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Carlos Varela, The Poet of Havana
Although Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Varela (Havana, 1963) travels the world as a cultural ambassador, he is always an Habanero, tied to his city with pride and passion. Both rocker and troubadour, Varela’s controversial songs about frustration and yearning for freedom have made him an icon to his country’s youth, even though he’s not a kid anymore. “Carlos Varela is something many people don’t think can exist in Cuba—an independent voice,” says Ned Sublette, whose QBADISC label released Varela’s “Monedas Al Aire” in 1993.
Varela’s first visit to Miami came in 1998 where he performed at a Songwriters showcase at Park Central Hotel in South Beach. Many saw the fact that Varela could play without incident in Miami as a significant turning point at the time. The next night, Varela performed at a private home for about 200 guests, many among the wave of Cuban artists, musicians, and filmmakers who arrived here in the early ‘90s. “Sing without fear!” someone shouted as Varela started to strum. “Fear?” Varela responded, “I play without fear in Cuba. Why should I be afraid here?”
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At Olympia Theater’s Gusman Center (Miami, 2010): Carlos Varela; on stage with Diana Fuentes
In a 2001 documentary Great Day in Havana, by Laurie Ann Schag and Casey Stoll, Varela is one of 11 artists celebrated in the film—all of whom reveal and reflect on Cuba’s precarious political climate, it’s African heritage, the ironies of a purportedly socialist country living off tourism, and how to live with dignity in the face of the U.S. embargo in the 1990s. In 2010, the first time that Varela’s whole band was granted visas to visit the U.S., they performed at Olympia Theater’s Gusman Center as part of a tour that included Playboy Jazz Festival in L.A., the Bluenote Jazz Festival in N.Y., and the Clearwater Summer Festival. Varela and the band returned to Miami in 2013 for a moving concert performance at Miami Dade-County Auditorium.
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l to r: Jackson Browne, Manny Alvarez and Carlos Varela (Havana, Cuba 2008)
A veteran of censorship battles with the Cuban government, Varela’s emotionally charged songs—raw, metaphoric chronicles of contemporary Cuban life—have drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan’s work. For his 2014 Standing in the Breach recording and tour, Jackson Browne translated Varela’s “Muros y puertas” (“Walls and Doors”), which addresses how polarized we are as a society—evident in the song’s refrain, “There can be freedom only when nobody owns it.”
Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival invites you to enter Carlos Varela’s world as he celebrates his 30th anniversary in poignant performances. The Festival’s next monthly screening series will feature The Poet of Havana on Thursday, May 7 at MDC’s Tower Theater (1508 SW 8th St., Little Havana) at 7:00 PM, with writer/director Ron Chapman & Carlos Varela in the house for a post-screening Q&A. Free for Miami Film Society members. $13 general public. [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][ Tickets ]
You may also catch Varela on Friday, May 8 [ Tickets ] at Flamingo Theater Bar (905 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami) Carlos Varela (Intimo) in Miami concert presented by Vedado Social Club. —Tatyana Chiocchetti[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
