Major Lazer, the first musical bridge between the USA and Cuba

Major Lazer will be the first US artists to perform in Cuba after last summer’s thawing of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The first concert of a US band in Cuba after more than half a century of severed diplomatic relations between the two countries is going to be held on 6 March. Indeed, Major Lazer, whose motto is “Peace is the Mission”, are going to perform in front of the US Embassy in Havana which was reopened after 54 years. The band’s leader is Diplo, one of the most praised and versatile pop and dance producers who, since 2011, has been cooperating with Jillionaire, a Trinidadian singer, and Miami’s MC Walshy Fire.

 

us cuba flags
US and Cuban flags after the thawing of diplomatic relatiosn, July 2015 © Charles Trainor Jr/Miami Herald/TNS/ZUMAPRESS.com

 

Diplo said in a press release:

For as long as I can remember, Cuba has played an influential role on my love of music – Cuba has such a powerful cultural impact all over the world and for me, especially growing up in Florida, it became one of the biggest cultural centers for music to evolve from. I was lucky enough to visit Cuba a few years back with my friends Calle 13 (a Puerto Rican band and the name of a street in Havana) and during my four days there my mind was blown by the people, depth of culture and their way of life.

 

Major Lazer  Coachella flag
Major Lazer waving the “Free The Universe” flag at the festival Coachella, 2013 © Gerry Maceda – Retna Ltd. – Corbis

 

Major Lazer, fresh from the success of Lean On (more than a billion views on YouTube) and their latest song Be Together, will play an important role in promoting the cultural exchange between Cuba and the United States. This process was started only in theory but, in fact it is slow.

 

The trio’s show that will include electro music and dancehall to make people dance wildly will be free for the tens of thousands of people who will crowd the Tribuna Anti Imperialista José Martí. As part of the cultural exchange, Major Lazer will meet and invite on the stage Cuban music students and local emerging young DJs.

 

The historic event will be presented by the Musicabana Foundation before an international festival of music that has been organised by US and Cuban partners and will take place in Havana from 5 to 8 May. An unprecedented cultural bridge between Cuba, the United States and the rest of the world built by the power of music.

Translated by

Siamo anche su WhatsApp. Segui il canale ufficiale LifeGate per restare aggiornata, aggiornato sulle ultime notizie e sulle nostre attività.

Licenza Creative Commons
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.

Related articles
The best songs of 2017

Le canzoni più belle del 2017 secondo LifeGate Radio. Con questa playlist lanciamo la nostra collaborazione con Spotify Italia che vi farà ascoltare la musica migliore, selezionata.

Guatemala, Maya women fight to defend indigenous textiles from the fashion industry

An organisation that unites over 1,000 mainly Maya women in Guatemala has expressed alarm that indigenous handicrafts, textiles called “huipiles” in particular, are under threat because underpriced industrial fabrics appropriating indigenous patterns have flooded the Guatemalan market, depriving many native women of their main source of income. Read more: Down to Xjabelle, the fashion collection by a young designer with Down

RWANDArt, the documentary about young creatives putting Rwanda on the map

Rwandan creatives share a common dream: they want to use their art to bring about positive change in society, as well as put their country on the map. They’re mostly young, ambitious, self-taught and have a strong desire and determination to challenge mentalities, move forward and grow. In her documentary RWANDArt: A new creative generation, which