Ebblis Mai Valdivia never intended to leave Cuba permanently in search of a better future. Instead, El Boni was accused of deserting his homeland and his audience, leading to a prohibition on his return to the island. The tough times he and his brother Kelly Valdivia faced as they started over in another country were discussed in a recent interview on the podcast “Destino Tolk.”
The Cuban singer recounted that after recording an album with his brother in the Dominican Republic—at that time, they were known as the duo Boni y Kelly—they were invited to open a concert in Panama for a charity event featuring major music stars like Shakira, Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, and David Bisbal.
However, resistance quickly arose from a director at their company in Cuba. "They didn't want us to go; for them, it was ‘ideological diversionism,’ the typical narrow-minded company official putting up obstacles. He told us to tell Juan Luis Guerra to come talk to us—utter madness,” El Boni explained.
“They said no, and that if we performed at the event and didn’t return within the time they specified, we’d be considered traitors and deserters,” the singer continued.
Despite the warnings, Boni y Kelly decided to travel to Panama. They opened the concert, mingled with the renowned artists, “and two days later when we tried to return to Cuba, we found out we couldn’t. The airline had canceled our flight, and when we contacted the company, they told us we were deserters who had betrayed the audience. All those nonsensical accusations meant we couldn’t return, so we had to start a new life from scratch in the Dominican Republic.”
El Boni reflected, “I always say, when you plan to stay in another country, you prepare yourself, you say goodbye to your mom and your family. We left thinking we would return... Our poor mother went every day to the Ministry of Culture and the Institute of Music. They bounced her around, treated her poorly, and humiliated her, but she kept going back every day, hoping someone would help.”
After five or six years working on music in the Dominican Republic and later in Spain, completely cut off from their Cuban audience, they were finally able to return to the island. However, it was extremely difficult to rebuild their career in Cuba, and eventually, they decided to move to Miami.
El Boni's Struggles and Accusations of Desertion: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding El Boni's experience of being accused of desertion and banned from returning to Cuba.
Why was El Boni accused of desertion?
El Boni was accused of desertion because he and his brother Kelly Valdivia decided to perform at a charity event in Panama against the wishes of their company in Cuba, which labeled their actions as 'ideological diversionism.'
What challenges did El Boni face after being banned from returning to Cuba?
El Boni and his brother had to start their lives from scratch in the Dominican Republic. They faced significant hardships, including being cut off from their Cuban audience and their mother’s struggles to seek help from Cuban authorities.
Were El Boni and Kelly Valdivia ever able to return to Cuba?
Yes, after five or six years of working in the Dominican Republic and Spain, they were eventually able to return to Cuba, but it was extremely difficult to rebuild their careers there.