Music Freedom Day 2015

Around the world today musicians and advocates for uncensored music are gathering and holding activities on what has come to be known as Music Freedom Day. An action organized by the Danish based non governmental organization, Free Muse. Events were organized in Barcelona, Casablanca, Harstad, Oslo, Peshawar, Dakar, and New York City.

Freemuse has documented the plight of punk rocker Gorki Águila imprisoned for two years and threatened with new trials for his anti-government lyrics and Cuban rappers Rodolfo Ramirez, known by his rapping name as El Primario brutally beaten by regime agents and Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, known best as “El Critico” imprisoned and brutalized from March 2013 and was  was released on January 9, 2015. 21 days later another rapper, El Dkano, took his place in prison when he was sentenced on January 28 to a year in prison for "pre-criminal dangerousness."

The impact of the Castro regime on music in Cuba goes beyond jailing musicians and includes systematic censorship that threatens the island's musical legacy. This process has been described as a  Cuban cultural genocide that is depriving generations of Cubans of their heritage.

According to the book Shoot the singer!: music censorship today edited by Marie Korpe there is increasing concern within the international music community that post-revolution generations are growing up without knowing or hearing these censored musicians and that this could lead to a loss of Cuban identity in future generations. One of the musicians to undergo this process is Olga Guillot. 

 On August 21, 2012 Tony Pinelli, a well known musician and radio producer, distributed an e-mail in which Rolando Álvarez, the national director of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión (ICRT) confirmed that the music of the late Celia Cruz would continue to be banned. The e-mail clearly stated:

"All those who had allied with the enemy, who acted against our families, like Celia Cruz, who went to sing at the Guantanamo Base, the ICRT arrogated to itself the right, quite properly, not to disseminate them on Cuban radio "

Below is a sampling of some of the music banned in Cuba over the years and the artists who have become unpersons but first there is a video on what is music censorship.

Cuban rapper sentenced to six years in prison for his critical songs

"Art is inherently political. It is always political. It has always been political.It has political aspects. And that which we term political art only enhances that political aspect of art. It is taking up political themes and makes these themes its own." - Petr Motyčka, Art, Society, and Politics: Artists or Activists?, Forum 2000

Angel Yunier Remón Arzuaga sentenced to 6 years

Cuban dissident and rapper Angel Yunier Remón Arzuaga, whose stage name is "el Critico del Arte" (the 'Art Critic'), on October 15, 2014 was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment in a judicial process that fell far short of international standards. Angel was tear gassed and arrested on March 21, 2013, for criticizing the Castro regime and jailed since that time in conditions that can only be described as inhumane.  El Critico, is a member of the rap duo: Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso (The Children that no one wanted). Other members of the group were targeted by regime agents.

One of them Rodolfo Ramirez, known by his rapping name as El Primario, member of the hip-hop duo El Primario y Julito, was the victim of a brutal beating which left him with memory loss and serious injuries on his head. The attack occurred on July 21, 2013 at the Malecon (Sea wall) of Havana.

Meanwhile, Angel's plight has been documented by Free Muse, an organization that advocates freedom of expression for musicians and the Czech NGO, People in Need. An example of the lyrics that got the Art Critic into trouble can be found in the song "Mi Delito" (My Crime) were provided by People in Need and are excerpted below:

I did not invent the acts of repudiation
I did not sink the 13 de Marzo tug
I was not the one who killed Boitel 
I am not guilty for Mariel
I do not repress those who think differently
I did not lock up 75 innocent people
Look how many offenses you have kept hidden under lock and key
Yes this is my crime
To talk about what you have not.

Repression unleashed in Cuba while the world looks elsewhere

While the world focuses on events in Hong Kong and in the Middle East the dictatorship in Cuba heightens its repression and carries out political show trials with relative impunity.

Cuban rapper faces unjust 7 year prison sentence

 According to Diario de Cuba the trial of Cuban dissident rapper Ángel Yunier Remón Arzuaga (The Critic) and three other activists for the alleged crime of "harming state security", concluded in the Provincial Court of Granma with the prosecution requesting seven years in prison.  The same number of years requested for Alexander Otero, six for  Rubisnel Villavicencio, and five years of house arrest for the Lady in White Yaquelín García Jaen, Martí Noticias reported Yudisbel Roselló, wife of "The Critic."

Sonia Garro and her husband on trial October 21, 2014

 The Castro regime announced it would place Sonia Garro, her husband Ramon A Muñoz and another involved on trial on October 21, 2014 reported  Ivan Hernández Carrillo over twitter on October 3, 2014.

The blog Uncommon Sense reports Cuban prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for opposition activist Ciro Alexis Casanova Pérez, after he ignored a house arrest and went out on the streets to protest against the Castro dictatorship.

Cuban rapper jailed for 17 months and counting for saying what others won't

"I did not invent the acts of repudiation / I did not sink the 13 de Marzo tug / I was not the one who killed Boitel / I am not guilty for Mariel / I do not repress those who think differently / I did not lock up 75 innocent people / Look how many offenses you have kept hidden under lock and key/ Yes this is my crime /To talk about what you have not." - El Critico, member of Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso

 Angel Yunier Remón Arzuaga "El Critico"

Marc Masferrer of the blog Uncommon Sense offers an update on the imprisoned activist and rapper known as  "El Critico."

The tortures continue for imprisoned Cuban activist/rap singer El Critico

Every day he is held in a Cuban prison without getting his day in court -- even if it is a Castro court -- is a day of torture for political prisoner Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, the activist and rap singer known as "El Critico."  It's just that some days are worse than others.

For example, in a recent telephone call to the Hablemos Press news agency Remon described how 10 guards grabbed him from his cell, splashed his eyes with pepper spray, bound his arms and then forcibly shaved his face and cut his hair.

Remon has been imprisoned for more than 17 months without trial since his arrest on March 26, 2013, during a police raid on his home. Prosecutors have charged him with "assault" and asked for an 8-year prison

 

People in Need make international appeal for jailed Cuban rapper El Critico

Imprisoned Cuban rapper faces show trial on June 20, 2014 below is a reproduction of People in Need's appeal for Angel Y. Arzuaga.

New international appeal to free El Critico

By Miranda Fuertes / People In Need

 

The striking case of Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, a young Cuban rapper from Bayamo who is more commonly known by the stage name El Critico del Arte, has been made public through the Twitter campaign #FreeElCritico and a petition in his name on change.org. He has been illegally imprisoned and is still waiting for a date to be set for a proper trial. Rumor has it that El Critico del Arte will be given an eight year sentence for resisting arrest.

This member of the group Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso has freely expressed his discontent with the current regime in Cuba through his lyrics: “Yo no inventé lo de los actos de repudio/ yo no hundí el remolcador 13 de marzo/ yo no fui el que asesinó a Boitel/ yo no soy el culpable del Mariel/yo no reprimo al que piense diferente/ yo no tranqué a 75 inocentes/ mira cuantos delitos en la gaveta tú has guarda’o/ este sí es mi delito/ hablar de lo que tú no has habla’o” which means:  “ l did not invent the acts of repudiation / I did not sink the tug on March 13th / I was not the one who killed Boitel / I am not guilty for Mariel / I do not repress those who think differently / I did not lock up 75 innocent people / Look how many offenses you have kept hidden under lock and key/ Yes this is my crime /To talk about what you have not”.

He has paid dearly for exercising freedom of speech. Angel was violently arrested in March 2013 following the “antirevolutionary” speech he was holding in front of his house in Bayamo. He was beaten repeatedly, denied family visits, and was not given medical treatment. Just six months after being jailed he contracted cholera. His wife has also been subject to aggressive actions and was detained by the State Police, when she participated in a march of The Ladies in White – which take place every Sunday – to protest against his unfair detention and to denounce the political motivation behind it. He has already held both hunger and thirst strikes three times and has had to be hospitalized as a result.

His situation has been made more difficult by the isolated nature of the region where he lives, where media access is limited and the visibility of such cases is lower, which typically allows the State National Security forces to act with a higher degree of impunity.  Despite public support from politicians and artists, El Critico remains imprisoned more than one year after his detention.

We at People In Need strongly believe that the basic rights of freedom of expression, the manifestation of ideas, and freedom of belief must be available to all without fear of repression. We are convinced that anyone would stand up against someone that was overtly trying to oppress them for their beliefs. As the situation of El Critico has remained unchanged and his health is in peril, we are appealing to you, to speak up about his case to increase its visibility, and to give back to him the voice that was taken away in such an unlawful and violent way.

Cuban rappers continue to risk their freedom to criticize the regime
Although criticizing the Cuban government through music is a risky business, Cubans still use it to express their discontent with the communist regime. Whether they are established names in the industry, like Los Aldeanos, or younger musicians like Los Censurados or Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso, they all rap their truth regardless of the risks they are undertaking. As difficult as it is to get information about this musical scene because of constant censoring, we have discovered that their struggle continues on a daily basis.

Los Censurados, a young Cuban rap duo, spoke about the harsh repression they face back home when they performed in Prague last March, following an invitation from People In Need. They dedicated their concert to all the imprisoned Cuban dissidents and in particular to El Critico del Arte, the rapper and human right activist.

Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso:


Los Censurados and Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso:


Miranda Fuertes
Miranda Fuertes is human rights defender focused on Cuba and based in Prague, Czech Republic

UN General Assembly Considers Cuba's Candidacy to Rights Council as Rights Situation Worsens in Cuba

Artist dying on hunger strike demanding freedom

Cuban dissident and rapper Angel Yunier Remón Arzuaga, whose stage name is “el Critico del Arte” (the “Art Critic”) has been unjustly imprisoned since March 2013  is at this moment dying on hunger strike demanding his freedom after being beaten and arbitrarily detained.

Next week on November 12, 2013 the General Assembly of the United Nations will hold elections that will determine the new membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Unfortunately, a number of egregious human rights violators will most likely be, once again, elected to this international body.

One of the candidates is Cuba. Between 2012 and 2013 the human rights trends in Cuba have deteriorated. Nonviolent activists have been threatened, beaten, mutilated, attacked with machetes and killed by regime agents.

Press freedoms continue to be non-existent as reported by Yoani Sanchez to the General Assembly of the Inter-American Press Agency.

Even areas in which regime claims to have improved saw the same old restrictions to freedom of movement and attacks on houses of worship.

For the reasons outlined above and many more it is important to let the international community know that the government operating in Cuba should not be on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, Yris Tamara Perez Aguilera, Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina, Berta Soler, Sayli Navarro and other activists on October 29, 2013 addressed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to denounce the worsening human rights situation in the island.

This is why Rosa Maria Paya on November 5, 2013 went to the United Nations in New York City and addressed Cuba's human rights record before an international gathering of activists and organizations.