To promote a peaceful transition to a Cuba that respects human rights
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Castro regime's racist attacks against Cuban musicians. EU Parliament lists to Cuban artists. Bacardi partners with NAACP to support Black-owned businesses
CubaBrief has followed the appearance of the song Homeland and Life (Patria y Vida) on February 16, 2021, and how it fits into Cuba's larger context of the arts and within the nonviolent protest tradition. However, we did not focus on one aspect that the response of the Castro regime necessitates, and that is on the question of race and racism in Cuba. Yotuel Romero, a singer with the band Orishas and the brain behind the project, was called a jinetero (a prostitute) by the official website CubaDebate because he is married to the Spanish actress Beatriz Luengo, who is white. Maykel Osorbo, who is also black, was branded "marginal" by the regime.
Cuban artists both in Exile and on the island, Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky, and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, collaborated in the song and video Homeland and Life (Patria y Vida). It directly challenges the regime's propaganda slogan Homeland or Death (Patria o Muerte). All these artists involved are black Cubans, and the Castro regime has launched a propaganda attack that includes racist tropes.
Married couple: Beatriz Luengo and Yotuel Romero
This was not the first regime attack against musicians with racist phrases.
In 2020 when Yotuel Romero released the song and video "Ojalá Pase" by his musical group, the Orishas, and with his wife lending her vocals, an agent of the Castro regime wrote on social networks: "He has reached where he has arrived thanks to Fidel and the Revolution, without whom he would only have been a black shoeshine boy."
This expression that without the Revolution, you would not have achieved anything is a common refrain of the Castro regime, but the rest of the pro-Castro insult is clearly racist. "The government of Cuba calls Yotuel a "jinetero" for being married to me and I being Spanish. They already insulted him by calling him a "black shoe shine boy." This does not define Yotuel gentlemen of the Cuban government. This defines you who have nothing more to say about a man who has only made music, art and representation for his people," said Beatriz Luengo.
Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, and Descemer Bueno outside of Cuba
These Cuban artists, both inside and outside of Cuba, are calling on Cubans to put aside their differences and embrace life and freedom. The racist reaction of the Castro regime and its agents to this message of "Homeland and Life" speaks volumes of what animates this 62 year old dictatorship, and elements of the international community are paying attention.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, with the Cuban flag, behind El Funky and Maykel Castillo, inside Cuba.
"Cuban artists and dissidents presented testimony to the European Parliament Friday claiming violations of human rights by the Cuban government. They testified, based on their own experiences, about the censorship each of them has suffered because of their political beliefs," reported Jurist.
Havana in addition to attacking these artists returned to their perennial attacks against Bacardi in CubaDebate last month.
Meanwhile Bacardi, in stark contrast to the Cuban government, is assisting artists, has continued to demonstrate its corporate leadership on the environmental front, and is addressing racial disparities in business by partnering with the NAACP "to provide dedicated support to Black-owned businesses in the beverage alcohol service, sales, and hospitality industries." ...
... "Backing the B.A.R. is an NAACP initiative that is awarding over $350,000 in acceleration grants, education, support, and entrepreneurship solutions for Black-owned bars, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores, and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license."
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