Salsa reverberates through the thin walls of the old apartment. Fervent singing and laughter pour out into the streets. Cigar smoke curls its fingers through the air and mingles with the sharp, sweet smell of Cuban rum. The birthday girl, turning five years old, shakes her hips on the makeshift dance floor as her family and friends shout. Her 80-year-old grandmother entices the revelers to keep the rum flowing. The poverty and hardship that surround the Cuban people has been forgotten. It has been replaced with warmth, generosity and vivacity for life.