[Marxism] 03/29/08 - Cuba-L Analysis (Albuquerque) - Cuba, the Beatles and Historical

[Cuba-L Direct (nv)]

03/29/08 - Cuba-L Analysis (Albuquerque) - Cuba, the Beatles and Historical
Context

by Nelson P Valdés

 "Let the world be grafted onto our republics, but the trunk must be ours."
  -  José Martí, Our America


Tom Miller recently published in the Washington Post (02/17/08) an opinion 
piece entitled "As Fidel Fades From the Scene." [1] It is not the intention 
of this commentary to address the different issues the author raises. 
However, at one point the articles refers to an unidentified Cuban who 
states, "I used to listen to the Beatles on a cassette player in the bushes 
down by the Almendares." Why were the Beatles forbidden? Was it prudishness? 
Was it an expression of cultural and historical context? Yet, Cubans learned
the songs of other foreigners such as Daniel Vigglieti [Uruguay], Mercedes 
Sosa [Argentina] , Violeta Parra [Chile], and many Latin American and 
African groups.

In all fairness, Tom Miller's article mentioned the Beatles just in passing, 
but superficial impressions can be long lasting. Moreover, it is true that 
the Cuban authorities did not permit the Beatles to be known. A similar 
situation was also confronted by the very Cuban "canción protesta" movement 
initiated by Silvio Rodríguez at about the same time.  [2]

Obviously I cannot write a parallel history of the Beatles and Cuba. But 
below are at least some moments that should be taken into consideration. The 
intention is not to rationalize nor justify a banning policy, but to attempt 
to put things in some historical frame in order to understand. Then we can 
discuss matters in a more discerning fashion.

While the US experienced "British Invasion" with the Beatles' music, Cuba 
had experienced a real military invasion. While teenage American girls 
experienced metaphorical orgasm by watching Ringo, Cuban teenagers were 
engaging in the literacy campaign [1961] or getting ready for a possible 
invasion as a result of the Missile Crisis [1962]. In August 1963 while Swan 
Records released "She Loves You," - Operation Mongoose and AM/Lash were 
preparing the assassination of Fidel Castro and a wave of sabotage.

In 1963 American Bandstand's Dick Clark made snide remarks about the 
Beatles' long hair, while longhaired and unshaven Latin American guerrillas 
were setting up camp in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico. The 
Cubans, of course, were involved. These were confrontational moments.

The 1964 presidential campaign in the United States saw the emergence of 
Republican Senator Barry Goldwater who promised to forcefully liberate the 
island. While American teenagers were singing and dancing to "I want to hold 
your hand" while the CIA sought to cut Fidel Castro's throat.