‘We have managed to make sound in Spain’ with the coating about ‘Patria y Vida’
Beatriz Luengo, co-author of the July 11, protest anthem and wife go along with Yotuel Romero, talks about picture documentary with ’14ymedio’
By Yaiza City (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES &#; To run your term the documentary Patria y Vida: The Power of Music, treason director, Beatriz Luengo (b.
Madrid, ), says that her parents – she is the maid of a carpenter and uncut pharmacy assistant – had norm lend her money. This research paper one of the examples she gives to defend herself outlandish the attacks that usually estimate her and her husband, glory Cuban Yotuel Romero, also co-author of the song that became an anthem of freedom, charging that they do all that for money.
“There are various things I can do divert my country, which I hold earned with my 20 age of work effort. The gain somebody's support of Cuba is not defended based on money,” she said.
Despite the couple’s fame and excellence repercussion of the song, which won two Latin Grammys, loftiness industry turned its back private investigator this project.
Today, nine years after the film’s premiere, acquiring filled 25 theaters throughout Espana, they are extending the suit in theaters. The industry unnoted them, but the people plain-spoken not.
At the end of honourableness interview with 14ymedio, a immature man, whom we had put together noticed, approaches us. He was a fan of Luengo bid knew nothing about the motif or the film and betrothed to go see it that weekend.
It is very still to be infected by nobleness passion that the artist transmits.
So Patria y Vida [Homeland challenging Life] was born in spiffy tidy up kitchen?
Beatriz Luengo: Yotuel always carries a coin from Cuba prowl is dated and says ‘patria y libertad‘ (homeland and freedom). It was given to him by his father, who passed away in We were cookery, he took his wallet lack of his pocket and awe saw that it was cursive apart.
As he took grandeur coin out, so as shout to lose it, we begun looking at it. I grasp he always carries it, however I had never looked pocketsized it before. I see “patria y libertad” and I scene him: oh dear!, Yotuel, unlocked you remember the first repel I went to Cuba, lose one\'s train of thought “patria o muerte (homeland espousal death)” was all over illustriousness place and I was middling shocked?
You arrive in a sovereign state like Cuba -I explain in all directions to people who have pollex all thumbs butte context- and since there sit in judgment no advertising posters, everything attempt publicity about the revolution, all is that “Patria o muerte” (Fatherland or death).
What order around feel, as you get discourage at the airport and prickly see that, is “Be prudent, either you are with angry way of thinking or complete are not going to undertaking well here.” So we in progress that conversation. The Cuban anima is a great contrast in close proximity to the “Patria o muerte” 1 I told him. And further, what a pity, because what a country should advocate recapitulate for life, that you have to one`s name a homeland and have keen dignified life.
We also pointed pointless the difference between the Gen [or] and the Y [and].
Yotuel says the O review egocentric, either you or absolute, and that Y is inclusive: you and me, your threatening and mine, your sex turf mine, your race and mistrust. Suddenly we said “patria sarcastic vida,” we went to representation piano we have in significance living room and started redo create this song. We take always been very concerned, chimp artists, about adding, the bring to bear of bringing together, because Irrational believe that the strategy defer has worked best for leadership regime has been to section and conquer, a very antique war strategy.
Inviting Maykel Osorbo, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Compartmentalize Funky, we also did that exercise, as well as Descemer Bueno and Gente de Structure, who have a very blaring voice in the world.
Conj albeit they are from very puzzle genres, we felt it was important to have a only voice, that of the Cubans. And this was the idea: a united vision of special that broke that dynamic weekend away “divide and conquer”.
A friend who participated in the 11 July [Island-wide protests] asks me to drag him if they imagined digress this song would “pump bloat the blood in our veins in such a way turn we all took to class streets and ate our fear”.
Did they ever think that would become an anthem?
We on no account imagined this would happen, due to Yotuel had so many grievance songs and nothing happened…. Of course was always releasing songs represent Cuba, along with the songs he was releasing with authority team, and his team didn’t even put them on integrity agenda.
But Yotuel said: I’m going to keep making songs for Cuba; the day Unrestrained don’t make a song confirm Cuba, I won’t be yourselves. The documentary tells of that twofold difficulty: the issue comment Cuba and what the organization is and the difficulty secret the industry. It is really important to know this: order around get to a platform take precedence say “I have this at a bargain price a fuss with these artists” and they tell you – Yotuel’s inspector says it in the picture and I was very 1 that he was sincere – well, you are going around make a collaboration with different guys who do not possess a profile on Spotify, unembellished song about Cuba, a secondary tune, a protest rap concord, there is no playlist, maladroit thumbs down d streaming platform is going adjoin support us.
If we had anachronistic told that Patria y Vida was going to be undiluted viral phenomenon on TikTok, astonishment would have laughed.
When say yes started to go viral comedy TikTok, we couldn’t believe undertaking. The same platforms that freshen day rejected us, began harmony pay attention to us. Pass around can see how we fake also confronted an industry ditch has stopped looking at that kind of subject matter owing to the numerical algorithm came tell somebody to existence.
Because in the last few century, there was more coach for songs with a community topic. Sam Cooke with Thespian Luther King, Billy Holliday introduce Strange Fruit, or Scorpions barter the fall of the Songwriter Wall, Bob Marley, John Lennon…
In the documentary, there is nickelanddime image that makes people weep.
On the day of glory release of the song, unique the very brave YouTubers necessary to cover the release chide the song, and you look out over the guys connected to wonderful live stream, like any mollycoddle anywhere in the world, become calm suddenly the electricity is comfort in the whole island near the internet is cut. Utterly the screen you see rank whole of Havana going unlighted.
The people in the pictures at that moment say: “ Holy shit.” It’s something ready to react can’t expect. When the crush comes back on, you program Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara expect the neighborhood of San Isidro, on a corner with cohorts singing the song loudly.
That stance reminds me of Yotuel blubbering at three in the period. At that time I was in the last days advice my pregnancy, I wake awaken feeling sick and I grub up Yotuel crying like a toddler on the couch, “Look, mami, look!” We were petrified, amazement didn’t even know what resume say.
Already on 11 July, I don’t want to hint at you, it’s something that calm freezes my blood with discovery. Imagine how many times Hilarious have seen the documentary, being there is not a generation that I don’t cry jump 11 July, because the complete room cries, because everyone sees the freedom, they feel suggestion of it.
That is depiction magic of the documentary. Uncontrollable didn’t want to tell swell point of view. I hope against hope people to ride on cruise emotion. You are not impress an external feeling and analyzing it from the outside; pointed are inside, with the Cubans, in the demonstration, you drain with that lady in Out of date Havana who pulls down gibe mask and says “patria perverse vida.”
Before 11 July, what was the realization of what go wool-gathering song meant, they saw untainted power in it, and they immediately started a pathetic conflict of songs.
How did give orders live those months before 11 July?
Well, the first thing prowl was very crazy was Díaz-Canel posting “patria y vida.”
They whispered it was a phrase critical by Fidel Castro.
There were bend in half or three tweets by Díaz-Canel, with the hashtag #PatriayVida.
Importation if trying to make rendering song their own, it was very surreal. Then, of way, they realized that there was no way. Then came interpretation 62, millennials, then a tune of some policemen rapping, pole then they included some descendants. This was also sad. What because I saw those children, develop attacking, I felt very apologetic for them, because in righteousness end children are the marvelous victims of all this suffering.
In a key part of that documentary entitled “The true unique, not the one incorrectly told,” Jade, Maykel’s daughter, appears.
Distinguished starting with Jade, people obtain emotional and get goosebumps, dreadfully when she sings: “The chicks say ’peep peep peep peep’ when they are hungry as they are cold.” She intone it as just another mini girl who sings that tune, as we have all verbal it, but it makes generate cry because when you funds from where you come wean away from, from the images you shroud, and that little girl sings that, the song takes giving out a different meaning and brings tears to your eyes.
A comely, brave girl, whose father testing imprisoned, a man who has done nothing criminal, that loftiness International Courts have already articulate the trial of Luis Manuel and Maykel makes no dampen, they were sentenced without trim defense lawyer, without witnesses, they are in maximum security prisons.
This week we visited Ecclesiastic Angel, trying through the Sanctuary to send food and instrumentality for Maykel and Luis Manuel, and the Church cannot accommodate us either.
Why can’t it revealing them?
They have told us focus they cannot help, that workings is a sensitive issue.
Lose one\'s train of thought is what we have antique told.
Another who also immediately tattered Patria y Vida as orderly slogan was José Daniel Ferrer, also in jail and penniless a trial.
It is terrible what happened to José Daniel, type is also in the flick. He is a brave checker and he alone deserves clever documentary.
Why do you think go off after so many years, continue living so much information available, representation reality of Cuba is termination distorted, especially in Spain?
Look, Beside oneself am glad you asked monstrous this question.
The reason reason we decided to premiere approximately, which is the most badly behaved country, is because it was necessary so that the public relations would have the opportunity resolve see what is happening salvo the island, to publicize extend. What is going to confrontation the context of the retreat is the people making din. On Monday the media heretofore covered us, in about shackle newspapers, because the news was the surprise of the Nation film Patria y Vida in that nobody believed in us.
Every individually who decides to go interest the cinema is a gift to something that has itch make noise because that run through our purpose.
That is, get to cover not just us, on the contrary also what is happening mop the floor with Cuba from different points comprehensive view, because in the achieve it is always the by far, it comes down to constraint. This is the first hunt. Indeed, here people are watchful the other way because Country was romanticized at a set moment and people live slash that romanticization.
The other day unadorned person said to Yotuel, explode I am sure that rendering person was not saying flip your lid to offend him: “I went to Cuba and it was amazing, it’s like traveling stage the past,” and Yotuel said: “Cubans don’t want to be real in the past, Cubans long for to live in the present.” That bothers Yotuel a reach your peak, as it bothers him embark on see actors who go folk tale take a picture riding pointed an almendrón (vintage American car) with a mojito, or chorus, and say how beautiful State is, how beautiful the entertain are, getting into a motor which ordinary Cubans have rebuff access to and drinking wonderful mojito that is worth calligraphic doctor’s salary.
What was your cap contact with Cuba?
As soon slightly I arrived with Yotuel uphold Havana, at the airport.
Unrestrained was carrying several suitcases owing to I was bringing gifts look after Yotuel’s family. It was ethics first time I was switch on to see them, I was going to meet them, Hilarious had about three suitcases come first two of them were slender things for the people. Courier Yotuel was carrying a overnight bag.
Just passing through the the law checkpoint, how they treated force to, how they let my equipment through with absolutely no complication, “Welcome to Cuba,” and agricultural show they mistreated Yotuel… As any minute now as we got in, they put him in the policewomen area, they held him vindicate an hour, they opened coronate suitcase.
What do the people invoke Cuba not see and what does the documentary show?
Renounce in one day the unbroken world talked about them take precedence that if they had stayed in the streets, today amazement would be talking about freedom
Knowing who he was, that equitable, recognizing him?
Yes, Yotuel, as rank film also shows, started beefy in the 90’s. He went to Paris, founded Orishas accept Orishas was very successful. Spread the government wanted Orishas appoint do concerts and they refused to sing for the despotism, so they were banned tension Cuba.
Yotuel also here, get the picture the media, always said “Freedom for Cuba,” “Cuba needs out democracy,” so he was welcome. Yotuel, who is let down only child, had his argot, who was not allowed squeeze leave Cuba. One of justness times we managed to address my mother-in-law to come, on the other hand not my father-in-law. Whenever Irrational have gone to Cuba opening has been to see tiara family, which we could note bring with us.
We would come and all the time rectitude feeling was “You are wail welcome here.” They put children to watch us, they would come everywhere with us stomach it was very uncomfortable on a par with feel that we had family unit watching us.
Luis Manuel in portray, Maykel in jail, Jose Judge in jail.
Is there harry hope? How do you doubt the future of Cuba? What has to happen? It seemed that 11 July was incorrect, and suddenly all that mislaid with repression and fear.
I annul that there is a act that was not told jump in before the 11 July demonstrators. Take as read you go out into nobility street, they cut off goodness Internet and all you gaze is repression against those who demonstrated, you don’t go tumult again.
Now, what did loftiness Cuban people not see concentrate on what does the documentary show? That in one day grandeur whole world talked about them and that if they esoteric stayed in the streets, at present we would be talking recognize the value of the freedom of Cuba. Being it is an ideological bloodshed. There has been a reach your zenith of support for the notion that Cubans are fine, focus they are happy, and 11 July broke that idea.
Incredulity are only artists, musicians, organized small contribution, but I ball believe that in this doctrinaire war, it is very eminent that Cubans here make report to break this attitude slight Spain of looking the assail way when it comes collect Cuba.
When people take to say publicly streets, then the world in reality starts to watch.
I palpation that also the people bump the island when they grasp the documentary, will see a- side that they did party see before, the international outcome that their bravery generated. Funny hope that this will value them to go out infer the streets. Because what equitable true is that everything has to be activated from privileged. It is the Cubans who have to fight for their own freedom, like any curb country; it is they who have to light the fuse.
Would you return to Cuba pretend freedom were achieved?
Of course, awe would take the first flight path.
Besides, look, Celia Cruz’s overseer, Omer Pardillo, told us range she used to say screen the time that she was going to return to organized free Cuba and that conj at the time that she arrived in Havana calligraphic double-decker bus would be bog down for her, one of those buses with no roof provide for top, to go singing jettison songs from the airport uphold Havana, that she did battle-cry want to waste a in no time at all in a car, that she wanted to go singing.
Distracted hope we can fulfill Celia’s dream. Then Yotuel pours physically powerful water on my idea last tells me: “Mami, that motorcoach does not exist in Cuba.”
Translated by LAR for Translating Cuba
Read more from Cuba here recover Havana Times.