Los Beatles en Cuba: Un Viaje Mágico y Misterioso
As mentioned in my proposal, in 1996, the Cuban Writers and Artists’ Union in Havana held a Beatles colloquium. Though the event coordinator, Ernesto Juan Castellanos, was unable to get the most prominent figures to come (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Martin, Yoko Ono), many writers and affiliates of the Beatles either sent or brought information to share. Presenters gave lectures and speeches, read essays, and discussed various ways the Beatles made themselves known on an island where rock and roll was practically illegal. Castellanos took all of these talks and essays and organized them into a book, written in Spanish, The Beatles in Cuba: A Magical Mystery Tour. This book was an enormous aid for me. From it, I gleaned many reasons why the Beatles were able to rise to great popularity in Havana – reasons I could then reject or corroborate through interviewing Cubans themselves.
The following is what I gained from the colloquium contributors, all within the book.
Much of the Beatles’ success in Cuba stemmed from the times. In America, pacifist ideology (“make love, not war”) and the hippie movement were emerging. With this, there came a confluence of philosophy, society, and politics in which youth were actively participating (Montiel 19). This, I believe, appealed to the young Cuban rebels, victorious and determined to continue shaping society according to their beliefs. Thus, it seemed natural for them to adopt the same image and ideals as the Beatles. This meant embracing a new style of music, a new way of dressing, and a new way of styling one’s hair (Salgado Chirino 23). After Batista’s repressive regime, one could surmise that the liberating notions of psychedelia, freer sexuality, and new food habits (vegetarianism, veganism, etc.) were refreshing to young Cuban society – even if they weren’t refreshing to Fidel (Salgado Chirino 25).
For Cubans, knowing the Beatles meant more than knowing their songs and story; it meant knowing the slander against them (Yoss 133). Their music was in English, which made them exotic and mysterious and rebellious, given the Cuban government’s restrictions (Yoss 134). Moreover, they started an exhilarating underground movement that promoted a culture of love – love for each other, love for knowledge, and love for knowing about the world beyond the little crocodile-shaped island (Sainz Blanco 138-141). This rebelliousness alone was enough to attract the attention of Cubans.
However, it wasn’t just about what the Beatles represented; it was their music, of course. It was a style of music that united people of different cultures, races, and countries (Lam 29). In fact, the Beatles embraced marginalized styles and instruments, allowing them to adapt to all musical influences (Lam 33-34). Therefore, their music could relate to Cubans, who themselves had a rich musical context stemming from Caribbean, indigenous, and European roots. Two aspects of the Beatles’ music I think particularly lent themselves to Cuban support: the advanced use of the drum kit and their strong use of emotion (Lam 35-36). As I learned when I studied Cuban music last winter, rhythm is critical; there are at least 27 distinct Cuban rhythms, all used regularly in traditional and improvisational ways. As for the emotion, I remember entering a design shop in Old Havana. On many of the prints, magnets, notebooks, and t-shirts, there was a small heart logo – a heart that appeared to be dripping, pouring out of its outline. The shopkeeper explained to me that in Cuba, there is so much love, emotion, and passion; therefore, it cannot be confined to the traditional sense of love. I think one could say the same of the Beatles. Last but not least, contributor Eduardo del Llano mentions how the Beatles had a distinct of humor in their songs, using nonsense words and sounds (44-45). Cubans also are very playful people and probably enjoyed this new silly style, unlikely heard in Cuba prior to the Beatles.
One contributor to the colloquium, Mario Masvidal Saavedra, points to the “economic thinking” of the Beatles as a factor influencing their popularity in Cuba. Songs like “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and “Taxman,” all criticize the emphasis of money, instead encouraging hard work and devotion (39-41). In a Communist society, I can only imagine that Cubans would support this disparaging of monetary greed. Cubans pride themselves on being able to “resolver,” or resolve, the hardships they endure: food, housing, electricity shortages, for example. Life in Cuba is hard, but Cubans rely on each other to feel happy and secure, regardless. The Beatles’ music simply supplemented their community support.
In this sense, the Beatles encouraged the strong social scene in Cuba. By the end of the 60s, recitals of popular songs became common in theaters and small venues, eventually expanding to stadiums and open plazas (Nicola 68). They brought Cubans together and were an inspiration to all sorts of artists (Rodriguez 92). The art culture, as I witnessed, is undeniable in Cuba. Between the music, dance, sculpture, and two-dimensional art, there is no limit to what has been and will be produced in Cuba. At the same time that the Beatles released With the Beatles and Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Cuba had the birth and development of nueva trova, a surge of Latin American folk groups, and the diversification of rock and roll (hard rock, jazz rock, etc) (Vilar 115). More recently, the Beatles actually inspired Cuban salseros to create a “Tropical Tribute” to the Beatles (Padron Nodarse 104). In this tribute, Cuban – and more broadly, Caribbean – rhythms are incorporated into about a dozen Beatles songs. The salsas emerges, the clave reverberates, and you can hear the cha-cha-cha stomping through “And I Love Her” and “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da.” “Hey Jude” now has a rumba; “A Hard Day’s Night,” a montuno (Padron Nodarse 107).
The Beatles are iconic for a reason; they have affected cultures, ideas, and norms worldwide. In Cuba, as in many places, they stood for freedom and individuality, adaptability, and inspiration. What’s incredible is that they were able to still have this effect, from one island to another, under such repressive conditions. But as my project will hopefully illuminate, perhaps even more impressive is that this effect remains.