HAVANA, Cuba
Barbados’ pop princess Rihanna caused a stir while cruising down Havana’s Malecon Shore Boulevard in a classic 1950s American convertible last Friday.
No sooner had word got around that the FourFiveSeconds singer was in the neighbourhood than Cubans of all ages swarmed around the car, using cell phones to snap pictures of the 27-year-old star while security guards kept a watchful eye on the proceedings.
Rihanna arrived in Cuba on Wednesday and made an unannounced appearance at the La Fontana restaurant, according to Cuban state media.
Reports say that the Diamonds girl also recorded video footage in Havana’s central district of El Vedado and at the La Guarida restaurant, where the Cuban movie Strawberry and Chocolate was filmed.
The hard-working singer/model/businesswoman’s Cuban gig came in the wake of flying visits from New York, to London, to Miami and then on to Cuba in the space of three days.
The Unapologetic singer sat for a vintage-themed photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz looking a picture of retro glamour in a scarlet corset, skinny pants and matching high-heeled patent leather mules.
For a complete style switch, the singer poured her famous curves into a simple but stunning little black dress.
The photo shoot was complete with Cuba’s vintage American cars, but the classic Detroit rolling stock reportedly failed to upstage Rihanna’s classy chassis.
The Caribbean superstar has barely had time to change her own clothes of late, juggling her modelling and business commitments with recording more tracks for her upcoming album R8, said to be produced by rapper Kanye West.
Earlier this year, Rihanna was also appointed the face of Dior, making history as the first black woman ever to represent the French haute couture brand.