Jauretsi: Word On The Street

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

(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

All over Cuba, young people are rapping in their bedrooms in Cuba. It’s something we discovered throughout our travels in Cuba while making East of Havana. All the ideas, poetry, frustrations, joy, depression, and hope are bubbling out of the youths pores… causing a mild earthquake during this time of change.

This project, entitled “Ruido” (Noise) was created recently by an artist called Yoel Vazquez who was born in Havana in 1973. After studying at the Academia Nacional de Artes Plasticas de San Alejandro, he moved to Europe in 2004 and continues to create his art outside the island.

In terms of this project, Yoel captures urgent poetry from the bedrooms and kitchens of Cuba. He explains, “I am interested in working with the energies of these youngsters who with the power of their polemic rhymes defend the underground genre of the rap movement. Their rhymes are full of social denunciation, full of the most urgent preoccupations of a young generation.”

To see the art piece, go to: RUIDO.

In essence, this is rap in its purest form: “It is universal in the world of the poor and the marginalized” affirms Yoel. To see each individual video, go to Yoel Videos Sorted.
J

Wow. Just when you thought it couldn’t get more pathetic after the Panfilo incident this month in Cuba, the government just announced the island is going to be short on toilet paper for the rest of 2009. One of the humorous posts on the YouTube commentary board wrote: “I’m sure Fidel and his brother are not out of toilet paper.”

During my stays in Cuba, one of the most common views in peoples home bathrooms (in Alamar at least) was shredded newspaper by the toilet as a replacement for toilet paper. Lordy, you can imagine the jokes of wiping your ass with the State propaganda… I mean, you gotta laugh sometimes when things get so dire… and boy, Cubans know how to tell a good joke when the going gets rough.

Anyway, expect more Granma and Juventud Rebelde papers on standby at local toilets around the country now!
J

(No More Tractors!)

Below is a really well written article on Cuban agriculture, and how the localized farming industry was born out of the “Special Period” crisis after the Soviet Union dissolved and abandoned Cuba in the early 90’s. It’s the story of a country reaching rock bottom and coming up with tough hardworking decisions to create a sustainable society in order to feed its people again (and consequently, not be so reliant on foreign import/export). The neighborhood of Alamar is mentioned in this piece too.

Writer Bill McKibben poses some philosophical, political, and pragmatic questions towards all nations outside Cuba — and how would we respond to a “Special Period” occurring on a global level. Somehow, the Cuban model (as conflicted as they are within their own authoritarian paradigm) is an interesting experiment to observe.

The concept is too difficult to explain in a short paragraph so please do yourself a favor, and read the whole article at Harpers.org/The Cuban Diet.

J

The above video is the wife of a man named Panfilo. She is a scared woman. Harassed by her government. If you haven’t heard of the ruckus last week in Cuba, here are the broad strokes: Panfilo is a regular guy who got drunk one day, yapped about how hungry he was, somebody put it on You Tube, the video spread like wildfire, the government freaked out, and now he is sentenced to 4 years in prison with no criminal action having been done.

Anyway, in Cuba, there’s this ridiculous police charge called “Social dangerousness”. In short, it gives the government the right to arrest you BEFORE you commit any crimes. Nuts, huh? Sort of like Minority Report except there are no cognitive experts seeing the future. Only a paranoid government with military muscle calling the shots. Welcome to the Kafka-esque world of Cuba.

Yoani writes about the arrest in her blog too: “In a society marked by punishments against those who express their opinions, neither fools nor children say what they think, only drunkards.”

A guy named Pedro Martin aka “el general” posted a group page on Facebook for friends, family, admirers, and human rights organizations could to huddle and discuss updates of his prison sentence. Within 1 day, there were 800 members, Today, roughly a week later, there are 2,015 members and growing.

Facebook Group Page for his safe return is found at: Facebook/Free Panfilo

Behold the video that got this guy in trouble and spread fast as hell online: Panfilo Speaking His Mind On The Street. Sure he was on booze. But homeboy was being honest.

Yoani wraps up her thoughts by explaining the governments stance on making him an example: “If they don’t condemn him, who will prevent the corner alcoholics, the neighborhood drunks, from standing in front of a camera and starting to shout for everything we lack: Food! Future! Freedom!”.

The video you see above is Panfilo’s wife speaking about the situation getting worse before the arrest took place. “My kids are scared. In my home there is no food. That is the reality” she says.

Sad embarrassing day in Cuba, folks.
J

“Those who are fighting [injustice]; it doesn’t matter where…
They are our brothers.”
- Camilo Cienfuegos