. When he first landed at Noi Bai Airport in 2018, he planned to stay a few months at a friend’s invitation. Gradually the country’s hospitality convinced him to stay.

Maikel’s parents spent nearly three months in Vietnam during their son’s wedding. They said they were captivated by the country from the moment they arrived.

As she prepared to leave, his mother said: "Now I understand why my Maikel does not want to leave. Vietnam is so wonderful that I also wish I could stay."