USINT Havana hosts Open Mike Night
On Saturday, June 27, USINT Havana held the third edition of "Open Mike Night" - a cultural event conceived to provide freedom of expression to Cuban musicians and artists in a non-political atmosphere.
Twelve groups of performers, including one led by USINT's very own Human Rights Officer Tom Hamm, delighted an audience of almost 200 gathered at the PAO residence with styles and rhythms that ranged from traditional Cuban son and rumba, to Afro-jazz, rap, regaetton and rock.
Added to the free-expression mix this time around were poetry and painting contests in which audience members selected the winners via secret ballot. A Cuban independent journalist described this hugely popular event as "... a sort of oasis in which dissidents, the opposition, and common folks, meet freely and without fear that the political police will break it up." Open mike nights also afford amateur Cuban groups - so-called "garage bands" - a rare opportunity to play before a substantial live audience, often for the first time.