Cuban musicians invade the White House

For the first time in over 50 years a Cuban musical group, based in Cuba, played at The White House. Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club performed on Thursday and filled the executive mansion with the infectious rhythms that Cuba has managed to forge in this melting pot of culture only 90 miles from the U.S. mainland.

The performance is part of the festivities honoring Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. They’ve been touring the U.S. this month.

“Who would have guessed it?” said Landy, a stagehand in a Havana theater and and frequent dancer in the halls of La Tropical. “Omara and Buenavista in the White House, a place where policy has not always been in our favor,” he adds. “How times change, bro,” he tells us.

But the full Buenavista complement was not be present in the White House. Because of a space problem, the group performed without all of its members.

Cubans on the island are anxious to know the impact this musical group has in a place were countless presidents have lived and not all have been friendly towards the island. Interestingly, it is Obama, an African-American, who broke the ice.