Juanes In The Center Of Miami Florida

The story of the upcoming concert by the Colombian singer Juanes continues to attract attention. The Telefutura [Sister station of US Latin station Univision] called La Tijera [The Scissors] criticized the singer's decision to visit Cuba.

The host of the program Carolina Sandoval along with Rodolfo Jimenez and Raul Garcia condemned the concert. The reasons was their fear that the concert would be used by the Cuban Government for propaganda purposes.

Ms. Sandoval also commented about the people who have had to leave Cuba because of their political beliefs, the people who died in the firing squads, the prisoners of conscience, and the separation of families.

One of the hostess of "La Tijera" whose name is Alejandra made a plea to Juanes concerning human rights in Cuba and the fact that Cuba has helped guerrilla groups in Colombia. Alejandra is a native of Colombia who finished her statement by saying: "Juanes, we left because we wanted to and can always return to Colombia. The people who left Cuba could never return and many died without seeing their country".

Tanya Cherry [another presenter of "La Tijera"] also condemned the concert. The US Latin Station America Teve dedicated a segment to Juanes upcoming concert to Cuba in its nightly program "A Mano Limpia". The host Oscar Haza invited Arturo Sandoval [Cuban Trompeter who belonged to the jazz group Irakere], Carlos Oliva [Musician who was the founder of the Miami Cuban group Los Sobrinos Del Juez], and Los 3 de La Habana.

Arturo Sandoval declared that the biggest crime committed by the Castro Government in Cuba was to deny Celia Cruz the right to say good bye to her mother when she died. He also confessed to being in jail for hearing jazz. Carlos Oliva commented about the artists from Cuba who could visit the USA but they could not visit Cuba.

Los 3 de La Habana [who recently left Cuba] talked about how they tried to leave Cuba for medical treatment for the main singer's son only to have it denied. The little boy eventually died because of lack of treatment. While there are people who have criticized the visit to Cuba by Juanes, he has his defenders including the Puerto Rican singer Olga Ta~non and Spanish Singer Miguel Bose [who will accompany Juanes to Cuba].

If Juanes wants to perform in Cuba, he has the right to perform in Cuba. Regardless, he should understand the state of human rights in Cuba. The underwriter will use imagery inspired by the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Imagine being a citizen of your own country but unable to enjoy the hotels, beaches, and other tourist attractions because they are reserved for foreigners and members of the elite. Imagine having to go to another country for ideological reasons and not having a say in the matter. Imagine being unable to have the basic necessities since they are reserved for the elite.

Imagine being unable to express yourself unless being a part of officialdom. Imagine being jailed, marginalized, or being sent to fight in places like Angola for performing a rock concert. It happened to the Cuban Rock Group Los Pacificos.

Imagine being condemned to anonymity for expressing a desire to leave Cuba. It happened to Cuban Romantic Singer Meme Solis when he applied to leave Cuba in 1968. He was condemned to 20 years of anonymity until Spain intervened for his release since he was a Spanish Citizen by virtue of his parents.

Imagine the separation of families because of the infantile behvaior of politicians in Cuba, Washington, and Moscow. The underwriter could not see his family in Cuba because he was in the USA. In addition, he met his grandfather [who was living in Cuba but in Switzerland for a conference] when he was an exchange student in Germany. The underwriter found out about his grandfather being in Switzerland and decided to cross the border between Germany and Switzerland. He was able to see his grandfather only briefly.

The people who have not gone to Cuba who are natives of Cuba in protest of the Castro Government and criticize Juanes have a right morally to do so and ask for a boycott of his music and concerts if they please.

The people who are natives of Cuba and have returned to Cuba to visit but have criticized Juanes will receive the same dedication in the form of "Imagine". Imagine a person promising that there would never be a visit to Cuba until the Castro government falls, and visits Cuba or has deals with its government while condemning concert planned by Juanes. I have seen this time and time again.

It is hoped that music and politics will remain separate but it appears that some people have a different agenda. I can only close with the verse from "La Bayamesa" which is a Cuban Patriotic Song written by Sindo Garay which states "Esa Es Su Lema Su Religion" [It is Their Way and Their Religion].