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California, September 6/ 200l
By
MIGUEL L. TALLEDA For
many people, Cubans included, the Latin Grammys are a reason for pride
and joy. It means recognition of our music, our artists, and all those
that speak our language and have succeeded in giving the world the gift
of our melodies with their voices and instruments. But
what happened that the Cubans in Miami, united once again as during the
Elian Gonzalez saga and backed by more than 195 organizations decided to
protest the holding of the Latin Grammys in that city? What made them
renounce the prestige and financial gain that such an event would bring
to their community? Our
sense of dignity is the reason. A small and elite group of artists from
Cuba that work closely with the Castro government in bringing dollars to
the regime so that it can continue to oppress our people has been
nominated in various categories to receive the prestigious Grammy. This
was sufficient for the Cubans in Miami to protest. It is a double
offense to the men and women whose families are forced to live under a
system of abuse and miseries and where many have lost their lives for
opposing the terror that reigns in their homeland. To showcase these
Castro cronies at the Latin Grammys deeply offends the patriotic
sensibility of each Cuban that has had to abandon his or her homeland to
become an expatriate because freedom in our country has been hijacked by
a bunch of bandits. When
we look at the particulars of why these artists that sing Castroís
praise were included to participate in the Latin Grammys, we find some
interesting surprises. Why is it that New York Congressman, Jose
Serrano, constant defender of Fidel Castro, was in contact with the
leadership of the Latin Grammys discussing whether or not these should
stay in Miami? Was he following instructions from his friend, the
tyrant? Why is it that the issue of the Latin Grammys had become a topic
for the Round Table, a television program in Havana? During one of those
discussions, Jorge Ruiz Rojas nonchalantly said, "I am a member of
the jury of the Latin Grammys and for me it has been a pleasure and a
stroke of luck". How is possible that people from the Castro
government are part of the Latin Grammys? Jorge Luis Rojas must be
highly "integrated" in the Communist system to be allowed to
make such comments on Cuban television. But
should we be surprised? Is it not CBS the network selected to cover the
event and is this not the same network that has continuously profiled
the "gains" of the Castro dictatorship? Isnít the president
of CBS as the mayor of Miami-Dade, Alex Penelas, has said a close friend
of Fidel Castro? Arenít the reporters from CBS the ones that admire
everything about Castro while claiming "not to understand"
that the Cubans in exile are fighting against Communism? The same
reporters that label us extreme right wing, troglodyte, and other
insults perpetuated by the Castro government? Well,
fine, the Cubans in Los Angeles will rise to the occasion and will also
protest the presence of the Latin Grammys at the old Forum in Inglewood.
We will protest against the organizers of this event and their
collaboration with the fainting tyrant of Cuba. We will protest against
the artists from Cuba that are coming to try and show the world that in
Cuba there is freedom and that they are the proof. Only a few weeks ago,
Omara Portuondo, one of the Cuban participants at the Grammys went to
Venezuela to celebrate the birthday of Fidel Castro and was seen on
television hugging and kissing this ill-fated character. Our
protest will be dedicated to those artists and musicians still in Cuba
that are condemned to obscurity and misery because they will not conform
and sing the praises of the regime. These artists are not allowed to
travel or to enter into record contracts with any major music label in
or out of Cuba. Furthermore, it is these music companies that are behind
the collaboration between the Castro government and the Latin Grammys. As
recent proof of this we read in the August 22, 2001 edition of "El
Nuevo Herald" in the section "Carta de Cuba" written from
Cuba by Juan Uribe how Jorge Alfonso, a member of the group Los Cubanos
has been waiting six years to make a record; and Juan Izaguirre of La
Charanga Oriental who says they would like to play in Miami but are not
given permission because the government only allows travel for those
that praise the system. In his letter Juan Uribe goes on to say that
Alberto San Juan is a singer that mixes son with rap. He walks the
streets of Havana singing his harsh and dangerous lyrics in which he
puts on trial the socialist system. "I donít know if the Grammys
should have stayed in Miami or not", says Alberto San Juan.
"Here in Havana there was a rap festival but only those who praise
Fidel could perform. I was not allowed to participate". The
protest against the Latin Grammys at the Forum in Inglewood is an
opportunity for not only the Cubans in Miami, but all Cubans that are
part of this great Diaspora to show that we repudiate the partnership
between CBS and Michael Greene, president of the Grammys, with the
bloody tyrant of the Caribbean. |