Another Minor Interruption
If you have been following my blog for a while, then you know that I am quite taken by all things Latin, especially Cuba. About a month ago, I discovered that one of my favorite artist's, Juanes, was playing for free in one of my favorite city's, La Habana, Cuba. The concert was in honor of peace and appropriately titled, "Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders)." When I found this out my heart almost leaped out of chest! I have never wanted to attend a concert as badly as I had wanted to attend that one. I also liked that my going would support the end of the U.S. embargo against the island. However, now that I own my own business, I unfortunately could not risk being fined or imprisoned if I was caught having traveled there. I had already sneaked in there once, I did not think it was smart to tempt fate twice. It was heartbreaking to pass up this extraordinary experience, but I know that in the end I might the right decision and that one day I will return.
I was was again excited though when I found out that the concert was going to be broadcasted live online. I had been away in Washington, DC (blog entry to appear soon), but made it home yesterday just in time to see Juanes sing this and this and this AND this. The last song, Nada Particular, was beautifully fitting and brought tears to my eyes. How could it not with lyrics like these:
Dame una isla
en el medio del mar
llàmala libertad...
(Give me an island
in the middle of the sea
call it freedom...)
I can feel the tides of cruelty are changing and I am optimistic that in my lifetime the embargo will cease to exist. I hope that more brave people, like Juanes (who received death threats for performing), will stand up for what is right!
I was was again excited though when I found out that the concert was going to be broadcasted live online. I had been away in Washington, DC (blog entry to appear soon), but made it home yesterday just in time to see Juanes sing this and this and this AND this. The last song, Nada Particular, was beautifully fitting and brought tears to my eyes. How could it not with lyrics like these:
Dame una isla
en el medio del mar
llàmala libertad...
(Give me an island
in the middle of the sea
call it freedom...)
I can feel the tides of cruelty are changing and I am optimistic that in my lifetime the embargo will cease to exist. I hope that more brave people, like Juanes (who received death threats for performing), will stand up for what is right!
That's awesome that you could at least see the concert online! I REALLY want to go to Cuba (before just anyone can and while it's still "cool", haha) and can on my UK passport without problems. But my fiance's been and didn't love it (he went as an athlete and had a slightly different experience and just saw the tourist experience as being really false), so it's not at the top of his travel list. We'll see when/if we manage to make it.
Also, I was under the impression that it wasn't actually illegal to go as a US citizen, just hard and discouraged...you can get sent to jail? Wow, I had no idea!
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