You were, maybe, expecting Sierra Maestra?
Tonight, unfortunately, you will not hear Sierra Maestra, Cuba’s world renown leading "son" group. If Sierra Maestra was from a country like Pakistan, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia, their applications for visas would have been promptly reviewed.
However, they are from a country the U.S. State Department calls "terrorist" (not to be confused with a country that actually sponsors terror), and their applications for visas, made many months ago, require approval by a much wider range of authorities – under a White House which is trying to sharply curtail person-to-person and cultural contacts between average people of the US and Cuba.
In fact, "Sierra Maestra" has appeared in the United States several times previously – with no problems. This time the FBI failed to give them a security clearance in time. "I'm just wondering if this has more to do with post-Iraq war politics and less with post-9/11 security," the sponsor in Chicago said. "Our doors and windows to the world are being shuttered, one canceled gig at a time."
www.suntimes.comIf our government’s continued policy of denying U.S. citizens access to Cuban culture seems crazy, venial and/or stupid to you, we suggest you contact your federal representatives & the heads of the following agencies and complain: www.state.gov; www.fbi.gov; www.congress.com
We do appreciate the willingness of "FUNKADESI" to come on short notice and give us an excellent taste of world music. Luckily visas are not required to travel from Chicago.
For more info:
www.sierra-maestra.net; www.CubaWiFriends.orgMilwaukee Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, (414) 273-1040