2020

Gilberto Valladares Reina

Cuba

Gilberto Valladares Reina (Papito) was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba in 1969. He graduated from the Provincial School of Barbers of the City of Havana in 1987. He is considered one of the pioneers of entrepreneurship in Cuba, having been the first to transition from the state sector to the private sector while creating his own beauty salon. In 1999, he founded Artecorte, a community project in Santo Angel neighborhood of Old Havana. One of the primary goals of Artcorte is to promote and dignify the trades of hairdressing and hairstyling.

Papito created the first salon that employs and serves disabled people. Artecorte is a free diploma-giving program in hairstyling, barbering and bartending that provides young people (ages 17-26) or those with disabilities, who do not have work or who are not studying at the time, to learn a profession. The students practice by providing free services to the residents of the community.

Papito has created the Living Museum of Hairstyling and Barbering. He brought back the Day of the Barber and Hairstylist in Cuba, and created the Juan Gomez Award, named after the first barber and surgeon in Havanna (1552). In 2015, he called on all the hairdressers of the world to donate shears to a monument at the entrance of Hairdressers Alley, called “United in a Single Cut” by sculptor A. Matamoros. He also created a park for children with a barbering theme.

Gilberto Reina is a community leader and has been a lecturer at many important international events. In 2017 he was awarded Anthropological University of Guadalajara, Mexico the title of Doctor Honoris Causa for his professional, humanistic and honorable reputation for his contributions towards a better world.