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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 2 March 2016
Rolling Stones to play March 25 show in Havana
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN In this Feb. 20, 2016, file photo, The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, left, and Charlie Borges Triana. “The Rolling
Associated Press Watts perform during their Latin America tour, at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stones are going to magi-
HAVANA (AP) — The Roll- The Rolling Stones say they will play a free concert in Havana on March 25, becoming the biggest cally unite generations of
ing Stones announced act to play Cuba since its 1959 revolution. Cubans, from people in
Tuesday that the group their 60s to their children
will play a free concert in Associated Press and grandchildren.”
Havana on March 25, be- The Havana “Concert for
coming the most famous ing in high school, after the of events in a country that Cuban fans have been Amity” will cap the Stones’
act to play Cuba since its period of censorship. I lis- spent the Cold War isolated buzzing about a possible America Latina Ole tour
1959 revolution. tened to a lot of rock back from the United States and concert by “Los Rollings” through seven Latin Ameri-
The Stones will play in Ha- then.” its allies. Cuba and its capi- since lead singer Mick Jag- can cities. The band said
vana’s Ciudad Deportiva On the same week as the tal have been flooded with ger visited Havana in Octo- it will donate instruments
three days after President visits by Obama and The tourists, visiting dignitaries ber. and other musical equip-
Barack Obama visits Ha- Rolling Stones, the Tampa and celebrities more than “It’s part of a dream to see ment from sponsors to Cu-
vana. The concert is ex- Bay Rays are expected to a year after Obama and the greatest icons of music ban musicians during their
pected to draw a mas- play the first Major League Cuban President Raul Cas- who couldn’t come before visit.
sive audience in a country Baseball exhibition game tro announced on Dec. 17, for various reasons, above The biggest musical per-
where the government in Cuba since 1999, part 2014 that they were mov- all Cuba’s isolation,” said formance in Cuba to date
once persecuted young of an extraordinary string ing to normalize relations. Cuban music critic Joaquin was held in 2009, when the
people for listening to rock Colombian singer Juanes
music. drew more than a million
“We have performed in people to a show titled
many special places dur- “Peace without Frontiers”
ing our long career but this in Havana’s Revolution
show in Havana is going to Plaza.
be a landmark event for us, That concert angered
and, we hope, for all our Cuban-American exiles in
friends in Cuba too,” the the U.S. and its organizers
band said in a statement. wrangled with Cuban offi-
Along with easing many cials over performances by
restrictions on foreign mu- local artists critical of their
sic, art and literature, the government. U.S. govern-
Cuban government has ment contractors also tried
increasingly allowed large to use the concert to pro-
gatherings not organized mote programs designed
by the state in recent to foment political change
years. The Stones concert in Cuba.
will almost certainly be one The Stones concert is ex-
of the largest since Cuba pected to take place in a
began easing its limits on more relaxed political en-
some non-official gather- vironment, as the U.S. and
ings in the 1990s. Cuban governments move
“I’m definitely going to rapidly to make their new
go,” said Ivia Perez, 39. “It relationship appear irre-
makes me think about be- versible before the end of
Obama’s term.q
Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams lead
Blind Willie Johnson homage
This CD cover image released by Alligator Records shows “God PABLO GORONDI Grateful Dead. of Johnson’s seems fitting
Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson,” a re- Associated Press The versions here preserve in a tribute to a man about
lease by Blind Willie Johnson. Various Artists, “God Don’t his deep spirituality, with the whom so little is known.
Never Change — The Cowboy Junkies, Sinead Johnson, whose voice
Associated Press Songs of Blind Willie John- O’Connor, the Blind Boys of could veer from a warm
son” (Alligator Records) Alabama and Maria McK- tenor to a false, growling
Tom Waits and Lucinda Wil- ee also among those ably bass, even leads the cho-
liams contribute two songs keeping the faith. rus of the Cowboy Junkies’
each to “God Don’t Never Waits is intense but relative- take on “Jesus Is Coming
Change — The Songs of ly subdued on “The Soul of Soon” via a well-adapted
Blind Willie Johnson,” a stir- a Man,” the opener which sample, the group seam-
ring homage to the Texas draws the listener closer to lessly bridging the nearly
gospel singer who last re- his grasp. When he returns 90 years between the two
corded in 1930. eight songs later with “John recordings.
Johnson sang only religious the Revelator,” he force- Producer Jeffrey Gaskill’s
songs among the 30 sides fully provides both call and able guidance has result-
that survive him, but his response, leaving no room ed in 11 stirring renditions
slide guitar and resonant for faintheartedness. That which replicate the soul
vocals motivated rockers he relies on Son House’s of the songs not just the
from Eric Clapton to the version of the lyrics instead sounds.q
