The Politics of Cuban Music in the United States

The third chapter describes the history of Cuban politics in the United States, their recent transformations, and how they have impacted musical production and interaction. The politics and musical prominence of Cuban exiles in Miami has resulted in a range of reactions to Cuban musicians in South Florida ranging from controversy to acceptance. Divisive Florida performances are contrasted with appearances by Cuban artists elsewhere in the country. The National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba’s first tour of the United States in 2012 featured a range of repertoire by Cuban artists, European romantic composers, Gershwin, and more that represented a call for increased US-Cuban musical interaction.