March 28, 2012
Yenisel Rodriguez Perez
HAVANA TIMES, March 28 — The work is for no less than seven days a week,
with three 45-minute sets on each of those days. What's more, there are
no breaks between the songs, which come from a repertoire of 48
different tunes that have to be updated every week.
These are some of the basic conditions demanded by foreign
businesspeople of Cuban musicians before investing in their musical talent.
Despite the poor working conditions, succeeding at signing one of these
super-exploitative contracts is a big deal for any member of the
precarious community of Cuban musicians.
The energy and time it takes to secure work abroad is eventually
vindicated by any job offer – no matter how bad it might be. To get
sponsored by a foreign employer requires bleeding oneself dry on limited
and poor Internet access.
One needs timely contacts with other Cuban musicians abroad, though the
individual musician will still have to market themself day and night in
search of potential sponsors.
This might also mean having to ask a former co-worker to go out and sell
your art for a few bucks.
When you can attract the interest of an investor, then come the time
consuming negotiations with domestic firms and the Cuban Institute of Music.
It becomes totally necessary to make sure that culture officials are
"well treated" so that one can get their musical program approved.
These are issues that are not taught to musicians when they study at
conservatories, which is why they have to learn their most important
subjects after graduation.
The academic experience is nothing but a spiritual retreat where the
only thing important is achieving virtuosity in classical music.
On the street you have to become a jackal if you want your musical
knowledge to provide you with enough to support yourself and your family.
Some — very few — live with a "love for art," and these are often
musicians who have high-powered families that sponsor them.
Most of one's fellow students wind up being exploited just like any
other manual worker. They eventually find themselves trapped in the
monotonous cloning of preconceived and stereotypical musical formulas.
Consequently, it's not uncommon to find musicians who hate what they do.
They end up detesting Cuban popular music, nightclubs and everything
having to do with the music industry.
No wonder.
Thanks for this contract related details.
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