Friday, July 25, 2008

A Cuban heavyweight


Imprisonment made Gorki stronger.

Gorki Águila is back full force. The Cuban music rebel was praised for his courage in a report on the American news network CNN on 23 April 2007 where his new music got world-wide exposure

"I've lost my fear
I've already been a prisoner
I've only got a few bones left
From up here the tyrant is watching you
You're playing his so that he'll oppress us"

These are new lyrics of Cuban musician Gorki Aguila and his band Porno Para Ricardo, ('Porno for Ricardo').

"If anything, Gorki's lyrics have become more, not less, political since his time behind bars," said CNN's Morgan Neill when he presented the new music of Gorki to the world on CNN, profiling what he termed as "the most outspoken voice in Cuba's rock scene" Neill and his camera crew had visited Gorki and his band in their rehearsal room where they are limited to practice and make their music once a week, behind closed doors in a room insulated with egg cartons, in an appartment which Gorki shares with his father.

The group told him that they are banned from playing live, and they distribute their music only via the internet and via handmade CDs which are passed hand to hand.

In his CNN-interview, Gorki didn't try to hide his disappointment in the leaders of his country. Communism? He just couldn't stop laughing about it. In another song excerpt he was quoted as singing:

"I wished I could belive in them
I'd like to but I can't
No more lies, old man"

Morgan Neill ended his report with saying:"Gorki and the rest of the band say they will keep recording and getting their music out the best they can. One thing they say they won't do is keep quiet."

2 comments:

Bauta said...

Morgan Neill se equivoca, Gorki no es “la voz más directa del rock cubano”. En cuanto a política se refiere al menos, es la única voz. Otros se entretienes con alegorías y referencias implícitas, pero no se arriesgan a que ninguno de los hermanos (Castro o Saíz) les recojan los tambores y los dejen sin las esperanzas del festival, el viajecito o el disquito que tanto prometen empresas gallegas y canadienses. Otros simplemente se conforman y cantan lo que no pudieron en los 80, cuando un pantalón muy estrecho de patas, dos collares y tres pelos largos nos conseguía patadas por el culo y noches de calabozo.
Gorki y los Porno se han ganado un merecidísimo lugar en la historia del rock nacional. No solo a base de disidencia política (que en Cuba a veces funciona como instrumento de marketing) sino con una buena dosis de talento y creatividad. Ojala que los chicos logren también el éxito comercial, para lo cual posts como este son imprescindibles. Si alguien lo merece, son ellos!!
Saludos machete, y felicidades por el nuevo blogo-ring!!

Anonymous said...

Vanidad y wishful thinking de un huérfano de fama:
"Por ejemplo, cuando nos censuraron El Concierto de Arte Calle, en el Museo Nacional, donde logramos ensayar canciones en el teatro de esta institución, fue censurado por Elmo Hernández y Corina Matamoros. Este era un concierto de música punk rock con letras críticas hacia el régimen de Castro y muy vanguardista. Era lo más avanzado que se hubiera hecho en las Artes Visuales en Cuba en mucho tiempo. Fue en realidad un antecedente de Gorky y Porno para Ricardo."
ex-integrante muy miope del ArteCalle