The Cuban singer-songwriter Pavel Urkiza turned to music this Friday to express his solidarity with Venezuela, posting on Facebook an emotional tribute video in which he performs "La vaca mariposa" ("El Becerrito"), one of the most beloved songs by Venezuelan composer Simón Díaz.
In the video recorded from Miami, Urkiza addresses his fellow Venezuelan musicians directly: "In this very difficult moment, I send you all my support and, well, this small and humble tribute to one of the greats of Ibero-American music, Simón Díaz."
The text accompanying the post expanded on that feeling of brotherhood: "To the beloved people of Venezuela, to my musician friends with whom I have enjoyed so much the wisdom of one of the richest and most important musical traditions of our Americas, this small and humble tribute to one of the greatest composers of Ibero-America, Simón Díaz. Up with Venezuela! With your beautiful people everywhere!"
The choice of "La vaca mariposa" is not incidental. Simón Díaz, known as "el Tío Simón," was the foremost exponent of Venezuelan llanera music and the author of iconic songs such as "Caballo viejo," which has been translated into 12 languages and has over 300 versions. The song chosen by Urkiza also holds rich symbolism, as per various interpretations surrounding it: the cow Mariposa represents the Virgin Mary, the calf symbolizes Jesus, and the children asking "dámelo papaíto" evoke the shepherds from the nativity scene in Bethlehem.
The gesture of the Cuban musician arrives at one of the most tragic moments in Venezuela in decades. The seismic doublet of June 24, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and an epicenter in the state of Yaracuy, is considered the largest seismic event recorded in that country in the 21st century and the strongest in 126 years, according to the University of the Andes. The official toll reached this Saturday 920 fatalities, over 3,360 injured, and at least 157 missing.
The tragedy also struck the Cuban community residing in Venezuela. At least 29 Cubans were reported missing, mainly concentrated in Caraballeda, Catia La Mar, and Los Corales, in the state of La Guaira, which has been declared a disaster zone. Searches remained ongoing this Saturday among the rubble.
Urkiza, a composer, guitarist, and music producer trained at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana, has spent decades building cultural bridges between Cuba and the rest of Latin America. In 1990, he founded the duo Gema y Pavel alongside singer Gema Corredera, and has collaborated with artists such as Ana Torroja, Miguel Bosé, and Omara Portuondo. In 2023, he collaborated with Haydée Milanés on "Virgen Mambisa (Exiliada)", premiered at the Ermita de la Caridad in Miami.
The ties between Cubans and Venezuelans go beyond music. Thousands of Cubans reside in Venezuela, many of whom are part of medical missions or workers who emigrated due to the economic collapse of the Island. The MINSAP confirmed that all collaborators of the Cuban medical mission in Venezuela were out of danger and participating in rescue efforts.
The video, published with the hashtags #sosvenezuela, #ayudavenezuela, and #terremoto, reflects the solidarity that unites two peoples sharing a rich musical heritage and a history marked by authoritarianism and exile. The llanera tune by Simón Díaz, performed by a Cuban in exile, became a resonant embrace this Friday for those who have lost everything.
"With your beautiful people even outside!" Urkiza concluded his message, in a phrase that many interpreted as a nod to the Venezuelan diaspora, which is as numerous and dispersed around the world as the Cuban one.
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