Conan O'Brien Travels to Cuba and Proves Lanky White Guys Can Do the Salsa
Conan O'Brien's historic trip to Cuba (he's now the first late night host to visit the country in 50 years) was captured for a hilarious, heartwarming, and humbling 75-minute special called Conan In Cuba, which aired on TBS on Wednesday night. O'Brien and his crew documented his four days spent in Havana last month, which took place after President Barack Obama lifted travel restrictions between the United States in Cuba.
As the two nations are the in early stages of mending their past for a better future, O'Brien saw it as an "amazing opportunity for [him] to come to Cuba...get to know them."
The entire special was worth watching, and packed with just as many laughs as there were memorable experiences (this just may be his best remote segment ever). Here are our six favorite moments from Conan In Cuba.
Conan Gives Viewers a History, Social, and Political Lesson
O'Brien made sure not to simply be a tourist, but to immerse himself in the rich culture and history of the land he was visiting. From learning the art of making cigars to explaining how they get vintage cars to run to dining on authentic cuisine and admiring the gorgeous architecture and murals, O'Brien soaked in everything that makes Cuba what it is. O'Brien even touched on the complicated relationship between Cuba and America, and how that will change now. O'Brien showed nothing but the utmost respect when it came to his time in Cuba, and shared everything he learned with his viewers. As far as TV travelogues go, this is certainly one of the richer ones.
Conan Joins a Salsa Band
The funny man improvised with his own Spanish lyrics, which included gems like "I am Nutella...Men have libraries...Happy Birthday...The cat and the dog...Go away, chair." We can't say we blame the group's bongo player for not wanting the American star to join their operation.
Conan Learns to Dance...Sort Of
After learning the Clahvay from his bandmates, O'Brien later took another dance class, which was just as glorious. Turns out, the only thing funnier than watching the world's lankiest man (who specializes in puppet string dancing) learning some of the sexiest moves on the planet, is watching him getting caught staring at his gorgeous dance partner, who promptly pointed his head in the upright position.
Conan Gets Drunk...A Few Times
Hey, when you're in a place that makes some of the best rum in the world, you're going to get a little buzzed. O'Brien enjoyed himself quite a bit during his tour of the Havana Club, where he promptly annoyed his guide Gretel and "serenaded" her with his own version of Guantanamera."
Visiting the Sea Wall in El Malecon and Making Some New Friends
O'Brien gave a sweet shout-out on Twitter to the young friends he made at the famous waterfront promenade in Havana, which included his new pal Rudy, who provided the late night host with cigarettes and boxed rum.
A Humbled O'Brien Leaves Us With Some Great Parting Words
Sure, it was incredibly funny to hear O'Brien take Spanish lessons so that he could say things like "I am America's biggest star" and "I'm not gay, I'm just on vacation," but the funny man got serious when he talked about how important his time was there, and his hopes for the future of Cuba and the United States. As he put it, "Despite the differences in our governments, at a human level, there's so much we share: laughter, music, the love of good food, and the sheer genius of rum in a box." O'Brien called it "one of the greatest experiences of my life" and had nothing but praise for the people of Havana, adding, "I can't wait to come back." Hopefully he takes us all with him again. (Just maybe not in that cab whose doors had a mind of their own.)
[Photo Credit: @teamcoco]