Robertico Carcassés Sanctioned in Cuba Over Critical Song Lyrics

Robertico Carcassés Sanctioned in Cuba Over Critical Song Lyrics: Report
By Judy Cantor-Navas, Los Angeles | September 15, 2013 10:55 AM EDT

The Cuban pianist and bandleader Robertico Carcassés improvised lyrics
calling for "direct presidential elections," "freedom of information"
and "the end of the embargo and the auto-embargo" during a televised
concert in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana on Thursday
(Sept. 12) marking the anniversary of the arrest in Miami of the Cuban
intelligence agents known as the Cuban Five.

Cuban officials Friday suspended Carcassés from performing on the island
"indefinitely," according to a report in the exile website Diario de Cuba.

René Gonzalez, the one member of the Cuban Five who has been released
from prison, attended the event, at which many of Cuba's most popular
musicians performed, including leading dance band Los Van Van, which
closed the concert. Thousands attended the event, according to the Cuban
newspaper Juventud Rebelde.

While performing the song "Cubanos por el mundo," dedicated to Cubans
"here and there," Carcassés, 41, took to the microphone. He improvised
lyrics calling for the release of the four prisoners, "and a lot more,"
including presidential elections by direct vote, equal rights for all
Cubans on the island regardless of their political opinions, and an end
to the U.S. embargo and "[Cuba's] auto-embargo."

According to Diario de Cuba, Interactivo's Facebook page published a
message Friday saying that Carcassés and his bandmates were called to
the Cuban Music Institute and told that Carcassés would not be allowed
to perform on the island for an indefinite period of time. The group
announced that two upcoming shows were canceled "due to a decision by
authorities." That message was later erased from Facebook, the website
reported.

According to Diario de Cuba, Carcassés declined to comment when reached
by telephone, but said he would be publishing a letter addressing the
incident.

Several articles about the concert in the Cuban newspaper Juventud
Rebelde did not mention Carcassés' impromptu lyrics or any subsequent
sanctions against the musician.

Source: "Robertico Carcassés Sanctioned in Cuba Over Critical Song
Lyrics: Report | Billboard" -
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin-notas/5695452/robertico-carcasses-sanctioned-in-cuba-over-critical-song