Lawyer: US approves visa for Cuban folk icon Silvio Rodriguez for June 4 show at Carnegie Hall

Cuba’s Rodriguez gets US visa for New York concert

HAVANA — The U.S. government has approved a visa for Cuban folk icon Silvio Rodriguez ahead of a June 4 concert at Carnegie Hall.

Rodriguez tried to travel to New York last May for a tribute to Pete Seeger but officials didn’t respond fast enough.

San Francisco-based attorney Bill Martinez said Wednesday that this time, a visa has been approved.

It will be Rodriguez’s first U.S. tour since 1979, when he visited several cities including New York.

The 63-year-old is a staunch defender of the Castro government and pens political lyrics. But Rodriguez released an album in March wondering if Cuba’s communist system should evolve.

He said in a recent interview with The Associated Press, “If we don’t change, they are going to change us.”