Artists from Cuba have made several video clips with a political theme in recent months. Raúl Torres’ “Desbloquéame” denounces the US blockade (1). “Don’t get involved”, by the humorist Virulo, the interference of the White House on the island (2). But are they interested in the international press, the Spaniards for example? Zero.
But if they release a song from Miami against the Cuban government, then they do. We have numerous news reports and a whole week of interviews in newspapers, on radio and television (3) (4). This is the case with “Patria y Vida”, whose author, Yotuel Romero, was invited to a session of the European Parliament by two right-wing MEPs calling for the destruction of the current dialogue and cooperation agreement between the European Union and Cuba ( 5). Romero announced that he would do it – listen up, that’s no joke – “in the name of all Cuba” (6).
It was also received at the Spanish Congress (7), and stated that “everything I have learned about freedom of expression has been in Spain” (8). It was the same week that Catalan rapper Elgio (9) was sentenced to six months in prison, and protests continued to hold another artist, Pablo Hasél (10). Yotuel Romero gave dozens of interviews: do you think someone asked him about it?
“Patria y Vida” is a mix of record marketing and political propaganda: some Cuban artists, based in Miami, are seeking an economic boost to their careers in a year without concerts; For their part, the Cuban-American far-right is using them to maintain pressure on Joe Biden and prevent a repeat of the “Obama route” of dialogue with Havana (11).
The requests of the opposite sign in the US, asking him to lift sanctions against Cuba, are much more: religious organizations (12), Cuban emigration (13), NGOs and solidarity groups (14), mayors (15) , congressmen (16)… But is there any news or interviews about this in the corporate press? Almost no.
We read headlines that confuse desire and reality (17): “‘Homeland and life’, the song that put the Cuban government on the strings” (18), “The controversial song that shook the Cuban regime” (19 ) (twenty). The same ad from Willy Chirino when he mentioned his song “Our day is coming”… 30 years ago! (twenty one).
And a lot of victimization: “The Cuban state press attacks the song that calls for changes on the island” (22), “The government calls Yotuel a ‘jinetero'” Romero (23). An absolute lie, because the adjective “jinetero” belongs to a meme, which has been very retweeted on the island, from a private account, not from the government (24). “If something happens to my family, I hold the Cuban government accountable,” several media headlines, creating a story about something – alleged “reprisals” – that didn’t happen (25). The same media that has not published a sentence about the systematic persecution of artists from the island in Miami. Last year, the city’s mayor declared two salsa singers, Paulito FG (26) and Haila María, persona non grata Mompié (27), canceling their concerts in the US (28). All on the initiative of presenter and youtuber Alex Otaola (29). A key figure to understand the participation, in the clip “Patria y Vida”, by Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno. Let us commemorate.
A year ago, Alex Otaola launched a signature campaign for the US to revoke the green card or permanent residence of members of the Gente de Zona duo, who were also vetoed by the mayor of Miami at the end of the annual concert. (31). In October, Otaola managed to interview President Donald Trump himself (32) for his program, and gave him a “red list” of Cubans to prevent him from entering the country (33). Among them the components of Gente de Zona and their families. The sin? I greeted President Miguel Díaz-Canel at a concert in Havana (34). Overnight, the duo – which had double residences in Miami and Havana – lost everything. His participation in the theme “Homeland and Life” is now his “removal”. Like his statements, without coming to mind, to the Cuban government: “When a person grows up in a regime like the Cuban, he gets used to living in fear,” they have just stated (35). You understand “living in fear”, right?
The case of Descemer Bueno, another interpreter of the clip, is almost identical. His praise for Cuba’s medical cooperation and his condemnation of the US blockade (36) put him a year ago at the target of Alex Otaola who managed to boycott his Miami concerts and destroy his career in months (37). Descemer Bueno resisted, took the presenter to court … (38). But he lost the fight (39). And the suspension came: without event, he started attacking the Cuban government (40) and knelt before Otaola, even congratulating him on his interview with Donald Trump and his fight for the “freedom of Cuba” (41). And now comes … “Fatherland and Life.”
Another interpreter, Maykel Osorbo, does not appear to be a convert. Do you know why I asked Donald Trump a few months ago? Listen: “I am currently in favor of an invasion. Are they going to invade Cuba? Come here ”(42). That is why he has declared to the same media that silenced his apologies for the most heinous terrorism against his country that the song “Patria y Vida” is “a war anthem” (43).
“I’m going to tell you something, in this photo (the promo for” Patria y Vida “with Descemer Bueno, Gente de Zona and Yotuel Romero) the work we’ve been doing in this program for four years is summarized”: this is how Alex Otaola, on his show, exulting, is the result of his gangster persistence.
Do you want it clearer?
(To be continued)
Titles: Itsasne Rivera and Natalia Allende.
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vtROi4q Say
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIt5idI8TR8
(3) https://www.niusdiario.es/internacional/entrevista-yotuel-artista-cubano-criticado-gobierno-cuba-considere-subversivo-patria-y-vida_18_3095670286.html
(4) https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-56135900
(5) https://www.diariodemallorca.es/cultura/2021/02/25/yotuel-romero-hay-represion-dura-35594999.html
(6) https://www.aldiafl.com/yotuel-romero-hablare-frente-al-parlamento-europeo-en-nombre-de-toda-cuba/
(7) https://www.libertaddigital.com/cultura/musica/2021-02-24/yotuel-cuba-patria-y-vida-libertad-derechos-6712848/
(8) https://www.bekia.es/sociedad/noticias/yotuel-romero-acude-congreso-diputados-defender-cancion/
(9) https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/384310-seis-meses-prision-rapero-elgio-espana
(10) https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/nacional/2021/02/20/se-repiten-las-manifestaciones-pidiendo-la-libertad-de-hasel-en-madrid-y-otras-ciudades -ante-una-gran-presencial-policial-1421337.html
(11) https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2021-02-23-u1-e186450-s27061-marco-rubio-promueve-cancion-patria-vida-mantener-asustado-al
(12) http://www.acn.cu/mundo/76690-piden-instituciones-religiosas-y-de-ayuda-humanitaria-de-ee-uu-normalizar-relaciones-con-cuba
(13) https://www.cubainformacion.tv/emigracion/20210119/89663/89663-carta-a-joe-biden-de-un-centenar-de-cubanos-y-cubanas-en-eeuu-pide-restablecer -remesas-visa-y-vuelos-y-avanzar-hacia-fin-del-bloqueo
(14) https://www.telesurtv.net/news/grupos-solidarios-piden-joe-biden-levantar-bloqueo-cuba-20210223-0028.html
(15) http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2021/02/25/consejo-de-ciudad-estadounidense-de-chicago-pide-cese-del-bloqueo-contra-cuba/
(16) http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2021/02/05/senadores-estadounidenses-presentan-proyecto-de-ley-para-poner-fin-al-bloqueo-contra-cuba/
(17) https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-artistas-responden-represion-cubana-canto-libertad-acabo-rompio-silencio-202102172106_noticia.html
(18) https://www.lavanguardia.com/musica/20210225/6259187/patria-y-vida-cancion-contra-cuerdas-gobierno-cuba.html
(19) https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/internacional/cuba-protestas-sociales-regimen-patria-y-vida/809094/2021/
(20) https://www.dw.com/es/cuba-patria-o-muerte-o-patria-y-vida/a-56657124
(21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WskMfHdoBmY
(22) https://www.efe.com/efe/america/cultura/la-prensa-estatal-cubana-arremete-contra-cancion-que-pide-cambios-en-isla/20000009-4468630
(23) https://www.cuballama.com/blog/gobierno-cubano-llama-a-yotuel-jinetero-y-beatriz-luengo-responde/
(24) https://twitter.com/lunamayo20/status/1362587193030680578
(25) https://www.asere.com/gente-de-zona-si-algo-le-pasa-a-mi-familia-responsabilizo-al-gobierno-cubano/
(26) https://www.msn.com/es-us/noticias/miami/alcalde-de-miami-declara-persona-non-grata-a-otro-artista-cubano/ar-BB1a4GNq
(27) https://www.radiotelevisionmarti.com/a/declaran-a-haila-persona-non-grata-y-suspenden-su-concierto-en-miami/252225.html
(28) https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2019-11-07-u65722-e65722-s27065-cancelan-concierto-haila-vegas-evitar-polemica-cubanos-eeuu
(29) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL6itKObwyc
(30) https://www.change.org/p/congresistas-cubanos-americanos-retirar-la-residencia-permanente-a-gente-de-zona
(31) https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/gente-zona-cantaran-miami-presion_1_1170852.html
(32) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rdRyLCxMxM
(33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS-fwPEKphg
(34) https://www.14ymedio.com/cuba/Gente-Zona-Diaz-Canel-Laura-Pausini_0_2462753706.html
(35) https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/gente-zona-teme-familias-cuba-lanzar-patria-vida_1_7236833.html
(36) http://www.granma.cu/cultura/2020-04-06/descemer-pide-el-fin-del-bloqueo-de-ee-uu-contra-su-pueblo-06-04-2020 -23-04-04
(37) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VzSE8QZJI
(38) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR2uITvH0b8
(39) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQVMqjLB0fY
(40) https://www.radiotelevisionmarti.com/a/descemer-amenaza-con-ir-a-cuba-a-dar-machete-y-el-r%C3%A9gimen-responde-era-bueno-/ 269855.html
(41) https://www.periodicocubano.com/descemer-bueno-felicito-a-mi-enemigo-alexander-otaola-por-lo-que-hizo-con-trump/
(42) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw44D_gvIMc (min. 6:21)
(43) https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-artistas-responden-represion-cubana-canto-libertad-acabo-rompio-silencio-202102172106_noticia.html
(Taken from Cubainformation)