Any Stones fans out there from Cuba?I am out there for a few weeks prior to the Stones shows if any of you fancy hooking up for a Mojito.

Hola hay muchos fan de los stones en cuba, aguante Fidel Castro!!!

Hola charlystone

Vives in Cuba? Me recuerdo una muy bueana acutuacion in la discoteca La Macumba.

acutuacion de Satisfaction

Brian looked cool in Cuban heel boots.

ROCKMAN

Cheers guys!

Viva Cuba!

I've been in Cuba: the Stones are absolutely non-existant in any form in Cuba. Reason? A Cuban can't dance to it, music through any other media than radio is too expensive, and any other literature than old communist books are nowehere to be seen. Btw: a beautiful country with absolutely the nicest and friendliest people I have ever met in my live.

Mathijs

Posted straight from ole Prussia...

Mathijs- I've been to Cuba 5 times....they know who the Stones are...they know MOST of the "Western Bands"....

we sat around on somebody's stoop playing all sorts of folk/blues/rock tunes on beat-up old guitars & drums....including Stones tunes...for hours on end....

Cubans who work in hotels and other parts of the tourist industry have access to cable tv....and relatives, friends, tourists bring all sorts of western music, literature, clothing, etc. into Cuba.....

Cubans have the internet as well....go to the Capitolio and you'll find them using the "netcafe" (if you can call it that)...there is another down by the Plaza de la Revolucion near the post-office that Cubans can use..

Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Fidel are friends....you can get ALL of his books in Cuba...as well as Hemingway's, Steinbeck's, and countless others...not just "old communist literature"...

And....a Cuban can dance to ANYTHING, my friend....

The Cuban's music root : EL SON,

Quite easy rythm on bass for the basic -


2 x 4/4

First 4/4

4th note played
8th note silence
8th note played
4th note silence

Then

Second 4/4

4th note played
8th note silence
8th noe played
4th note played

(ad lib)

But this is trickier regarding the scales.

Nooo, I missed
a beat

2 x 4/4

First 4/4

4th note played
8th note silence
8th note played
4th note silence
4th note silence

Then

Second 4/4

4th note played
8th note silence
8th noe played
4th note silence
4th note played

(ad lib)

But this is trickier regarding the scales.

Viva la musica Cubanos!
Macca slipped into Santiago
de Cuba a while back to check out
the sons at the Casa Trova there,
but dunno if would be of interest
to Stones tho maybe the Rumbas
or Afrocuban beats..........?

In the summer the pounding drums are everywhere,
echoing throughout the city, rising and falling,
everyone/ everything falling in step. Is quite transporting/
surreal.........................................

Well, you clearly visited an entire different Cuba than I have. I have been there two years ago for a total of 4 weeks, and this is my impression:

-------------------------------------------------------
> Mathijs- I've been to Cuba 5 times....they know
> who the Stones are...they know MOST of the
> "Western Bands"..

I have seen absolutely no sign of any western band in Cuba. The only ways I have seen that "western" music enters the country was through the Miami based radio stations, but these mostly play Latin styled music. In shops, at private houses or whereever: no sign at western music. I've done some jamming with Cuban musicians, and I had to explain how to play a standard twelve bar blues, while I had difficulties playing allong with the Cuban music.

> Cubans who work in hotels and other parts of the
> tourist industry have access to cable tv....and
> relatives, friends, tourists bring all sorts of
> western music, literature, clothing, etc. into
> Cuba.....
>

When I was there two years ago, there was no cable TV around. All TV that was available was Cuban news about Castro, and an abundance of soap series. Also, in most hotels and resorts all priveliges for westereners were prohibited for Cubans: TV sets were turned off when the rooms were cleaned, and a guard checked you passport when you wanted to use the internet cafe.

> Cubans have the internet as well....go to the
> Capitolio and you'll find them using the "netcafe"

When I was at the Capitolio it cost $5 for an hour: no Cuban can afford that. Second, you had to show your passport in order to even be able to use the internet. At some richer guesthouses email was available to the owner, but programs like xplorer to serve the web weren't available.

> Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Fidel are
> friends....you can get ALL of his books in
> Cuba...as well as Hemingway's, Steinbeck's, and
> countless others...not just "old communist
> literature"...

If you go to open bookmarkets, only communist literature was available, and the markets were the only places I have seen with any books at all.

>
> And....a Cuban can dance to ANYTHING, my
> friend....

As long as it got Latin influences I would say!

When I went to Cuba a few years ago between Stones tours I said to myself this would be the perfect place to see the Stones. Warm people who know how to dance and party, of all ages. And a great weather all year. Of all the places I have visited over the years, Cuba is still my favorite. How I wish the Stones could finally go there. There is absolutely no reason why they would not go there. They (the Stones) can afford it. They love new places. They have played many places where they don't know how to spell Rolling Stones, like China, India, Singapore, Instanbul, Moscow, Tallin. First time they went to Buenos Aires in 1995 nobody knew what it was all about. Still they added another show for ticket sales every 2nd day. They had to stop at five sold out shows at River Plate because the tour did not have space for more.

Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Cuba. I am sure the Stones will add in perfectly. And just to prove that Cuba is ready for the Stones, I will bring the following, which is from a show on May 6, i.e. 4 - four - days before the Stones press conference this year:

Audioslave rocks Cuba

About 50,000 concert-goers came out for Audioslave's May 6th show at Havana's Anti-Imperialist Tribunal in what was said to be Cuba's first American open-air rock concert.May 6, 2005.

Enthusiastic fans knocked over barriers to get closer to the band.

"The rock ‘n' roll embargo against Cuba has officially ended as of a couple nights ago," Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello told Pollstar. "We were the first American rock band to ever play a show in Cuba."

Former Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman played the same venue two weeks earlier. He is said to be the biggest British rock star to perform in Cuba.

Morello added that the free concert was the longest Audioslave show ever, clocking in at about two and a half hours.

[www.pollstar.com]

I am sure Cuba is ready for the Stones. And I am in touch with Stones fans in Cuba, which means they are ready for sure. Also, Havana is just in-between Miami, where they are supposed to perform in early Feb. 06, and Puerto Rico, where they have confirmed they will play already.




Bjornulf

I am looking forward to checking out the music scene over there.Thanks for everybodys responses.I will post again after my visit.

If they were ever to play there they might as wellinclude Jamaica.I have visited here and most of the Rastas are on first name terms with them.Particularly around Steer town and Ocho Rios.I know for a fact that Keef and the Wingless Angels have done several unofficial gigs on the beach.

The Stones play Jamaica sounds even a better party than the Stones play Copacabana.Certainly a safer one.

I sure hope they can an will play Cuba. In the past if you would play Cuba as a band, you will receive a complete boycot by America. No visa's will be given and the rest of the bullshit. Now, as Castro is getting older the US is closing in again on Cuba. The entire boulevard of Havana (especially the Old area) is bought up by American companies, waiting for Castro to die and waiting for the opportunities that will come by then. If the Stones play there, it will be the party of the year!

Mathijs