Cubans flock to Havana waterfront for Calle 13 show; band braces for Miami political backlash

Calle 13 rocks Cuba, braces for Miami backlash

HAVANA — Puerto Rico’s Calle 13 brought its edgy mix of reggaeton and hip-hop to Havana on Tuesday, rocking thousands of screaming fans from an outdoor stage.

The Grammy-winning group played in front of towering Cuban and Puerto Rican flags as the sun set and foamy waves crashed against the famous Malecon boulevard that hugs the seawall along Havana’s coast.

The thunderous show was held on a public square dubbed the “Anti-imperialist Plaza,” located just a stone’s throw from the U.S. Interests Section — which Washington keeps in Cuba instead of an embassy, since it has no formal diplomatic relations with the island.

Band members don’t deny that playing Havana had political overtones — but said the crowd came for the music.

Tuesday’s appearance will be followed by concerts in Miami, where Calle 13 expects a backlash from those who see its visit to Cuba as tacit support for the country’s communist government. Lead singer Rene Perez said Monday the band is influenced by politics in most things it does, and is aware it’s making a statement with the Havana show.

Cuban-American exiles in Florida who oppose the Castro government “are going to come at us, be all over us, but it’s all the same to us,” Perez said.

Most of the Havana crowd was in its teens or 20s, though entire families crowded onto nearby terraces and rooftops to catch a glimpse. Fans brought hand-scrawled signs, one of which read “Calle 13: This is a crazy’s people’s party.”

Trips to Cuba require Washington’s permission for U.S. citizens including Puerto Ricans, but American officials approved Calle 13’s visit without incident.

The concert was evidence that cultural exchanges between Cuba and the United States have become far more commonplace even though chilly political relations have not significantly improved since President Barack Obama took office.

In December, American funk and R&B pioneers Kool & the Gang held a concert on the same “Anti-imperialist” stage. Colombian rocker Juanes insisted his visit last year was about music — not politics — when he played a 5½ hour “Peace Concert” before hundreds of thousands in sprawling Revolution Plaza.

Meanwhile, longtime Cuban Salsa favorites Los Van Van played in Miami on Jan. 31. And La Charanga Habanera and Buena Fe, an island pop duo, each made recent, sold-out appearances there. The Septeto Nacional visited Miami in November, and folk singer Carlos Varela met with politicians and sang in Washington.