Celia Cruz still banned in Cuba but International media remains silent

Celia Cruz's music remains banned in Cuba by the dictatorship

On August 8, 2012 BBC News reported that Cuba's ban on anti-Castro musicians had been quietly lifted and on August 10 the BBC correspondent in Cuba, Sarah Rainsford, tweeted that she had been given names of forbidden artists by the central committee and the internet was a buzz that the ban on anti-Castro musicians had been quietly lifted. Others soon followed reporting on the news. The stories specifically mentioned Celia Cruz as one of the artists whose music would return to Cuban radio.

There is only one problem. It is not true. Diario de Cuba reported on August 21, 2012 that 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 "

Olga Guillot's music is still banned on Cuba radio

 Cuba's cultural genocide continues in 2012 and icons of Cuban music such as Celia Cruz and Olga Guillot remain banned from the airwaves and must be discovered on the black market and in the underground. 

The Castro regime has demonstrated a great ability to distract attention from the real news in the country with non-stories such as this one.  It is one of the tools that they have used to remain in power. Unfortunately, when an activist on the island succeeds at exposing the true nature of the regime and exposes the smoke screen of distraction and demands concrete progress they are terrorized, imprisoned, become suddenly ill and die, or die in a car "accident."

Sadly international journalists on the ground in Cuba do not report on these patterns because if they do they are expelled from the country by the dictatorship as many have been over the years for even mild critical reporting of the regime.

Nevertheless, one needs to ask reporters that published articles that the music of Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan would be heard over the airwaves in Cuba now that the regime has confirmed that is not the case will they print a retraction or a clarification? Or will the dictatorship get away with using the press once again?

Cuban women are at the cutting edge of Cuba's freedom

Congratulations to all women! I dream that the world & Cuba be carried away more by skirts and less by military uniforms. - Yoani Sanchez, March 8, 2011



Over the past year Cuban women have demonstrated their courage and persistence in confronting a brutal totalitarian regime both inside and outside of Cuba.



The Ladies in White, founded in March of 2003 after fathers, brothers, husbands and sons were unjustly imprisoned, they risked their lives and freedom marching through the streets of Cuba and petitioning the dictatorship to release their loved ones.

Sonia Garro

They were brutalized, beaten, detained and some even had bones broken from the beatings by agents and mobs organized and sent by the dictatorship.

Mercedes Fresneda

Nevertheless they continued on in their struggle for justice. Some of them went on hunger strike to demand their loved one's freedom and in the end obtained their goal. Despite many having achieved their objective they maintain in solidarity with those whose loved ones are still imprisoned and carry on against great odds.

Outrage over this violence against these Cuban women led Gloria Estefan to organize a march in Miami, FL were over 100,000 dressed in white in Solidarity with the Ladies in White. In her call to action she cited the words of Cuba's independence hero stating:

In the words of our illustrious poet, Jose Marti, "The campaigns of a people are only weak when in them is not enlisted the heart of a woman; but when a woman is shaken and helps, when a woman, timid and quiet in her nature, cheers and applauds, when a woman cultured and virtuous anoints a deed with the honey of her love, the deed is invincible".

In the end the dictatorship pledged to release all the prisoners by November 6, 2010 then failed to do so when some of them refused to go into exile in exchange for their freedom.



Amnesty International had to request that the dictatorship to end the harassment of Reina Luisa Tamayo Danger who wanted to visit her son's grave. Her son, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, had died in the Castro regime's custody on February 23, 2010 and was an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience and human rights defender. Despite Amnesty's public request the beatings and harassment continued.

Reina Luisa Tamayo Danger with photo of her son Orlando Zapata Tamayo

These women's courage speaks for itself:

"Things in Cuba are not well at all, but I am going to continue this struggle to the death or until whatever they want happens; I will continue to support the Ladies in White, even if they continue to beat us, because what they want is for us to be afraid and we are not going to allow that to happen." -Dania Virgen García (blogger, independent journalist sentenced to 20 months in prison)

"They can either kills us, put us in jail or release them. We will never stop marching no matter what happens." - Laura Pollán, Lady in White, Cuba March 2010

Scenes from Gloria Estefan's March for Freedom & for the Ladies in White

22nd Avenue stage with Ladies in White & Artists

Looking back from 22nd avenue to 27th avenue and SW 8 Street

March 25, 2010 a day that Cubans in Miami will not soon forget. A sea of Cubans and friends of Cubans dressed in white walked five blocks to honor Cuba's Ladies in White with a group of them in exile on stage with Gloria Estefan, Willy Chirino, Albita and a large number of artists and civic leaders. Below are a few pictures from today.

Group of Ladies in White with Miguel Sigler Amaya, former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience and part of the Group of the 75 arrested in March of 2003 the Cuban Black Spring


Willy Chirino with his wife and a group of Ladies in White.

Gloria Estefan going over final details before the March

Emilio Estefan just before March interviewed by Juana Isa of Radio Marti

Albita with a Lady in White

Cuban Music Legend Olga Guillot

More to follow.

Walk with Gloria Estefan today for the love of freedom, human rights, & the Cuban Ladies in White

This past week, the violent persecution that the "Damas De Blanco" suffered at the hands of Cuba's repressive government was such that the President of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul, declared, "It is high time that the European Union clearly defends all those who, in Cuba, risk their lives on a daily basis defending Human Rights and who are working towards a peaceful transition to democracy".

The moment has come for us as well; Cubans who live in freedom and anyone who would like to join us, to show our strength, support and spirit to the "Damas" and to the Cuban people.

LET'S WALK TOGETHER LIKE THE "DAMAS DE BLANCO"; with dignity, in silence, with a flower of hope in our hands and dressed in white to represent purity of thought, actions and new beginnings!

In the words of our illustrious poet, Jose Marti, "The campaigns of a people are only weak when in them is not enlisted the heart of a woman; but when a woman is shaken and helps, when a woman, timid and quiet in her nature, cheers and applauds, when a woman cultured and virtuous anoints a deed with the honey of her love, the deed is invincible".

Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 5pm we will gather on Beacom Blvd. between S.W. 7th and 8th Street. We will walk on 8th Street, in Little Havana, from 27th Avenue to 22nd Avenue beginning at 6pm sharp.

We will walk for the love of freedom...

Official music video: Cuba Libre by Gloria Estefan (lyrics below)

Cuba Libre (1998)
by Gloria Estefan

The place that I come from I barely remember.
The place that I come from I barely remember.
But the soul of my people will be with me forever.
The soul of my people will be with me forever.

You're hard to forget.
Though we're apart you live in my heart.

Yeah! Hey! Hey!
Yeah! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Swept by an ocean of beautiful memories.
Swept by an ocean of beautiful memories.
People and places that I carry within me.
People and places that I carry within me.

The place that I come from I barely remember.
The place that I come from I barely remember.
But the soul of my people will be with me forever.
The soul of my people will be with me forever.

Hard to forget.
You're hard to forget.
Though we're apart.
Though we're apart you live in my heart.

Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.

Yeah! Hey! Hey! Yeah!

I pray that the rain will bathe you in freedom.
Only music and laughter be heard on the breeze.
Forever after our dance will continue.
And I will at last get to see you again.

(Cuando peda, mi Cuba libre, cuando peda) You're hard to forget.
(Cuando peda, mi Cuba, cuando peda) Thought we're apart
(Cuando peda, mi Cuba, cuando peda) you live in my heart.
(Cuando peda)

Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah! (Mi Cuba libre)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah! (Mi Cuba libre)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah! (Mi Cuba)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah! (Mi Cuba)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah! (Mi Cuba libre)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Yeah!

Pa que la gente, (mi Cuba)
pa que la gente pueda.
Pa que la gente, (mi Cuba)
pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Pa que la gente, (mi Cuba)
pa que la gente pueda.
Pa que la gente, (mi Cuba)
pa que mi gente pueda bailar.

Quiero Cuba libre. Yeah!
Pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Mi Cuba, mi Cuba, mi Cuba libre.
Cuba libre.
Mi Cuba, mi Cuba, mi Cuba libre.

Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Quiero, quiero Cuba libre. (Mi Cuba libre)
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar. (Mi Cuba libre)
Quiero, quiero mi Cuba libre. (Mi Cuba libre)
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar. (Quiero mi Cuba
libre)
Quiero mi Cuba libre.
Pa que la gente pueda, pa que mi gente pueda bailar.
Yeah!

Gloria Estefan Announces March 'In Support of Freedom'

MARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE 'DAMAS DE BLANCO' AND FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR CUBA

Cuba's Cultural Genocide: Cuban Music & Musicians Blacklisted Pt. 3

“Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.” Potter Stewart, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."

Heinrich Heine (1821)

This is the third installment of musicians censored and placed on a black list by the dictatorial government of Cuba. Imagine for a moment that one of the top selling artists known the world over is unknown in her homeland because of government censorship. That is precisely what has happened with Cuban born Gloria Estefan. Then you have Porno para Ricardo and Los Aldeanos a punk rock group and a rap group that have had members of their respective groups detained by the police, and in the case of Porno saw the lead singer locked up for years because of controversial lyrics. This is Cuba in 2010 under the Castro brothers and a totalitarian dictatorship.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo García; September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba ) is a Grammy Award-winning Cuban singer and songwriter. She is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 90 million albums sold worldwide, 26.5 million of those in the United States alone. She has won seven Grammy Awards, placing her among the most successful crossover performers in Latin music to date. She is censored and her music is unknown in Cuba.

Porno Para Ricardo





Porno Para Ricardo is probably the most censored band in Cuba. They belong to the few who dare to speak out against the system. “Everybody says to me and all the other bands say to me: ‘It’s great what you are doing. It is fantastic.’ But no one invites me or the band to come and play. Not anymore”, says the band's lead singer Gorki Águila. Ciro Díaz is the main composer, lead guitarist and current leader of the band Porno para Ricardo, who is also the leader of the alternative rock band La Babosa Azul (lababosaazul.cubaunderground.com) Ciro Díaz is keeping the band alive, performing flash concerts in Havana. The other members of the band are Hebert Domínguez (bassist) Renay Kairus (drummer)





















Los Aldeanos





Underground Rap Cubano group based in Havana, Cuba. Dubbed as "underground rappers", Los Aldeanos became a group in 2003, composed of El Aldeano and El B, both of whom are MC's. Los Aldeanos describe themselves as not being the pioneer of Rap Cubano, but credit themselves with producing "real" Rap Cubano, giving to the followers of "real" Rap Cubano and "real" Hip Hop lyrics that not only instill a sense of understanding of the social, political, and economical problems that aggravate Cuban society today, but also with a sense of urgency.

The lyrics of Los Aldeanos are largely anti-status quo and as a result express sentiments that are critical of the government of Cuba. Such an example can be found in their song "Libertad de Expresion". Bian Oscar Rodríguez Gala (El B) and Aldo Roberto Rodríguez Baquero (El Aldeano) held their first public performance at 5 Palmas in La Lisa on February 27, 2003 – there weren’t more than five people present. Later that same year they performed at Park Almendares inaugurating their rap duo as “Los Aldeanos.”