Audioslave Rocks Cuba This Weekend

[rain]

May 4, 2005

Audioslave

Audioslave will make history this weekend when they become the first U.S. Rock band to play an outdoor concert in Cuba. The supergroup will headline a special concert on Friday, May 6 at La Tribuna in Havana, Cuba. It will be a free event open to the public. The outdoor venue can hold approximately a million concertgoers.

The concert was authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Insituto Cubano de la Musica, and is an effort to bring the freedom of musical expression to the youth of Cuba. In a statement, Audioslave said, "Kids are the same all over the world, and we are extremely proud and excited to bring rock 'n' roll to the youth of Cuba. It's all about the music, and free expression of music crosses all barriers. This is a rare opportunity, and we are grateful and honored to have the support of both countries."

Audioslave will be spending the rest of this week in Cuba, visiting Cuban youth as well as native musicians, some of whom will be performing at the concert as well. Their new album, Out Of Exile, lands in stores on May 24.

[Sister_Wrath]

Holy cow!!! That's great news for Cuban rock, that has been almost forbidden in Cuba for such a long time. For those who don't know, the 70's most popular bands and 80's hard rock bands were not aired in any cuban radio or tv channel during that time: the Beatles, Iron Maiden, Ozzy...those were all ghosts that Cuban youth had to chase through miracles antennas that capture programs such as Casey Kasem's 100's in New Year's Eve in the 70's and/or any other American radio frequency that could be captured there.

As of today, the founder of the punk movement in Cuba, Aguila Carrasco, is in prison: crime?? To sing what he thinks. That's the case for many talented Cuban musicians, that's the case specially for the naturally rebelious and very talented hard rock bands and fans, contraint to make up from anything the instruments that they play. From fishing line strings for a classical guitar to electric cable strings or warp wired for any other type of guitar, most of Cuban musicians relay today on the outside to get what they need...or if they go to a salsa band, playing in a hotel for tourists, the gouvernment will give them a minimum for work...

As for the local bands, they are mostly inoperants anymore. Mostly because they are not allowed to perform, or because they have to do so under a lot of censorship. Nevertheles, there's always been a place for rock concerts in Havana, raided by the police at almost every concert, because the audiences always ended up yelling their frustration with a "Abajo Fidel" cry -down with Fidel- , that place is "El Patio de Maria" (Maria's Courtyard), the place was so popular that some Cubans opened one in California as well
I hope this will open the door for more...I hope to see Maiden and Ozzy one day there...

[rain]

HAVANA - The American group Audioslave broke decades-long barriers with a thundering concert before thousands of Cuban fans — who knocked over barriers to get closer to the first U.S. rock band to play an outdoor concert in Cuba.

Chris Cornell's scream — "I won't do what you tell me!" — boomed off the high-rise apartment buildings on south side of the stage Friday night as feedback shrieks from Tom Morello's guitar drifted into the night breeze over the Caribbean to the north.

This is the best thing that has happened here this year," said 25-year-old rock fan Omar ..

The best thing in your life," shouted a nearby friend who darted back into a crowd of more than 3,000 people — many with dreadlocks, body piercings and tattoos. A few swooped around the edges of the crowd on roller blades.


It was a distinct difference from the orderly, clean-cut crowds who march in massive anti-U.S. protests along the Malecon waterfront at the same venue: the Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Tribunal before the U.S. Interests Section, or diplomatic mission. Even before the concert, hundreds of fans were so eager that they sent metal security barricades clanging to the pavement and rushed forward to fill a 50-yard long area that had been reserved for special guests — mostly workers and teachers with exemplary official records.

Police allowed the fans to stay in the invaded space and several joked with tattooed youths in Metallica T-shirts swigging rum.

U.S. travel restrictions on Cuba and the Cuban government's ambivalence toward rock music have limited visits by U.S. rockers to Cuba.

Elemental grunge, thrash and metal are the most popular styles of rock on an island rich in its own complex, polyrhythmic popular music.



Audioslave had the whole crowd screaming and dancing when it went back to its frantic, pounding, grungy roots, but left those in the back merely toe-tapping on some of the newer, less frantic songs. "We would like to have stronger music — bands like Metallica," said a gaunt man sitting alongside friends on the Malecon seawall who gave his name as Walter Delgado, 32. Even so, he said, "We are happy for the first time in our rock and roll history."

[TopJimmy78]

Wow that is sooo AWESOME!!!! Audioslave sooo kick ass, I hope other bands follow their lead, that would be sooo awesome if they have opened the door for other bands to play there, a big thumbs up to Chris and Tom and the boys!!