As usual, Mariachi Plaza was full of musicians strolling around, waiting for their chance to serenade a couple or a family with a love song or a classic corrido.
That was the comedian and entertainer Bob Hope, serenading Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their visit to the White House in 1976, as America celebrated its 200th birthday.
The visiting players were given awards by the Cuban government and serenaded by a tune not often heard in communist-run Cuba, the U.S. national anthem.