Reply #43: Cuban Americans Terrorize Cubans to Keep Their Music Out of Miami [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

SUMMER 2000 ISSUE Miami's Music War
Cuban Americans Terrorize Cubans to Keep Their Music Out of Miami

by Julia Reynolds

On a hotter-than-usual day in Bill Martínez’s San Francisco office, the Cuban band Bamboleo is blaring and phones are ringing. “You better make sure the group understands the visa problem,” Bill tells the caller. “They must know they’re not supposed to be in Miami.”

It’s the post-Elián era, and in Miami, emotions are still boiling. Local law says Cuban musicians can’t play there and now the Cuban government is telling artists their flights can’t even stop there. It’s an all-out culture war.
(snip)

Last October, Miami’s exile community did their best to stop a concert by the Cuban group Los Van Van that Bill helped organize.

It was like a scene from an abortion clinic. The militants showed up half a day early and waited for the glorious moment when they could throw bottles, cans, rocks and baggies full of excrement at the crowd attending the concert.
(snip)

Before the concert, Miami Mayor Joe Carollo helped feed the frenzy on radio talk shows, lashing out at concert promoter Debbie Ohanian.

“Havana Debbie knows this isn’t about bringing Los Van Van to Miami,” he said. “This is about trying to cause problems in Miami and making Uncle Fidel happy.”
(snip/...)

http://www.elandar.com/back/summer00/stories/story_miamimusic.html