Carlos Santana, who has made a career out of looking like a human gargajo and shamelessly "sampling" riffs and rhythms from other artists and who was only able to resurrect his carreer after appearing as a guest artist with a bunch of other musical acts on his own CD, is perhaps more ignorant than most, either because of genetic shortcomings or chemical ingestion. Who knows, who cares.
From his "apology" after donning a shirt with Gevara's infamous likeness during an Academy Awards program we know his ignorance is fueled with arrogance. So arrogant, that his "apology" was a shameful exercise in self indulgent dismissiveness towards the people he offended. The kind of statement, that coming from a better bred person would be snobbish , but coming from someone who fell into a small fortune with a little talent and a lot of luck is shameful.
The image was not intended to project a single note of the hatred, anger or revolutionary ruthlessness displayed when Che Guevara was a revolutionary leader in Cuba. It was worn to honor the soulful young man portrayed in the movie, who awoke to the struggle of the disenfranchised and who had a profound political epiphany during a journey across South America. The image was not meant to be an endorsement about a man who helped to establish the Castro dictatorship in Cuba.
Now, the image on Santana's shirt was the now famous Korda image of Guevara wearing a members only - like effeminate jacket. The image was later cropped and mass-marketed. The picture was taken in 1960, well after Guevara had " helped to establish the Castro dictatorship in Cuba." and butchered hundreds of Cubans at la Cabana. So to say that the shirt was worn to "honor the soulful young man portrayed in the movie" is a condescending and bogus insult to the intelligence of the Cuban-American community. Had he wanted to honor the "young" Guevara post ephinany and pre-revolutionary butchery, he could have had a shirt made with the appropriate Guevara. Not that Santana' s excuse of giving Guevara a split personality makes any logical since in the first place.
Original Uncropped Korda picture shows Guevara in a "Michael Jackson Thriller Era " sissy jacket
Obviously, Santana, knows exactly what he's doing. Through his willful ignorance he arrogantly chose to be complicit in the suffering of the Cuban people.
Ese cuento que se hagan a otro.
5 comments:
we'll see, Jose.
hahaha E$tefans. it makes no sense to me that they would risk the repect of their own to make $$$ , they got plenty.
Tremenda Novela! stay tuned!
This was not a mistake by the E$tefans. Why out of thousand of artist honestly sympathetic with the Cuban cause pick the more controversial, the one that they know will provoke our outrage. This was no mistake. Recent events envolving other artist show that controversy add big $$ to their packets. Ask Mel Gibson or Madonna about it. The E$tefan are just following a trend with no regard for the Cuban community feelings for this issue knowing that our reaction will provoke higher interest for the DC by potential buyers. And will also, as I mentioned in my previous comment, open a possible new market for them. Shame on them!
I will have not problem with the E$tefan if they had participated in a project with Santana that do not carry the name “90 Miles” and is suppose to be a tribute to our people. This is an insult to the memory of all Cuban that had die in the hands of the Castro’s tyranny. I also consider that because of the name non-cuban artist must not be included in the project regardless of their solidarity for our cause. If they want to bring other artist sympathetic to our cause to the project let change the name of the CD. For instance “United for Cuba” or something of that sort will do better
The problem with the Santana "apology" is that the statement wasn't written by him. It was written by his management ABOUT him. It doesn't even incorporate a quote from him.
Then there's the little problem of the missing words. Thos words would be "regret" or "sorry" or "apologize" etc. etc.
No instead this is a declaration by a third party about what the artist's intentions were. If we misinterpreted the artists intentions then it's our fault.
Sorry Santana, no.
Couldn't say it better. If Carlitos wore a shirt with the dead che-shit's image on it, he might score some points on sincerity and credibility. Otherwise, que se deje de tanta pendejeria.
Carlos EsCheFan and the My Hammy Che-ound MaCheN
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