What Norah Jones Should Know Before Going to Cuba

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The famous singer, composer, instrumentalist, and actress Norah Jones, has launched a commercial operation to go on Tour in Cuba, under the category “cultural exchange”. Knowing that the Cuban State will take care to guide her every step in the country, and considering the proclaimed objective of her trip, I’d suggest that she take a look at a publication close to her professional environment, Rolling Stone magazine, before she catches her flight.

The January 2023 edition of the digital version of this magazine had the cover with this headline: “Two Years After “Patria Y Vida”, Cuban Rapper Maykel Osorbo Remains in Jail.” The eldest daughter of the masterful sitar player Ravi Shankar has won nine Grammys. It would be a good idea for her to interact with the two-time Grammy award winner, who is now serving a long sentence behind bars. 

Maikel is the Creole version of the English name Michael and Osorbo is a word from the Yoruba language which means bad luck, darkness, curse, negative environment, The Yoruba ethnic group was part of the hundreds of thousands of Africans who nurtured the slave plantations both in Cuba and the US, whose legacy is in the soul of the two cultures that will meet, according to the official plans for the project of this beautiful woman from New York with paternal Hindu ancestors.

I’m not going to tell Norah the story about Patria y Vida, which won “Song of the Year”, at the 2022 Latin Grammys. Just an observation: out of the six Cuban artists up for the award, only Maikel missed the ceremony.  He has been in prison since July 11, 2021, after taking part in peaceful protests alongside thousands of fellow Cubans that very same day, which resulted in 1,047 prisoners of conscience, well documented by international institutions. 

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Photos: Conference Martí in Literature

 

Video: Conferencia Martí en la literatura

Video: Conference Martí in Literature

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The conference "Martí in Literature" took place within the framework of the art exhibition "Versos Sencillos" (“Simple Verses”) by artist Emilio Héctor Rodríguez presented at St. Thomas University, where the speakers addressed the following aspects of José Martí's literary work:

Versos Sencillos: Eduardo Lolo

Versos Libres: José Raúl Vidal Franco

Ismaelillo: Frank Rodríguez

Campaign Diary: Emilio Sánchez

The Coming Slavery: Julio M. Shiling

The event was moderated by Isabel M. Medina, the museum coordinator at St. Thomas University.

The speakers answered questions from the attendees, which enriched the aspects related to the topics discussed.

At the end of the conference, participants toured the art exhibit and had the opportunity to appreciate the quality and artistic value of the works on display and exchange with the artist, Emilio Héctor Rodríguez, as shown in the final minutes of the video.

*We regret that, due to technical difficulties during the filming, Eduardo Lolo's lecture could only be enjoyed by the audience, which ended, emotionally, as can be seen at the beginning of the video.

The bilingual conference "Martí in Literature" was held at the Archbishop John C. Favalora Archive & Museum in Miami Gardens, Florida, on June 24, 2023, and was sponsored by St. Thomas University, G.A.L.A. Foundation (GAEA Latin American Art) and Patria de Martí.

We thank and congratulate the speakers: Eduardo Lolo, José Raúl Vidal Franco, Frank Rodríguez, Emilio Sánchez, José Tarano, technical producer of Patria de Martí, Esther Gálvez for her logistical support, and Robert Santana for filming the event. We extend our gratitude to all those who attended, and to the media who helped us spread the news of the event: Ninoska Pérez Castellón and Ibetti Pérez (La Poderosa), Jorge Díaz Díaz (La Poderosa), María Laria (La Poderosa), Lucy Pereda (Radio Mambí), Lourdes Ubieta (Americano Media), Nelson Rubio and Naday Balbuena (América Radio), Andrés Alburquerque (Enfoque Ciudadano), Ángel De Fana (Plantados), Luís de la Paz (PEN Club), to the blogs, websites and all the social media friends who shared the announcements and supported us, letting us know they liked the conference.

Special thanks to artist Emilio Héctor Rodríguez, Isabel M. Medina of St. Thomas University, and Amy Carballosa and Dayalís González of GALA Foundation.

Photos: Conference Martí in Literature

 

 Cuban Gov. Shows Political Prisoner Jose D. Ferrer Is Alive after three months of total isolation

HAVANA TIMES – The leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, UNPACU, Jose Daniel Ferrer García, was shown to his relatives this Thursday afternoon, after three months of total solitary confinement in the Mal Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba. A message campaign had begun on social networks and other media, demanding Proof of Life for the emblematic opponent of the Cuban dictatorship.

Luis Enrique Ferrer, brother of the political prisoner recognized by Amnesty International, the European Parliament, the United States, and many other governments and international institutions, is circulating a family message that states:

“They took the family to the corridor that leads to the prepared isolation cell where they have kept Jose Daniel since August 14, 2021, in cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions, under constant physical and psychological torture. Since March 6th Jose Daniel remains half-naked again, exposed to aggressive and dangerous mosquitoes, ants, and rodents.”

“They saw him in his underwear, with difficulty walking, severe pain in his hands, arms, and legs, extremely thin, with toothaches and a loss of vision. Jose’s body is full of lesions, to such an extent that he preferred not to hug them so as not to infect them with the bacteria that he has been presenting on his skin for months.

 

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