Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Go, Juanes, go (continued)

  • The concert is “not about politics,” Juanes explains in a Herald article that also covers other voices in the debate.

  • Julio Iglesias says Juanes is a “great artist” who wants to bring “a message of affection and music” to Cubans.

  • Gloria Estefan somewhat condescendingly says she knows Juanes’ “heart is in the right place,” explains her concerns about Cuba and the concert, and says she hopes Cubans will be able to enjoy the event and have uncontrolled access to it.

  • The Cuba Study Group releases a poll (pdf) showing that only 27 percent of Cuban Americans support the concert, while 74 percent believe that last week’s Miami street demonstrations featuring the smashing of CD’s with sledgehammers were not good “for the image of Cuban exiles in the United States.”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe Juanes will sing Jama y Libertad, a new ditty that's making the round in Penultimos Dias. It's catchy!

Vecino de NF

Anonymous said...

the image of cuban exiles in US is way past the point where a little cd smashing is going to make a difference. the rest of america knows, and wants the same freedoms that these exiles (incorrect term as they are able to travel back to their home country) have.
we've been on to them for a long time, and tired of these people shouting and screaming and denying freedom to americans while shouting the cubans have none.
it's time to move on.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous August 26, 2009 5:02 PM,

Although the poll did not ask the question, there is probably a high correlation between those in favor of the Juanes concert and those Cuban-Americans who travel to Cuba. Other polls have shown a strong correlation between a later date of arrival and the acceptance for lifting the embargo and travel restrictions, and Cubans with later arrival dates are also more likely to visit Cuba.

As far as denying the freedom to travel to Cuba, this was done by non-Cuban-Americans way before Cuban-Americans had any real influence in US politics. The real opposition to relaxing the embargo and travel restrictions are in the historical anti-communist groups in the US.

Suggest you pick the right enemies!

Vecino de NF

brianmack said...

It's such a reminder, being a Irish
American, how so many of us so called
Irish, who came to the USA and made a bit of money would pontificate on how
England was the "enemy!" Interesting because who the hell are you, leaving Ireland, when it was literally a third world country, telling the world how horrible England was vs. how much England
compensated so many in the North who were destitute. Well, regarding Cuba, I listen to those who are still living in Cuba. Not the ones who fled, and that's fine,
but made their money and now are telling the poor and suffering how to react to a singer, a singer who
will give a bit of comfort and perhaps hope to this devastated Island. One person I listen to and love dearly, Yoani Sánchez, and she
welcomes this concert. Peace Yoani
and may Cuba one surge!

Anonymous said...

Brianmack,

Assuming that you live in the US why keep hyphenating your ethnic identity (IRISH-american)? After all one should conclude from your comment that no one of Irish ancestry who is living in the US should identify themselves with any Irish issue?

Vecino de NF

Anonymous said...

To shed light on who's who, here is an interesting article on Silvio Rodriguez, the organizer on the Cuban side of the Juanes concert. To summarize, he helped organize a "hippy" music festival in the 1960s for the Cuban govt that was nothing more than a ruse to arrest the "hippies". http://porcubaparacuba.blogspot.com/2009/08/las-victimas-de-silvio-rodriguez.html

I am not against Juanes' concert, what I am against is the ignorance that there are no political motives in organizing the concert. As Gorki Aguila, of Porno Para Ricardo, said a few days ago: "Allí solo toleran a artistas del tralará, que cantan canciones de amor, a los que se expresan en inglés y quienes aún creen en la patraña del comunismo. El gesto de Juanes me parece bien intencionado, pero ingenuo. Si habla de la paz en el concierto deberá hablar de la libertad, que no hay. Si no, no va a ser creíble."

No totalitarian government would allow a concert that does not benefit it politically. The Cuban government made a calculated decision that this concert would further it (and only it) and that is the only reason it is being allowed.

I do find it objectionable that Juanes will not likely speak of human rights and that he has not asked alternative groups to play with him in Havana, but to expect this would be to be ignorant.

NLNR

Anonymous said...

it's because the govt is not totalitarian, its authoritarian.
as any govt would be after 50 years of having the worlds greatest power at war with it. as the US admits, and still admits, as evidence in part by the continued travel restrictions, embargo etc.

ignorance is not knowing, of not having the information. you sir, are ignorant

and do you expect bands in miami to talk about human rights, about american torture victims, about the illegal war, etc etc...?