With another Democrat leading the United States, it is once again time for a seemingly pro-Communist rock concert in Cuba. "This is the right time to start something...With the last administration, for sure we weren't talking about this. But with this administration, with Obama as president, I believe it's different," said top award-winning Latin musician Juanes, who lives in Miami.
"Juanes' first move in planning the event was to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the administration and Congress in May, to see if they would support his efforts...," per the Miami Herald. Apparently, they did, because his concert is scheduled to take place Sept. 20, 2009 in Havana's Plaza de la Revolution, and a State Department official told El Nuevo Herald in August that it favors such cultural exchanges.
The Revolution Plaza features a looming image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who along with Fidel and Raul Castro planned and executed the Communist takeover of Cuba more than half a century ago. Che is so important to the promotion of Communism that Cuban school children must recite, "Seremos como el Che," meaning "We will be like Che." The Castros' offices overlook the plaza, and the most important speeches by Fidel and Raul have taken place there. Juanes is apparently very excited to perform in this exact location, despite receiving death threats for his decision. "How great it'll be to be there and see this plaza," he said.
Although Juanes claims the concert has nothing to do with politics, many of the million-strong Cuban Americans consider the performance will be a nod toward Communism and are highly opposed to it. After all, many of them risked their lives escaping the oppressive country, coming to the United States as refugees on rickety boats, and Juanes plans to perform there without making any planned statements against the Communist regime and its horrendous record on human rights and freedom of speech. By doing so, many believe he will be demonstrating acceptance and approval of the regime.
It is very rare for musicians from outside of Cuba to travel there for performances, although similar concerts took place under the Democratic Clinton and Carter administrations, which both promoted cultural exchanges with Cuba. "I think enhancing cultural and artistic and educational ties is a prelude to diplomatic and commercial ties," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat who ran for president in 2008. "It always happens that way." Richardson recently returned from a trip to Cuba where he met with high-level leaders. Obama himself declared in last year's campaign that he would be open to meeting Cuban President Raul Castro without pre-conditions, an about-face from the usual protocol of American presidents in dealing with leaders of countries deemed enemies and facing U.S. sanctions.
The upcoming concert is expected to be viewed live in person by hundreds of thousands of Cubans, and broadcast live on Univision to millions of Latin Americans. Univision is the number one Spanish-language network in the United States, and competes head to head with major networks, garnering more adult viewers ages 18-34 in primetime in 2008 than ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX on 89% of the nights. The fast-growing Hispanic vote made up 9% of the entire vote in the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, and 67% of Hispanics voted for Obama.
Juanes, a Columbian who moved to the United States before making it big in the music world, has won 17 Latin Grammys, more than any other artist. He contends that the goal of the Cuban concert is "peace," and of course, change. "If after the concert nothing positive happens, that's a risk I'm taking," he said, without elaborating on what might constitute positive change. The date of the concert was selected to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Peace.
He originally had plans for many famous artists to perform at the concert, but he has had difficulty getting big acts to join him. Instead, pro-Castro Cuban musicians Silvio Rodriguez and Los Van Van will be there, along with Miguel Bose of Spain and Olga Tanon from Puerto Rico. Noticeably absent from the line-up are the many anti-Castro Cuban musicians who have been repeatedly censored and imprisoned. Meanwhile, no sponsors whatsoever have stepped in to foot the bill for the show, leaving Juanes to pay his own way.
"He says his performing in Cuba is not a political act," said Juan Carlos Espinoza, an associate dean at Florida International University. "Choosing to perform in Cuba, where everything is politicized and a [Communist] military regime has ruled for 50 years, is in and of itself a political act."
Columbian who moved to the United States before making it big in the music world, has
Posted by: moncler sale | 08/10/2011 at 11:02 PM