Cuban Concert Cancelation Goes to Trial
HAVANA TIMES — The controversy around a canceled Cuban music festival in Miami in April 2011 will be brought before a court in a trial that will begin on August 13, reported the Café Fuerte website.
The companies MIA and Fuego Entertainment Resorts have filed a civil suit against the Homestead Miami Speedway complex because of that private institution having refused to honor its agreement to host a festival that would have brought together some 30 musical groups from Cuba and the US.
The plaintiffs are asking for $1 million in compensation for losses incurred due to the cancelation of the event.
The call for the festival had angered sections of the Cuban-American community, who consider the views of artists from the island as supportive by the Cuban government.
Back in the 1970’s, a group of us who supported the Cinematheque, in Coral Gables, were going to show “Memorias de Subdesarollo.” (Given political climate of Miami then–and now–what could we have been thinking??!!) After several bomb threats (and, given other incidents that were happening at that time, and continue to happen to this day, as with the case of the recent fire bombing of the Coral Gables travel agency which facilitated trips to Cuba), we cancelled the public showing (and instead, held a private screening, by invitation only, in the home of a member).