English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
EFE (via 14ymedio), Miami, 19 January 2024 — The Cuban urban music duo Gente de Zona, winners of seven Latin Grammys and twelve Billboard Latino Awards, announced this Friday the premiere of Por Ahí, a danceable song that comes accompanied by a video filmed in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The fiesta and joy are the … Continue reading “The Cuban Duo Gente de Zona Premieres the Danceable Song ‘Por Ahi’”
14ymedio, Havana, December 6, 2023 — “Patria y Vida” [Homeland and Life], the freedom motto that became the anthem of the 11 July 2021 ’11J’ protests inside and outside the Island, has been taken up by the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (Fepcube) to identify the team of exiled baseball players that will participate in the … Continue reading “‘Patria y Vida’ — Homeland and Life — Will Be the Motto of the Cuban Team That Will Be Formed by Exiled Baseball Players”
EFE/14ymedio, Miami/Madrid, October 20, 2023 — The Cuban urban music duo Gente de Zona, winner of 7 Latin Grammys and 12 Latin Billboards, premiered this Friday their new single and video, Demasiado, a tropical song with which Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom seek to infect their followers “with joy and flavor.” Demasiado focuses “on the … Continue reading “La Gente De Zona Premiere ‘Demasiado’, a Hymn to Joy and ‘Cubanidad’”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Seville, 19 September 2023 — The documentary Patria y Vida: The Power of Music, which narrates the vicissitudes of the song Patria y Vida, banned in Cuba and winner of two Latin Grammys, is nominated for these awards this year in the Best Long Video category. “At a time when art and … Continue reading “The Video of the Documentary About ‘Patria y Vida’ Is Nominated for the Latin Grammy 2023”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Miami, August 16, 2022 — The composers of the song Patria y Vida will be recognized with the Medal of Freedom that will be awarded to them by the Latino Composers Hall of Fame (LCHOF) at the welcome gala for its new members, which will be held on October 13 in south Florida. … Continue reading “Cuban Composers of “Patria y Vida” — Homeland and Life — Will Receive the Medal of Freedom”
14ymedio, Havana, 15 November 2021 — “It is a beautiful thing that we coincide in showing our claim for absolute freedoms through flowers”, wrote singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés in a message in support of the protests called for this Monday throughout Cuba. Like the author of Yolanda and Yo no te Pido, dozens of Cuban and foreign … Continue reading ““Wake up!” Says Pablo Milanes to the Mobs that Serve the Cuban Regime”
14ymedio, Havana, 21 October 2021 — The Government of Cuba persists in its sleepless nights for the song Patria y Vida [Homeland and Life], whose title became the motto of the protests of July 11 and which has almost nine million views since its premiere, just seven months ago. The nomination of Patria y Vida for two Latin Grammy Awards, … Continue reading “Cuban Regime Sees a ‘Corrupt Plot’ to Favor ‘Patria y Vida’ at the Latin Grammys”
14ymedio, Havana, 11 July 2021 — The hashtag #SOSCuba is trending on Twitter after dozens of international artists offered their support to the hundreds of Cubans who, with this demand, are asking for “a humanitarian corridor” in the face of the serious crisis in the country. From Spain, the actor Paco León published a video on his … Continue reading “International Artists Join Cubans in Demand of #SOSCuba”
14ymedio, Yaiza Santos, Madrid, 27 May 2021 — The desperate war of songs unleashed by the Cuban Government after the release of the song Patria y Vida, which since February has added more than five million views on YouTube and which immediately became an opposition slogan inside and outside the Island, has gone from pathos to perversity with the theme that celebrates … Continue reading “The Cuban Regime is Not Afraid of Any Song”
14ymedio, Madrid, 27 May 2021 — On Thursday, Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) launched a manifesto in support of the artists participating in the song Patria y Vida (Homeland and Life) who have been besieged by the Cuban government in recent weeks, and called for an end to the repression. In the text, they refer mainly to the artist Luis Manuel … Continue reading “Manifesto Supports the Artists of ‘Patria y Vida’ Repressed by the Cuban Government”
14ymedio, Havana, 17 February 2021 — The video was released on social networks on Tuesday night and just twelve hours later it already exceeded 200,000 views on YouTube. No one expected anything less: for the first time Gente de Zona, Yotuel Romero and Descemer Bueno, residents outside of Cuba, work in a collaboration with the musicians Maykel Castillo Osorbo and El … Continue reading “‘Patria y Vida’, a Soundtrack for Change in Cuba”
14ymedio, Marcelo Hernández, Havana, 27 June 2018 — The markets closed ahead of time, in state offices employees managed to leave early, and Havana’s Sports City was filled for the concert of Cuba’s own Gente de Zona and Italy’s singer-songwriter Laura Pausini this Tuesday night. That was when the rains came and stole the show, a downpour like … Continue reading “Gente de Zona Requested "Applause" for Diaz-Canel at the Concert with Laura Pausini”
4ymedio, Havana, 25 December 2015 — The Cuban duo Gente de Zona had a meteoric year, partly due to the continued success of their song Bailando (Dancing), performed with the Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and the Cuban Descemer Bueno. Their theme La Gozadera (Sheer Pleasure) climbed the charts and became a summer hit in 2015, … Continue reading “Cuban Faces of 2015: Gente de Zona, Musical Duo / 14ymedio”
14ymedio, Nelson García/Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 8 October 2023 — The atmosphere is electrifying, and the music is very loud. Everyone knows him and wants to know – both in Havana and outside Cuba – the coordinates for the most exclusive bar in Cuba: Mío and Tuyo (Mine and Yours). Prostitution, drugs, the best alcohol and … Continue reading “The Other Side of Cuba: Luxury, Drugs, Expensive Alcohol for ‘Well-Off People’”
14ymedio, Havana, 5 July 2023 — Cuban goalkeeper Sandy Sandocan Sánchez played for the last time with the Island’s colors on Tuesday, when his team lost 2-4 against Canada. After the game, held at the Shell Energy Stadium in Texas, USA, he “escaped.” A few hours earlier, the doctor of the Cuban soccer team, Alexis Martínez, also … Continue reading “Cuban Team’s Goalkeeper and Doctor Take Advantage of Soccer’s Gold Cup to Stay in the US”
