Cuban Latin Grammy Nominees Might be Kept out of US

[guajira]

What the fuck???? Earlier this week 50+ illegal Cubans were smuggled into the Florida Keys - and are allowed to stay in the US!!

But musicians - Latin Grammy nominees - are told there visas can't be processed in time for the September event. THIS IS SICK!!!!!!!

snippet:
Several Cuban performers nominated for the Fourth Annual Latin Grammy Awards early next month in Miami may not be able to attend because the U.S. State Department likely will not process their visas in time.

Of the nine Cuban nominees, however, six live in Europe and are believed to have European passports and would have no problem entering the United States. The three Cuba-based performers, include two well-known artists, Los Van Van and Chucho Valdes.

A State Department official said Wednesday that the U.S. government's classification of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism requires extensive security background checks for any Cuban citizen who applies for a visa to travel to the United States.

''With less than a month to go, it is very possible that the procedures would not be completed in time for them to get a visa,'' the official said.

While the lengthy background review would prevent Cuban-based performers to attend, it would likely have no affect on Cuban performers who live in Europe and travel with passports from European countries for which U.S. visas are not required.

Emilio Izquierdo, a spokesman for Cuban exile groups that are preparing protests at the Latin Grammy event, said they will continue organizing their demonstration until the Bush Administration says publicly and officially that no Cuban performer will attend the awards ceremony.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/6472536.htm

[madrchsod]

1. i watched the

latin grammys last year..most of the performers and hosts ripped the shit out of the united states government for their actions against the cubans. they also were pissed because they were not given air play in the us. don`t blame them one bit....
shit ry cooder is banned from going back to cuba because he was the one who brought back cuban music to the states..

[guajira]

2. I don't Recall Anyone Defending the Cubans

The US State Dept. is dishonest, deceitful, pandering to Miami, and a disgrace to the US and the rest of the world! Colin Powell is what he calls Saddam (garbage!) and if Powell had a shred of integrity, he would have quit that scumbag dept. long ago!

Anyone with 1 ounce of a brain knows Latin Grammy nominees have less chance of being terrorists than someone with no ID who steals a boat or pays a smuggler to get to Miami!!

[Mika]

3. Hey rchsod, ALL Americans are banned from going to Cuba

"shit ry cooder is banned from going back to cuba because he was the one who brought back cuban music to the states.. "

Hey rchsod, ALL Americans are banned from going to Cuba without a BFEE approved special license, not just Ry Cooder.

Cuban-Americans and Cuban "exiles" are allowed to go to Cuba without a special license.. they are a special class of citizen/resident while the rest of us are second class citizens.

[guajira]

4. You're Correct Mika. I Just e--mailed Howard Dean to ask what his Cuba

policy is. I also want to email every other candidate and ask them the same. It's time we start supporting candidates who do not want Americans to be treated like 2nd class citizens!

[Mika]

5. Cool. Let us know where they stand

I've already got two crossed off of my list, based on the issue of restoring our rights as well as based on the pandering to the intransigent right wing Miamicubano "exile" foundations.


lieberman
Graham

[Judi Lynn]

10. Mika..................

Cryptic message from the Herald:

(snip) While Lieberman and Graham have established reputations among exile leaders, two other contenders -- North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry -- have quietly made inroads as well, meeting with Cuban-Americans across the political and ideological spectrum. (snip/)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/6414475.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would this be the sane, well-balanced Cuban-Americans who are assimilating, or the violent, vicious, bomb tossing, "murder favorable" exiles meeting with Edwards and Kerry?

It would make a difference, wouldn't it?

[Judi Lynn]

6. Chucho Valdez and Los Van Van have already been here multiple times.

It's blatant bullying for _{Bush's State Department} to make this outlandish claim.

Chucho Valdez was in Los Angeles on September 11th the day of the terrorists' attack, to attend the Latin Grammys there, which had been moved to L.A. from Miami, due to wild threats to demonstrate in Miami. The awards ceremony was postponed, and Chucho Valdez and the other Cuban artists stayed in Los Angeles long enough to donate their blood before going back to Cuba.

This means that the Bush bastards already o.k.'d him once already.

Los Van Van has been here before, and drawn violent protests in Miami. The exile rabble threw D-cell batteries, rocks, bottles, cans, urine-filled balloons, etc., etc. at the Cubans as they tried to come and go peacefully.

The reason they have gone wild in Miami when told they'd have to stand back a block or two from the Cuban artists who attend is because they want to do the same thing all over again, UNDOUBTEDLY.

End the embargo, drop the travel ban, toss the assinine Cuban Adjustment Act which gives a large package of financial awards to illegal Cuban immigrants who get to Florida (Section 8 housing, green card, instant legal status, food stamps, medical treatment, educational assistance, etc., etc.) and we won't have this kind of odious, sub-human problem to face year after year after year.

[Mika]

7. Good point

That is a great point, JudiLyn.

Its obvious to anyone who follows the ex Cuban diaspora that the Bushies are pandering to the Emilio&Gloria Estefan "exile" crowd, especially in light of the recent repudiations of the GOP by certain members of the "exile" leadership.

The only reason that Emilio and (Miami mayor) Manny Diaz even wanted to get the Grammy's to go back to Miami in the first place is just for this very vote pandering political show down. Bastards.

[pinerow]

16. For the record...Los Van Van were in Tampa just a month and

a half ago...Isaac Delgado will be at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September...Omara Portuondo will be on the left coast Oct. 24 at the Marin Center and again at the Mondavi Center in Davis.

In September the Ballet Folklorio Cutumba from Sanntiago de Cuba will be at Yoshi's in Oakland and The people's republic of Berkeley

August 10th at Stern Grove in SFO...

It seems the only ones missing our on all this great stuff are we who live on the east coast...damn I wish I were back in SF

http://www.salsasf.com/

:beer:

[Judi Lynn]

17. You don't say!

So even though Los Van Van were in Tampa within the last two months, our State Department's having trouble getting their visa checked out in time for them to get their Grammy award in Miami.

That's fairly obnoxious, isn't it?

Interesting to hear about Isaac Delgado, Omara Portuondo, the dance group from Santiago de Cuba. At least _Bush hasn't been able to bar them, yet. Very nice.

[pfitz59]

8. Move the show to LA or San Diego.

Latin is not synonomous with Cuban! Most Mexicans I know harbor NO resentment towards Cuba or Cubans. The CANF mafia have got to be stopped!

[Judi Lynn]

9. They probably feel they've got to keep the real Cubans outta here

as their music is FAR more interesting than the Miami Sound Machine!
People have told me this for the last few years, and I've only lately been able to start hearing any recordings.

Found a quick link which has some little icons connecting to short video clips of a few Cuban musicians. Chucho Vandez is not represented on this link. He's famous world-wide, however.


Chucho Valdez

Here's the link with some VERY lively little music clips. (A few were duplicated accidently, it appears, but they are very interesting.)

Caliente en la Habana - March 2001

http://www.salsasf.com/features/caliente01/caliente.html

One of the artists in this link is Isaac Delgado, who toured the States successfully during Bill Clinton's Presidency.

(snip) His performance in New York took place in Central Park Summerstage where more than ten thousand people came together to see the powerful and fiery talent of Issac Delgado and his group. (snip)

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End the embargo, end the travel ban on Americans, and stop Bush's bullying Cuba to pump up the Miami horde.

This country needs to back off Cuba, and grow up.

[Judi Lynn]

11. More info. on Chucho Valdez

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



You can see from this website, he has been in the States as recently as April 21, 2003! Crazy, right? But NOW that he could come here to get another Grammy, _{Bush's State Department} won't be able to process his visa in time!

http://www.afrocubaweb.com/chucho.htm#discography

Here's a chance to hear samples of Chucho Valdez, also his group, "Irakere:"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000029GV/afrocubawebA/104-3932552-8639151

[theboss]

12. Has any politician backed a different Cuban policy?

I am not sure if any prominent American politician has backed a change in our Cuban policy in 40 years. Did Carter? Clinton certainly didn't.

[Judi Lynn]

13. You're on the right track

(snip) In 1977, President Jimmy Carter lifted the currency controls, recognizing them as a de facto ban on travel. (snip/...)

http://www.ciponline.org/cuba/travel/travelbanhome.htm

and Reagan put the travel ban right back!


You may recall Jimmy Carter's recent trip to Cuba, right? He made a live speech to the Cuban people, carried on Cuban tv and radio.

Here's a brief commentary from Jimmy Carter on the travel ban:

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (AFP) - Nobel Peace laureate Jimmy Carter Monday slammed the Bush administration's Cuba policy, urging Washington to lift its 40-year embargo against the communist-ruled island.

"I think that there is no doubt that the overwhelming portion of American people now do want to see a reconciliation with Cuba, an end to the restraints on travel and an end to the economic embargo," Carter said in an interview released Monday with Sky Radio, which produces programs for six US airlines.

Carter charged that the US government's "ill-advised" policy on Cuba served not so much to restrain Cubans as it did to place "a restraint on the freedom of Americans."

"I don't see why I, as an American citizen, can't go where I want to in the world if it's not dangerous. And if there's no danger in Cuba, why can't I go to Cuba?" the former US president said.

He predicted that a US policy change would come "in the future" especially since the business and farming communities, and "an actual majority of members of the House of Representatives and the US Senate have now expressed their desire to change this policy."
US President George W. Bush has warned he would veto any easing of the US embargo against Cuba.

http://www.cubacentral.com/article.asp?ID=14

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Bill Clinton's policy was a little more complex. He was tangled up with certain elements of the Miami Cuban "exiles" which drug him down. He also has a sister in law who's a Cuban American in Miami, who undoubtedly was helpful in creating a lot of contacts.

I hope someone can explain skillfully what the hell happened. It appears that he was interested in making some progress, but was manipulated by the violent "exile" element in Miami which wants to wreak absolute havoc on Cuba.

Before leaving office, he did sign a bill opening certain aspects of new trade with Cuba which had been closed for decades.

[guajira]

15. Americans could travel to Cuba Without Fear of Prosecution by US

Clinton was a disappointment, but at least he didn't use our Customs Officers to arrest Americans returning from Cuba.

While 9/11 hi-jackers were getting on US planes, B* had US Customs Agents in Canadian airports, looking for Americans who had been to Cuba. Typical B* priorities - pander to Miami Batistianos at the cost of Americans freedom to travel!!

[Judi Lynn]

14. Los Van Van, one of the acts the State Department can't clear

was, according to this article written in 1999, on its THIRD U.S. tour, and was very well known, in some parts.

Thought this might be illuminating to people unacquainted with the good old Miami receptions Cuban performers get!

(snip) Miami Mayor Joe Carollo needs to brush up on basic civics, not to mention civility. Appearing recently as a guest on Radio Mambí's (WAQI-AM 710) weeknight call-in show, Mesa Redonda, Carollo egged on host Armando Perez-Roura and callers as they hurled insults at the Cuban dance band Los Van Van. "Dogs," "bastards," "garbage," "murderers," and "torturers" were all terms used to describe the well-known group. State Department officials were deemed "the Che Guevaras in Washington." Former Cuban political prisoner Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, now an outspoken proponent of dialogue with the island, was repeatedly mocked as the kind of liberal scoundrel who would attend a concert by the ensemble. Ex-communist Arturo Sandoval phoned in just to let everyone know he had nothing to do with Los Van Van. Sounding as excited as a horny teenager on the eve of his first school dance, Carollo invited the trumpeter to perform at an event organized by Bay of Pigs veterans that subsequently replaced an announced concert by Los Van Van at the James L. Knight Center on October 9.
Even when one caller warned that the Knight Center "was going to blow sky-high" if Los Van Van appeared, Carollo did nothing to temper the hate mongering. He merely joined the show's host in thanking the listener for calling. Carollo told the audience he decided to oppose the performance when he found out the Cubans were scheduled to perform at a City of Miami facility. He considered it an outrage. (snip/...)

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/1999-09-23/metro2.html

This would be hilarious if it weren't so stupid, and ugly.

[Chovexani]

18. God Damn Keystone Cubans

Damn Keystone Cubans are at it again.

Can we get rid of these people already?! This is just wrong on so many levels. Some illegal guy on a raft is just fine and welcomed with open arms but an award-nominated musician can't get in legally?

WTF is wrong with this picture?

[Mika]

19. Its the Keystone Americans too

As long as both repukes and Dems keep on pandering to the Miamicuban extremists things will never change. Its a political campaign cash cow.

[Alenne]

20. Why don't they move the Latin Grammy Awards to a Latin country?

Then none of this would matter.

[Mika]

21. How about Cuba?

If the Latin Grammies were held in Cuba, then everyone except Americans would be allowed to attend. (Americans, of non Cuba decent, are banned from Cuba by the US government).

Why should Cuban musicians be penalized when it is the intransigent US government that prevents full and fair attendance? IF anyone is going to be banned, it is us Americans who should suffer the US government's actions, it is our government isn't it?