Urban music artists Lico Wayne and Tino Mán from Santiago de Cuba were summoned to the "La Motorizada" Police Station this Wednesday, where they were threatened with repercussions if they proceed with the filming of their music video for "Súbelo Mayeta". The artists had planned to shoot the video that day, but were unable to attend due to the police summons, according to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta on Facebook.
"Súbelo Mayeta" is a track dedicated to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who has become a pivotal voice in exposing the grievances of Santiago de Cuba's residents, revealing the hidden truths the regime tries to conceal in the eastern province. Earlier, Mayeta had reported that the artists were at the police station and that no one had any information about their whereabouts: "They are not responding to calls or messages from the filming crew, who were ready and waiting for them to start the video shoot."
Concerns Over Artists' Safety
The production team was anxious about the artists' safety, considering them missing and potentially arrested, according to Mayeta. He described the incident as "another attempt by the Cuban regime to censor free and street art, a practice that has been ongoing since 1959, particularly against those who use their music to denounce the reality of the Cuban people."
Mayeta further pointed out that "'Súbelo Mayeta' has become more than just the name of a song; it has turned into a cry of protest against the repression faced by Cubans." He frequently uses the hashtags #subelomayeta and #súbelomayeta in his social media posts.
Public Gratitude and Continued Censorship
Recently, the independent journalist publicly thanked the artists: "I usually don't like being thanked or having songs composed for me, when I am the one who is grateful to you. Simply, thank you for the music track."
Censorship in Cuba remains a powerful tool for the regime to suppress any content that contradicts its narrative. For instance, Adventist singer Dairon Gavilán recently revealed that he was barred from participating in the Cuerda Viva Festival gala because his song "En el nombre de Jesús" mentions Jesus repeatedly. "They asked us to change the song because it mentioned Jesus too much, but we decided not to, as our faith and principles come first," Gavilán stated on his Facebook page.
Success Amid Censorship
Filmmaker Lilo Vilaplana has managed to circumvent these barriers. In August, he shared on social media that his film "Plantadas," which pays tribute to political prisoners under the Castro regime, is gaining more viewers in Cuba despite the censorship. "I receive images from Cuba of people watching 'Plantadas' even in parks," Vilaplana noted on Facebook.