Cuban musicians rock the beach
Posted: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:33 AM
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Havana, Cuba
By Mary Murray, NBC News Havana Bureau Chief
VARADERO – Cuba may be
in the grips of political shifts but some things never change.
The Caribbean island continues to turn out world class musicians.
This past weekend no matter where you wandered in the beach resort of Varadero every corner offered up top performers singing their songs and thousands of Cuban fans packed the town for the summer’s hottest music festival.
More than 130 artists and groups wove a medley of generations and sounds that ranged from salsa and jazz fusion to the best in timba and hip hop. The music started blaring at noon and didn’t stop until the next day. All you had to do was follow your ears.
Artist Carlos Varela, known as the Bob Dylan of Cuba, improvised on a stage set up on an old landing strip, playing free-of-charge before 30,000 fans. He sang energetic lyrics filled with political messages and the frustration of life in contemporary Cuba.
Young audiences went wild when Kelvis Ochoa stepped on stage. Now topping Cuban charts, Ochoa’s sound is as unusual as his red hair. It’s a made-up blend that is called Habana Abierta. The genre emerged in the 1990s from a street corner – Havana teenagers, having nothing much to do, spent their evenings on park benches, strumming guitars and jamming on lyrics. At 38 years old, Ochoa has come a long way from the days he played the conga on empty tin cans.
Warapo, a college band that turned professional eight years ago, showcased tunes from their two albums, "Mala Vida" (2004) and "Tengo Nada" (2007). Warapo’s music is as diverse as its roots – it fuses elements from traditional Cuban rhythms like the cha-cha-cha, guaracha and "son cubano" with some rock and pop.
This powerful musical weekend also featured singer Omara Portuondo from the Buena Vista Social Club whose smoky voice reminisced about past loves and golden days. Lively orchestras like La Original de Manzanillo, Aragón and Los Van Van kept audiences dancing until the sun rose over the crystal waters that make Varadero one of the Caribbean’s prestige tourist towns.
