Archive for September, 2009

Cuba’s Concert for Peace Reaches the World Via the Web

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Freedom is the greatest gift. And the Internet and relevant content – in this case, a powerful concert for peace – have the ability to spread that gift to places closed off from the rest of the world.

Despite weeks of bickering and protests from Cuban-American groups with plenty of reasons to despise the Castro regime, Colombian singer Juanes and a few famous friends held a concert in my native Cuba today. They called the show: “Paz Sin Fronteras” (Peace Without Borders).

Thanks to the Internet the concert lived up to its name.

People from the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay and more were watching the concert live on the Web alongside more than 1 million Cubans packed into Havana’s “Plaza de la Revolución” (Revolution Plaza).

Univision.com, which webcast the concert along with a live chat, created its own community online where people lauded peace, unity, music and freedom.

“All the young people in the region, from Miami in the United States and in all the cities … should understand the importance of turning hate into love,” Juanes yelled in Spanish to the throng of people watching in person and on the Web.

“We’re all brothers. And we all have to be connected. …The future is in your hands, guys. Let’s bring change for good!”

Then Juanes sang “Sueño Libertad” (Dream of Freedom).

He finished his portion of the concert alongside Spanish singer Miguel Bosé with this song: “Es Tiempo de Cambiar” (It’s Time to Change).

Following that performce, Juanes and Bosé sang “Nada Particular” (Nothing in Particular) about an “island in the middle of the sea whose name is liberty.”

“Don’t stop singing about everything you believe in, brothers,” Bosé urged the crowd in Spanish.

“¡Cuba libre!” Juanes yelled out at the end of the concert. Free Cuba.

And with that, freedom scored another small win.

Tags: Entertainment
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