LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Paz sin Fronteras -- The Juanes Concert, Live Broadcast

Alas we couldn't catch all of it -- 2 pm to 6 pm our time -- because there was a gathering in Brooklyn we had to go to.  There we tried to pull it up on our host's computer, but he didn't have the right drivers for the live univision.com broadcast.  So we got the top of it, X Alfonso, and we caught the end of it, which, appropriately was maybe the greatest band in the world, Los Van Van.

It made us dance and we wept while dancing.  X Alfonso were just so freaking hot!   There were so many  polyrhythms going on that if one were an acrobat every limb of your body, and your cintura and your booty, and your shoulders, could all be doing a different one. The drummer is a woman, just layin' it down, holding it down.  You never saw women playing drums in a Cuban band unless it was an all-woman band. Things have changed so much in the 5 years we haven't been able to be there.  Revolutionary youth are changing the world.

There is nothing in the world like Cuban music, performed by Cubans, for Cubans, in Cuba.  Nothing.

There were at least a million people in the Plaza de Revolucíon.

The flag of Cuba blowing proudly in the breeze all day was broadcast to the Spanish heritage, Spanish speaking populations of the world.  Che's image was also part of that.  Imagine how that went over in Miami ....

But most of all you saw all these people, musicians and audience alike, dressed in white, dancing and singing and communicating with each other and their brothers and sisters around the world.  How proud the Cubans were today, performing with their sister and brother latinos, from Colombia, from Puerto Rico. At the end of the program they were all weeping too, as Juanes shouted out all the the nations of Latin and Central America.


I miss Cuba so much.  Meaning, particularly, I miss our Cuban friends and seeing them there so much.

That's why we cried.

But on Tuesday we go to another great music capital of the world where we CAN see our friends.    So we are very, very, very happy.

1 comment:

K. said...

We're waiting with bated breath to hear about the signing party! Hopefully, I'll be picking up my copy today.