Silvio Rodríguez: "I Hope Cuba's Future Doesn't End Up in the U.S. Government's Pocket"

As he prepares to release his twenty-second album, Cuban singer-songwriter and founder of the Nueva Trova movement, Silvio Rodríguez, granted an interview to the EFE agency where he expressed his hope that "the future of Cuba doesn't end up in the U.S. government's pocket."

New Album and Creative Process

In addition to explaining the creative process behind his new album 'Quería saber', the troubadour reflected on the current state of Cuba with his usual mix of careful criticism and nostalgia for a "revolution" that solidified a totalitarian regime in Cuba, which he still defends. He expressed his concern for the country's future and the legitimacy of the so-called "continuity" government's chaotic economic and social policies, stating his hope that "the future of José Martí's Cuba doesn't end up in the U.S. government's pocket."

At 78 years old, Silvio remains active in music with a new album featuring eleven tracks composed between 2015 and 2019. "'Quería saber' is the continuity I have; the songs I chose to gather this time," he told the Spanish agency.

According to the agency, the album features a mix of intimate and social lyrics, with some songs richly instrumented and others stripped down to their bare essence. Among the tracks, Para no botar el sofá stands out as an "editorial song" that addresses issues such as mass migration, homophobia, and censorship. Rodríguez commented, "I talk about things that hinder us, that instead of freeing us, bind and complicate us." He concluded this song, and others like La cuota diaria, with messages of hope and optimism, advocating for "counting on each other" and overcoming challenges.

Reflection on Creativity and the Pandemic

The singer also reflected on his creative process and the impact of the pandemic on his life and career. During the pandemic "pause," he discovered many things he had postponed. Additionally, he remembered his Nueva Trova companion, Pablo Milanés, who passed away in 2022, calling him "irreplaceable" due to his exceptional musicality and talent.

Criticisms of the "Continuity" Government

Silvio has been known for his distinctive voice and poetic style, capable of being both a critic and a staunch defender of the Cuban regime. "I understand the young people who leave. Life is only one, and the situation in Cuba is quite difficult. We have faced a generational shift under the pressure of a blockade," he told El Español in late March.

In his view, "the highest achievements of Cuba, such as schools, continue operating with many difficulties; hospitals also work, though with fewer staff, resources, and medications." In this context, the musician and National Assembly deputy seemed to find logic in people leaving the country amid the migration crisis affecting the Cuban populace.

"It's the situation we are living in after the pandemic recession, now worsened by two wars. We cannot forget that unjust imperial sanctions weigh on Cuba," Rodríguez said, aligning with the regime's usual rhetoric that blames the country's problems on the U.S. economic embargo.

In March 2023, the troubadour stated that the Cuban regime needed a "change of mindset" and to "lose the fear" of economic models that could ensure collective well-being. "The changes we need are in mentality. We must lose the fear," he commented on a post by Fidel Vascós González about socialism on his blog Segunda Cita.

Silvio explained that "we are in the most difficult stage of the so-called revolutionary period," with a notable loss of "confidence and faith like never before." He added that "communication has failed to meet the level required by a historical situation like this. This happens because mentalities are still functioning in an old-fashioned way."

"To be truly revolutionary, one must know how to prioritize collective well-being over the security of a group or social condition. The people are not fools," he emphasized.

In late August 2022, during the height of the energy crisis and increased blackouts in Cuba—a situation similar to what is currently experienced—the singer warned that "the people will end up confronting the government" if citizen protests in Cuba continue to be repressed.

"I think our government makes a grave mistake when it prevents the people from taking actions for relief. This contradiction will need to be resolved, or the people will end up confronting the government," Rodríguez wrote on his blog.

His statements came a day after Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a speech about the energy crisis, called Cubans who protest because of the prolonged blackouts "indecent."

"There is so much anguish, and it bothers so much what we could do and don't do, that the temptation to blame the government for everything is latent... I defend everyone's right to express and say what they feel," concluded the author of Ojalá.