The Cuban musicologist and essayist Carlos Olivares Baró recounted in an interview how he confronted the trumpeter and orchestra director Alexander Abreu in Mexico for being, in his words, a defender of the Cuban dictatorship, which caused Abreu to refuse to play in the venue where the critic was and to ask the owner of the establishment to remove him.
Olivares, exiled in Mexico for approximately 40 years, does not regret the episode: "They asked me to leave, and I left, but I gave it to them straight," he stated in the interview conducted by Tania Costa.
The musicologist described Abreu as an exceptional artist whose political stance is painful for him: “It’s a pity that such an important, brilliant musician like the director of the orchestra Havana D'Primera, Alexander Abreu, is nonetheless a supporter of the dictatorship. He is an extraordinary musician.”
According to Olivares, he directly told him: "Alexander, it is a shame that you, being such an important and groundbreaking musician, defend [the dictatorship]." Abreu's response was blunt: he informed the owner of the venue that "that man is here, I am not going to play".
Abreu, leader of Havana D'Primera since 2007, has been repeatedly pointed out by various exile groups as a figure close to the regime. In December 2023, he reaffirmed his connection to the island by publicly declaring, "I am going to live in Cuba and I am going to die in Cuba."
In 2020, the musician Descemer Bueno had already publicly called him out, urging him to take a stand with the Cuban people. In May 2022, Abreu performed in Miami amidst protests from exiles who accused him of being close to the government.
Olivares extended his criticism to José Luis Cortés "El Tosco," who passed away in Havana on April 18, 2022, and whom he also described as a defender of the regime: "They are two fundamental musicians, fundamental in contemporary Cuban music, who, however, are defenders of the Cuban regime. It's a pity."
The passing of El Tosco, founder of NG La Banda and one of the creators of Cuban timba, was mourned by Díaz-Canel himself, which for many in exile confirmed his alignment with the cultural establishment of the regime.
In contrast, Olivares praised Pablo Milanés for his bravery in the last years of his life: "Pablo, in the last years of his life, was a critic of the dictatorship... his final years were years of great courage." He added a revealing detail: "Pablo died in Spain and the regime never announced Pablo's death."
Milanés, a key figure of the Nueva Trova movement, passed away in Madrid on November 22, 2022 at the age of 79, having distanced himself from the regime that had used him as a cultural symbol for decades.
Regarding Silvio Rodríguez, Olivares was unequivocal: "I don't mention Silvio. Silvio is always a henchman of the dictatorship, with five or six fundamental songs, but he is a henchman."
The musicologist concluded his reflection with an idea that encapsulates his view on Cuban culture: “Our music, I reiterate, is our presence in the world,” citing true icons such as Celia Cruz, Benny Moré, Miguelito Cuní, and Pablo Milanés, while explicitly excluding those whom he believes have used their talent to serve the dictatorship.
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