The legendary Spanish singer Massiel has once again made headlines after revealing an awkward anecdote from her time in Cuba in the 1960s, when she refused to meet with Fidel Castro himself.
In a recent interview with the newspaper El País, Massiel recalled the month she spent on the Island in 1967, a year before gaining international fame with her victory at the Eurovision Festival.
Invited by the Cuban regime to participate in the Cultural Congress of Havana, the Madrid-based artist claims she traveled out of political curiosity: "I just wanted to see the revolution with my own eyes."
However, her experience took an unexpected turn when the leader of the revolution wanted to meet her in person.
"The commander wanted to meet me, and I told him no. It felt to me like a setup," he revealed.
Far from ending there, his refusal provoked a reaction in the dictator that was as unusual as it was contemptible.
"They spread the rumor that I had something with him. That jerk couldn't think of anything better than to say that. He even went to Canada to buy a stallion, a Hereford bull. Do you know what he named it? Massiel. The legend was already set," she claimed.
Before going to Eurovision, Massiel had already become famous thanks to the song "Rosas en el mar," which Luis Eduardo Aute dedicated to the Cuban revolution.
He also sang songs by Pablo Milanés and Silvio Rodríguez, but he always remained politically "independent": he never joined the Communist Party or the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).
His career was also marked by the Franco regime. After winning Eurovision, he refused to accept an award from the dictator Francisco Franco and was banned from Spanish television for months.
"When I arrived in Spain, they wanted me to go to El Pardo, and I didn't want them to put a cross on me. I didn't want a photo with Franco," she said on a program from Telecinco.
That decision cost him nine months of media exile after he publicly stated that he was not a Francoist.
In 2013, Massiel was about to return to Cuba to participate in a gala against homophobia promoted by Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro, but had to cancel due to health issues.
According to the National Center for Sexual Education (Cenesex), "the artist had to undergo eye surgery, and the doctors advised her to avoid traveling."
The 77-year-old singer is one of the most controversial and authentic cultural figures in the Spanish scene.
Although she often regrets having participated in Eurovision, her voice continues to resonate due to her critical and irreverent attitude towards power, whether under Franco's shadow or in front of the symbols of the Cuban dictatorship.
Frequently asked questions about Massiel and her rejection of Fidel Castro in Cuba
Why did Massiel refuse to meet with Fidel Castro in Cuba?
Massiel refused to meet with Fidel Castro because she suspected it could be a trap. The Spanish singer recounted that during her visit to Cuba in 1967, she was invited to meet the leader of the revolution, but she chose not to accept because it "felt like a setup."
What consequences did Massiel's rejection of Fidel Castro have?
After the rejection, the rumor spread that Massiel had had a relationship with Fidel Castro. According to the singer, it was even said that Castro had bought a bull and had named it after him as a joke.
What was Massiel's relationship with the Franco regime in Spain?
Massiel refused to accept an award from Francisco Franco after winning the Eurovision Festival. This act of rejection resulted in a nine-month ban from Spanish television, as she publicly stated that she was not a supporter of Franco.
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