Recently I went to go hear Ann Louise Bardach speak in New York about her new book Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana, and Washington. If you are a Cuban-phile, you should go back and read her first book Cuba Confidential (where she covers the firebombing of Centro Vasco restaurant in Miami). She is an ace journalist covering Cuba for 15 years. She doesn’t take sides on the Cuba/Miami debate. She has enemies on both sides due to her blunt and factual reporting. She calls it like it is. She’s a fascinating woman.

Ann is best known for her interviewing Fidel Castro a few times for Vanity Fair. She was so stubborn about speaking to Fidel when she first landed in Cuba, that after a few blow-offs from the government, Fidel Castro finally called her room late one night and said, “I guess if I don’t take this interview, you’ll never leave Cuba?”, to which she replied, “Yup!”. And so began her legendary interviews with the bearded one.

Her extensive reporting for the magazine prompted Graydon Carter to joke “are you trying to open the Havana office?”. After the seminar, a few of us went to a restaurant midtown and just waxed poetic on some Cuban politics for hours over wine. Her friends were lovely.

During the seminar earlier, Ann broke down the books contents for the audience — how the Castro brothers are probably the most successful brother duo in world history next to the Kennedy’s. She discusses Fidel’s health and his borderline alcoholism. There is a section where she explains how the Bush family had owned property in Cuba before the Revolution. There are countless Cuban-American CIA tales too. She shares a meticulously researched family tree of the Castro brothers offspring — illegitimate kids included. Frankly, there is so much new insight in Ann’s books that its impossible to put it down.

Don’t take my word for it. Check out an interview she gave while passing through New York — here at Democracynow.org.

If you are living in Miami, Annie is heading to your town on Sunday, Nov 15th. I advise Cuban-Americans to go listen to her speak. Her work is tightly researched, and at the same time, there is a tremendous sense of humor in her delivery. She’s a breath of fresh air and unbiased when breaking down the convoluted mind games and agendas between Miami and Cuba. Clarity is good.

Start Time: Sunday, November 15 at 11:00am
End Time: Sunday, November 15 at 1:00pm
Where: Miami Book Fair Auditorium/Pavilion Tent A./ Miami Babylon Miami Dade College

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below: Facebook Link / Without Fidel / Miami visit

(Available now)

Spoken from the mouth of a young mind in Cuba. Humberto Andres Hernandez wants to share a message about outsiders who move into Cuba, those who have more rights in their homeland than the locals themselves.

He sort of has a funny swagger in his delivery. Just like a regular island-born Cuban (raised in a non-MTV soundbite culture), it takes him much longer to express his point than your average A.D.D. American citizen. Just sit back, relax and hear him out.

Humberto Andres Hernandez gets his point across. He makes you feel like you are sitting in his living room in Cuba shooting the breeze over a bottle of rum.

The video below is called “Lo Negros” (The Blacks). Considering the 1959 Revolution was supposed eradicate racism, and some left-minded Americans I know believe that to be 100% true… it’s interesting to hear what a young locals point of view is from the island. Food for thought.

Could Humberto be the new Andy Rooney of Cuba?

(Juanita Castro, speaks out at a rally at the Tokyo Convention of the World Anti-Communist League in 1970)

Sometimes I usually laugh at the paranoia Fidel demonstrates by claiming everything and everyone is working for the CIA against him. The word “spy” is tossed around very liberally in Cuba. Then there are other times when I think, damn, maybe his paranoia has allowed him to outlast 11 American presidents and countless assassination attempts. At least this guy can trust his own sister right?

Today in the news, it was announced that Fidel Castro’s sister, Juanita Castro collaborated with US Intelligence promptly after she saw the 1959 Revolution turned from the original dream. Fidel’s mother joined the cause with Junaita at times when both women sought to protect opponents who were jailed.

After their mother died, it increasingly became more dangerous for Juanita to live in Cuba. With mom gone, Fidel grew scarier and frankly could have “offed” Juanita, so she fled for Mexico in 1964.

Only 10 days after she fled Cuba, she held a press conference telling the world: “I can no longer remain indifferent to what is happening in my country,” she said. “My brothers Fidel and Raúl have made it an enormous prison surrounded by water. The people are nailed to a cross of torment imposed by international communism.”

All the details are written in her new book Fidel and Raul, My Brothers: The Secret History. A mexican journalist Maria Antonieta Collins co-authored the book. Univisión-Noticias 23 has the exclusive interview. Juanita has refused to give interviews until the book was released.

Source: The Guardian UK

(1970 Photo by Bettmann/Corbis)

Ernesto Bazan has released a book of photography on Cuba entitled simply Cuba.

“There is the sense of sadness and waiting,” he said during a phone interview from Brazil, where he has led workshops. “Until when? They have 50 years waiting and nothing changes. A revolution which began in good faith but strayed from the path little by little and became something totally different from what Cubans expected when the revolution triumphed.”

To see more photographs and read about Ernesto Bazan, go to: NYTimes.com
J

Miami is a very pivotal city to determine the temperature of Cuban exile culture. I took these pics of the FIU campus on my visit to the University when they invited me to screen East of Havana to their students. Promptly after, there was a Q&A discussion of the film where I expected to get stoned to death due to my opinions of the embargo, and my loving trips to Cuba. It turns out, the room was refreshingly full of very open minded, curious Cuban-Americans who were genuinely fascinated by the youth culture down in the island, and were asking all the right questions towards a positive change in Cuba. Times have changed indeed.

Miami can sometimes tend to be overcritical in the debate of “Cuban dialogue”. Hey, we’re passionate people! But sometimes to our own damage. Thus my next thought…

In 2 weeks, FIU will be hosting another forum to open discussion on the future of Cuba. Their program reads:

To what extent is Cuban critical thinking contributing to the formation of a new public debate culture in Cuba? What gains have been made and what challenges remain with regards to the genuine exchange of ideas on the island? Join LACC’s Cuban Research Institute on October 22, 2009 for the lecture, “Debate or Catharsis? Critical Thinking in the Public Sphere in Cuba Today,”

Hosted by:
Rafael Hernandez, Editor, Temas, Cuba
Mellon Visiting Professor, Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas-Austin.

To attend or learn more, contact CRI (Cuban Research Institute) at 305-348-1991.

Angel Delgado
Límite continuo V
Digital print/wax
pencil/pastel on canvas,
39.2” x 47.1”

Cuba Art NY announces the opening of the exhibition Contemporary Cuban Art in New York at the Dactyl Foundation Gallery, 64 Grand Street, New York, which will be on display from October 8 to October 10, 2009. It’s a strong 3 day window to snatch up some good Cuban art today.

Arturo Rodriguez
Nude
Oil on canvas
16″ x 20

Carlos Estevez
Los movimientos
cifrados de la existencia
Oil and pencil on canvas
51″ x 63.5″

Heriberto Mora
Una dosis de amor y
un baño de luz
Oil on canvas
25″ x 24″

Armando Guiller
Spiral Work no.5
26 x 16 x 14 in.
Enameled steel-cherry
2008

An opening night reception and silent auction will be held tomorrow on Thursday night, October 8th, at 6:00 P.M.

The artists included in the 2009 exhibit are:
Giovanni Bosch
Liliam Cuenca
Angel Delgado
Carlos Estévez
Carmen Herrera
Mario García Joya
Armando Guiller
Rafael López Ramos
Heiberto Mora
Arturo Rodríguez
Gilberto Ruiz
Arnaldo Simón

To attend the event or learn more, go to cubaartny.org.
J

It was announced this week that the NY Phil Harmonic was invited to play in Cuba this month. They just sadly volunteered to nix the trip because the American government wouldn’t allow the patrons (their money sponsors) to go to Cuba with them. So the whole team decided to pull out.

The 150 board members had planned on forking over $10,000 each which would have paid for all the expenses for 2 concerts in Cuba. The supporters expected to tag-a-long on the Cuba trip (as they do on all international trips) with the orchestra because, well, who doesn’t want to go to Cuba?

The NY Philharmonic is USA’s flagship orchestra that travels around the world promoting the United States’ badass talent. They played North Korea 2 years ago (with no travel issues) and are playing Asia next week hitting up another Communist area, Vietnam.

“This exposes how arbitrary the rules are governing American citizens’ rights to travel to Cuba,” Julia E. Sweig, an expert on Cuba at the Council on Foreign Relations, said of the Treasury Department’s position. “If you have a family member there, you can go. If you play an instrument or sport, you can go. But if you’re a philanthropist who wants to support arts in Cuba, you can’t?”

There are several complex reasons why the sponsors were not allowed to go — ranging from specific license issues to economic reasons why they shouldn’t spend alot of money in Cuba. To read more facts, go to the BBC News Website or the New York Times website.
J

Another sign that Obama’s administration is attempting to restore relations with Cuba. The State Department official, named Bisa Williams, traveled to Cuba 2 weeks ago to open talks on improving cooperation between both nations. First thing on the agenda, restarting mail service between US and Cuba. Other things included migration talks and the fight against drug trafficking.

“This did not have to happen,” said Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas. “These talks are taking place because the president decided it’s the right thing to do.”

To read the entire story on New York Times today at State Department Officials Meet With Cuban Authorities in Havana.
J

(Tattoos read “Rap is War” — Los Aldeanos members, Bian Oscar Rodríguez Gala aka “El B” & Aldo Roberto Rodríguez Baquero aka “El Aldeano”)

Aldo, of the band Los Aldeanos, has been arrested by police in Cuba today due to the fact he owned a computer. A writer named Claudia Cadelo, of the blog El Guama Blog, reports that Also was detained on Zapata y C at 11am this morning.

(Guama Blog. The logo is a flip of Cuba’s National Newspaper, Granma)

There’s not much information out on this arrest right now, but stay tuned… These rappers have created some pretty impressive tidal waves of consciousness. In 2003, they mustered the confidence to play their first show at the Almendares Park in 2003, and have since caused an earthquake of attention — posing a realistic danger to the strong-armed government — all using the power of words only. These are good kids. Not criminals. They are enlightened, eloquent, fearless, and demand their basic rights.

During last weeks controversial concert in Cuba by Juanes with several international bands calling for solidarity — Musical artist Juanes shouted-out Aldeanos and wished them well. It is clear that Aldeanos stature as Cuban rappers has reached global impact.

(Los Aldeanos in the ‘hood with friends)

Lyrics: “Enough”

Enough of the oppression
enough of the false promises
enough corruption …

Enough of the lies
enough of the expensive justice
enough of the laws that restrict and don’t protect….”
“We order it to stop”

Whether you like it or not, we keep going – without fear
putting a break on the train [Cuba's system]
We’ve arrived and we’re ordering it to stop.
It’s savage, the blackmail that we are submitted to.
We’re [expletive].
How badly they’ve led us…

“Freedom of expression”
The world is upside down
but I will live with freedom of expression.
The nation is not “on”
They speak of “revolution” but they have no notion of it….

(1 Million turned out last weekend in Cuba’s Revolution Square under Jose Marti statue)

For one day, Cuba was on the world map last Sunday. 14 artists from 6 countries played in Cuba’s Revolution Square. The event was the biggest turnout in Cuba since Pope John Paul II visited in 1998.

What’s more interesting is the lead up to the show. A few weeks prior to the show, some typical old Cuban faction of exiles in Miami were smashing Juanes CD’s in front of Versailles restaurant in Miami in protest of the concert. In their minds, the concert supports the Cuban government. Miami radio went crazy. Some latin bands received death threats. Some bands pulled out of the show for commercial purposes (due to the fact losing Miami radio airplay). It was an interesting few months of debate among Cuban-Americans. One that fueled the tireless arguments of “engaging” Cuba versus “isolating” Cuba. The opposing opinions usually varied across generation lines.

Juanes Tweeted this: “There is a future for Cuba, we have to extend a hand, help them, open our mind to them, so that they can do the same with us”.

(Cambodian Buddhist monks/nuns in Phnom Penh dressed in white, pray for peace for UN’s Peace Day)

It’s important to note, the concert took place on Sunday, September 20, 2009 — 1 day before the UN’s International Day of Peace. The UN planned global celebrations, including the Kabul headquarters in Afghanistan where 21 white doves were released into the sky! If you notice, most of the artists who performed in Cuba wore all white too. Some speculate it was also in honor of “Ladies in White,” a movement created by wives and family members of jailed dissidents in Cuba. Regardless the reason, white is the color of peace… and last Sunday was a big peace day, with Cuba as center stage.

It was not broadcast on television but millions of people viewed it on the Univision website as it streamed “live” all day. All the artists were forbidden to speak political statements, but here are a few that snuck in some loaded thoughts of freedom.

(Olga Tanon, Puerto Rican merengue star)

“It’s time to change!!!” — Olga Tanon

(Cucu Diamante of Yerba Buena)

“It’s time for Cuba to be open to the world!”– Yerba Buena’s Cucu Diamante

(Juanes)

“Cuba Libre!!” — Juanes