RE: Songs of Cuba, Silenced in America

Oops.  My bad.
 

March 22, 2004

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR 

Songs of Cuba, Silenced in America

By JACKSON BROWNE

	

 L <http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/dropcap/l.gif> OS ANGELES —
Carlos Varela, the great Cuban singer-songwriter, applied for a visa to
come to the United States to sing his powerful, amazing songs. He had
concerts planned in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Our government
turned him down.

Visas have been denied to other Cuban artists because their visits are
"detrimental to the interests" of our country. In essence, the
government says that if Carlos Varela plays concerts in the United
States, the money he makes would go to Fidel Castro. This is untrue. In
Cuba, renowned artists keep much of what they earn, because the
government does not want them to leave the country and live somewhere
else. Yet, the Bush administration used the same reasoning to keep
Ibrahim Ferrer, of the Buena Vista Social Club, and Manuel Galbán from
attending the Grammy award ceremony in Los Angeles last month. (Both men
won awards.) 

It also forced the postponement of concerts by the Spanish flamenco
master Paco de Lucía because he plays with Alain Pérez Rodríguez, a
Cuban-born bassist. I congratulate the State Department on finally
determining that Mr. Pérez is not "detrimental to the interests" of our
country, although those of us who were able to reschedule and hear him
play this month know that he is a truly dangerous man.

In a profound way, our government takes on the role of oppressor when it
tries to control which artists will be allowed access to our minds and
our hearts. We may think we are isolating Cuba with our embargo and our
travel restrictions, but it is we Americans who are becoming isolated.
People travel to Cuba from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy and Spain —
countries we consider staunch allies.

United States foreign policy toward Cuba is unpopular in America, and
for good reason. It stops Americans from traveling to Cuba and Cubans
from coming into the States. It stops us from sharing medicine with the
ill and restricts our ability to sell food to the hungry. This policy is
an outdated relic of the cold war and exists only as a political payoff
to Republican-leaning Cuban-American voters in Miami.

The policy of punishing Cuba works only when Americans see the angry
face of Cuban repression. But in the face of Carlos Varela, and the
language of his music, Americans would not find the mask of a demon, but
hear the aspirations of people just like themselves.

Perhaps the most prominent paradox here is that Carlos Varela is known
not only for his talent, but also for his courage to speak out through
his songs, many of which have been interpreted as critical of the Cuban
government.

While these young Cubans respect the accomplishments of their leaders,
they are ready, indeed impatient, to run their own affairs. They want
freedom for themselves and independence for their country. They want the
new Cuba to be created by the Cuban people, not by the United States.

I believe in justice and human rights in the United States and abroad. I
am saddened by the treatment by the Cuban government of the political
dissidents in their country. I long for the day when there is freedom
for both Cubans and Americans to travel in both directions across the
Straits of Florida without undue interference by their governments.

I want this freedom not just for artists but for all people, American
and Cuban, who live each day in the hope for a just and prosperous
future. Giving Carlos Varela a visa to sing in America would be a good
way to begin.

Jackson Browne, a singer-songwriter, was inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame on March 15.


 <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html> Copyright
2004  <http://www.nytco.com/> The New York Times Company

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Vicki Mercer
Sent: March 21, 2004 9:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ballistichelmet] Songs of Cuba, Silenced in America



We went to Jackson Browne's solo concert in San Jose on Saturday ('twas
great).  He mentioned that this would be in the NY Times. 

<<...>>

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