Soundtrack of Decline: Cuban Musicologist Criticizes Government's Support for 'Reparto' Music

Recent statements by the Cuban government during a Mesa Redonda broadcast dedicated to discussing "reparto" music have sparked immediate backlash on social media. Among the critics is renowned music researcher Rosa Marquetti, who voiced her concerns through an in-depth Facebook post, accusing the regime of cultural opportunism.

Marquetti described "reparto" as the "soundtrack of decline, national disarray, and a crisis of values." Her critique extends beyond the music itself, targeting the authorities for their efforts to legitimize this phenomenon through official channels. She emphasized that her criticism is not directed at the "reparto" musicians, but rather at the social conditions and government actions that have led to this cultural state.

"Music and the arts have always mirrored their times," Marquetti noted. "You can't ask those who have known nothing but material and spiritual poverty to not replicate the environment they've lived in."

According to Marquetti, the Cuban regime has not only allowed the spread of "reparto" but is now using it as a cultural and economic strategy after plunging the country into a severe crisis. "First, they marginalize an entire nation, leading it into material and spiritual misery, and then they seek to turn that misery into an exploitable economic asset," she argued.

The musicologist also criticized attempts to sanitize and commercialize "reparto," selecting artists who fit a more controlled image. "First step: sanitize 'reparto.' Too many mulatto and black artists with legal issues 'don't fit.' Better to promote a compliant, pretty, politically correct white artist," Marquetti remarked.

She did not mince words about what she sees as a significant ideological contradiction. "There's a government that claimed its unwavering principles include fighting for social justice and elevating popular culture. Yet, in its usual inconsistency, it has now chosen a musical style and is staunchly defending it."

Marquetti's post has circulated widely among musicians, music lovers, and social media users, many of whom share concerns about the political manipulation of this musical phenomenon as part of an official narrative disconnected from the authentic roots of Cuban culture. "They themselves, from their limited cultural depth and thought, are ideological 'reparteros,'" she stated, underscoring her stance against what she views as the exploitation of marginalization as cultural capital.