Monday, April 12, 2010

Calle 13 Concert in Cuba

This is a little delayed, but I think the article is interesting enough to still take about and asks a more general question about international interaction with the communist country.

On 23 March 201, the popular Puerto Rican reggaeton band Calle 13 performed in Cuba which was, in the words of singer/rapper Residente, held to talk about "sex, religion and politics". This performance included their controversial song "Querido FBI [Dear FBI]"that criticizes the US for its actions in the death of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, a Puerto Rican radical accused of an anti-US heist in Connecticut. Most Cubans enjoyed the show merely for the music, although the political undertones were obvious.

This provoked the angry reaction of many US-Cubans, including Emilio Esteban, who chastized Calle 13 for making ties with the communist country. Others, however, believe that the criticism is uncalled for and Calle 13 should be able to perform for Cuban citizens without creating so much political drama. Other concerts, such as one held by super popular Colombian singer Juanes, have received similar responses.

This raises an interesting question as to how much if any can the international community interact with Cuba, even in non-political terms, without creating tension with the US and its Cuban population? Should this even be taken into consideration?

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