I understand what you mean and I won't say it's the ideal working environment for musicians but I know some musicians down there that make better money then musicians on their same level "musically" here in the states. And when you add in the lower cost of living in Cuba, it makes a very interesting comparison.

Things peaked in the late Ninties, band directors making a thousand dollars in one perfomance were not unheard of. Now, some of these same musicians have reduced the number of members in there group and will play more pop music to capture many different markets. They have done this becuse they have became accostomed to a certain lifestyle in the Ninties and things have slowed down in the last few years.

Don't blame Cuban musicians for not bashing the Cuban government in their music, that's not why their playing music, their there for girls and money, period. And why even say anything that will cause you or your group to have a harder time getting gigs, it's hard enough as it is. Apart from that it's total capitalism in the music biz in Cuba, all you have to do is play 'their' game "No talking bad about the revolution and no drugs" and it's the wild west.

The many different agencies that represent the different Cuban musical group though out the island just care about making their percentage, that's it. They love it when one of their groups gets a contract to go out of the country because it's more money for everybody. And don't believe any Cuban musician that says there is security watching him or her when playing outside the country, what a laugh. Only one person from the agency gets to go along for the trip with the band, usually a middle-aged women. They will usually rent one big house and live all together, imagine trying to watch a group a 12 or 15 wild young Cubans for 2 or 3 months! If one day they wake up and want to stay in that particular country, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Remember, any group in Cuba, dancers, musicians, if they have their academic papers in order and there is some foreign entity flipping the bill, can tour with no questions asked.

I wouldn't exactly agree with the statement that Formel's son was a "average Cuban citizen." Anyone connected with that family would be living on a much more elevated status.

A strange thing has happened in Cuba as of late, where the groups that are on top "Van Van, Bamboleo, Charanga, Manolito, Issac, Paulito, Reve, ect." have sort of unionized in way, to where they have a certain amount they are paid and they have priority above the bands the so called "second and third tier bands." Though they may be better, the groups on the second and third levels cannot elavate to a top band status because it's being controled by the the so called "first level" bands.

So it's all about money in the end anyway. It's just a question of which country screws musicians worse.

theres always Elides Ochoa, and Nico Saquito (I think thats how theyre spelled). I'm a huge fan of Elides.