EAST OF HAVANA profile picture

EAST OF HAVANA

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me

THE NEW CUBANS...The ideas expressed on this page represent a Cuban-American, Jauretsi, co-director of this documentary and Editor of the book EAST OF HAVANA. The ideas on this blog are not the opinions of actual locals on the island of Cuba. Actually, all their opinions are expressed in the documentary, EAST OF HAVANA.....stay tuned for a screening/dvd near you. They do *LOVE* Cuba though and are proud of their country.The rappers themselves cannot get on the Internet in their country (unless they are privileged and have approval by their government to have the connection -- see "USA vs CUBA" blog for Internet facts). Most Cuban rappers we interviewed on the island have never even seen the worldwide web. Therefore, most of the rappers in the doc cannot post up personally (note: some EOH rappers have recently moved to USA and have newly discovered myspace). We do have several other Cuban friends worldwide (not on the island now) who are posting their viewpoints. ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- CONTRIBUTERS: EOH (the book) PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTEVAN ORIOL & ANGELA BOATWRIGHT. PUBLISHED BY NEVERSTOP --- EOH (the doc) DIRECTED BY JAURETSI SAIZARBITORIA & EMILIA MENOCAL. MOST TOP FRIENDS HAVE IN SOME WAY CONTRIBUTED TO "LA CAUSA" & OUR PROJECT. ------------------------------------------------------ This is an attempt to open dialogue, whether we agree or disagree......Meet "El Cartel", Cuba's underground hip hop collective (ALL PHOTOS OF THE DOC ON THIS PAGE ARE BY JASON FLORIO)

My Interests

"EAST OF HAVANA IS THE REAL DEAL" (New York Times)---------------------------------------- "A new social club" (Cary Darling, SXSW) ---------- "A rap movement in East Cuba? Apparently so. And not only is it big but its actually really really good. I would be shocked if this film doesn't become an indie popular." (SXSW Blog, Blankscreen)------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- "[East of Havana is] essentially a sort of anti-Buena Vista Social Club. There is a Ferrer in the story but he's called Soandres not Ibrahim and he prefers over-sized T-shirts and baggy jeans to white caps and natty spats." (Barry Didcock, Sunday Herald, Scotland)--------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ---- "You can appreciate rap's deep significance to a Cuban musician named Soandry, who (in East of Havana) declares, 'Hip-hop means struggle. It means having a determined attitude towards life. Rebellion. The fight to make things better. The detoxification of the mind and body. To me, it means freedom.' Coming from someone living under Fidel Castro's regime, these words are anything but casual." (Desson Thomson, Washington Post) ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------- "The film says something quite interesting, which is that as much as Cuban citizens may fear the power of the government, the government fears its people and their freedom of expression exponentially more. Wim Wenders The Buena Vista Social Club showed us one side of Cuban music and culture, but East of Havana finally reveals the voice of contemporary Cuban youth and the rise of a very different new generation." (Jeffrey Wells, SXSW Blog) ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------- "There are lessons in [East of Havana] -- political as well as musical -- that the download generation would do well to heed if they can tear themselves from MTV." (Barry Didcock, Sunday Herald, Scotland)

I'd like to meet:

a little bit of everyone. Lefty romantic. Hardcore hardliner. Why? Because the only we'll figure this shit out is if we duke it out here. If you're not Cuban, feel free to hang out and throw in your 2 cents. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Well, ok, there is such a thing as a stupid question. But Cuban History and "The Revolution" were not taught too well in the American History books.

Music:

la lupe, trio matamoros, beny more, bola de nieve, joseito fernandez, celina gonzalez, willie bobo, mongo santamaria (mikki flow's cousin), nicolle chirino, celia cruz, spam all stars, cachao, willie colon, xiomara and son axl, ray baretto

Movies:

soy cuba, goodnight goodluck, stylewars, red dawn, vampiros en la habana, battle of algiers, la haine, road to guantanamo, fresa y chocolate, suite habana, truffaut's fahrenheit 451, star wars, memorias del subdesarrollo, beat streat, before night falls, rey da habana, boxers & ballerinas, to catch a fire

Television:

Charlie Rose

Books:

old man and the sea

Heroes:

PLATO - "Musical innovation is dangerous to the state, for when modes of music change, the laws of the state always change with them." (BC 428-347) ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- MARK TWAIN - "History may not repeat itself but it sure does rhyme" ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- EDWARD R. MURROW - "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty" EAST OF HAVANA IS COVER STORY FOR COOL MAGAZINE OUT OF SPAIN/BERLIN.

My Blog

NEW SHIT

Just some new droppings of happenings. The last blog got sort of outddated... The NEW DAY is quickly approaching.... for better or worse..... its arriving.
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:35:00 PST

La'J blog- WASSUP WITH CUBA AFTER FIDEL DIES?

After seeing EAST OF HAVANA, this is the most asked question at all of our Q&A's. The truth is, nobody knows whats going to happen....but we need to start talking about -------------------------------...
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Fri, 14 Jul 2006 01:41:00 PST

USA VS CUBA (PEAS IN A POD)

The dysfunctional tap dance between both nations lingers on.... 2 extremes that deserve eachother. THE INDEPENDENT (UK) WRITES: "But for now, it seems that even as Fidel fades, the American embargo an...
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Mon, 26 Jun 2006 01:47:00 PST

REVIEWS for EAST OF HAVANA

I am happy to say the we premiered EAST OF HAVANA at South By Southwest Film Festival this year, Austin Texas. What a great city of music lovers. I'm gonna post up some reviews here as we travel with ...
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 04:57:00 PST

CHE TALK

This blog was originally an attempt to discuss the American Embargo...pro's and con's. But it seems to have evolved into a debate on Che instead. So, since I'm not one to mess with the natural flow of...
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Fri, 05 May 2006 08:55:00 PST

GOOD SHIT ABOUT CUBA

Ok. So there is a basic lack of human rights in Cuba. But we must not fail to prop the stellar education system, their governmental support for the arts (so long as it falls within "the revolution" re...
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 02:30:00 PST

FIDEL talk

Fidel is the guy who says "Within the Revolution, EVERYTHING. Outside the Revolution, NOTHING".......Whatever that means.....
Posted by EAST OF HAVANA on Sun, 25 Jun 2006 12:05:00 PST