Once again the power of rock- not rockets.
No atomic rockets- like during the dangerous 1962 Cuban missile crisis- but only explosive Rock ‘n Roll.
This time in Havana the charming (but rotten) capital of still communist Cuba.
Pope Francis was visiting the island- and now Mick Jagger and his cult band.
The Rolling Stones rocked Havana, and opened the door to freedom a little bit with protest culture and freedom songs.
Around 500,000 young people joined, rocked, and just had a lot of fun and expressed their desire to be respected and free of fear and suppression.
It was only Rock ‘n Roll- but a strong emotional political message of the young people, the future of Cuba: CHANGE!
Superstar Mick Jagger welcomed his fans in Spanish on the grounds of Havana’s large Ciudad Deportiva venue:
“Hello, Havana. Good evening, my people of Cuba!”
The Stones performed 18 songs, starting with Jumpin’ Jack Flash, including famous Satisfaction and Sympathy for the Devil.
Only 15 years ago Western rock music, including this band, was banned in this communist country.
Even rock music was too dangerous for the stiff officials, too open-minded, too much protest, a bitter call for personal freedom in a static dictatorship.
Still the country is dominated by the very old Castro brothers. Many still take the boat to flee to freedom in the United States.
The Castro brothers are the people from the past: remnants of the Cuban revolution, the missile crisis and the Cold War.
The old Castros and their now old followers were the young revolutionary protesters in the early 1960th.
So the Castros and the Rolling Stones have one in common: still active after half a century.
50 years later in Cuba they still stick to old communist dogmas, while the music jumped to the next generation as symbol of liberty.
The Castro brothers know something has to change, but they are no reformers, they are more the guardians of the past.
They were the communist Rock ‘n Rollers of their time.
But today it’s time to say ‘goodbye’!
They were fighting for their communist version of equality and freedom from a dictator of that time.
Now they have become the stiff dictators, for decades using fear to maintain control. But that control is slipping.
The Castro brothers are the reality of Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Their vision of communism is dead. Almost everywhere in the world. With the exceptions of the very capitalistic-communist Vietnam and China, and for sure the family GULAG that is North Korea.
The communists in Cuba are globally home alone. How long can they survive ?
Now a free outdoor rock concert of the super stars of protest.
A signal of change on the Caribbean island.
A universal call for CHANGE- HOPE- FREEDOM- LOVE.
With political dissidents still in prison and the peaceful Ladies in White arrested.
Or people leaving on boats to freedom.
But hope is inside the hearts of so many young people now, like in the 1990s in Central and Eastern Europe.
Time for Cuba Libre!
Photos from Rolling Stones on Twitter