Connecting with ‘el ritmo cubano’

To balance out the post-election analysis, calls, emails, and my state of premature views of the outcome(s), I was kindly invited to the long-awaited performance by legendary, Latin Grammy-winning vocalist, Omara Portuondo.

On Saturday evening, Omara Portuondo aroused our emotions, took our breaths away, along with some of our worries.

Since the Obama administration, we have seen some positive opening for Cuban musicians to obtain visas to perform in the U.S.

Last year was a landmark year for Portuondo. She was the first Cuban artist in six years to obtain a visa to perform in the United States and became the first Cuban resident to present an award at the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, delivering the prestigious Song of the Year award. That same night, she won her first Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album.

Cuban musicians have had to deal with visa requirements, restrictions, U.S. immigration protocols, costly fees and a huge pile of paperwork. The core reason for this problem lies in the fact that the U.S. government has a list of four nations depicted as “state sponsors of terrorism”, with Cuba being one of them. This means essentially that Cuban musicians can be perceived as criminals or terrorists.

Omara Portuondo a terrorist? She was angelic and I felt an admiration for her much like I do for my grandmothers, equally in elegance sharing wise words on life, love, loss, and strength. Omara flirted with us, as did each member of her incredibly talented band. She said in the beginning that it had “been too long since she last saw us” here in Washington.

She cancelled a March 2nd performance in Miami Beach “citing slow ticket sales” and although Portuondo’s promoter said the cancellation was “financial and about breaking even”, a group of right-wing Cuban American exiles have done what they can in “organized” intimidation of Cuban artists. Most recently, Portuondo performed in New Orleans at Carnival Latino. I spoke with a local attendee today, she shared that despite there being a call to “boycott the show” from a small group of New Orleans based, right-wing Cuban Americans and even the mistreatment of Ms. Portuondo at a local Cuban-American restaurant “the show went on” and “ Omara mesmerized us”. Unfortunately, the intimidation did impact the attendance.

However, Portuondo’s performance in the nation’s capitol, just days after the election was packed and we warmly welcomed her. I ran into a number of local Cuban Americans that I know through my educational advocacy work that favor an end the travel ban on Cuba. These are the children of exiles, and not only did they embrace Portuondo’s visit, but also a couple pulled me aside to share their excitement in planning their first trip back to the island since childhood. Along with Cuban Americans show support, I recognized a couple well-respected mainstream news reporters. The beat is changing…and U.S. Americans are connecting with “el ritmo cubano”.

With recent performances from salsa pioneers El Septeto Naciona, La Charanga Habanera to legendaries from Carlos Varela, Silvio Rodríguez to Chucho Valdés and upcoming, Los Van Van in December, despite the politics, the cultural connection between our countries has no border.

Sin fronteras…and U.S. Americans love Cuban music, especially LIVE. I once even saw, approached, and gave my 1-minute elevator pitch why we must “change U.S.-Cuba policy” to Rahm Emanuel at a Chuchito Valdez show at Jazz Club, H.R. 57.

Now only if the Obama’s administration would further ease restrictions for Cuban medical experts to visit and exchange information with U.S. medical experts. They could work together to save lives. If only Cuba’s key ecological conservationist and natural disaster management experts could share strategies with U.S. experts in the Gulf to build plans to work together in the future to save lives and the environment from natural or man-made disasters.

Please, Mr. President we have nothing to lose and everything to gain culturally and morally from opening up more people-to-people exchanges between U.S. Americans and Cubans.

Omara Portuondo’s performance made me more hopeful of that.

Angelica