The Cuban Revolution: A History Of The Cuban Revolution

A History of the Cuban Revolution

The Cuban Revolution was a movement to completely recondition Cuba. It began in 1959 when Fidel Castro took power and deposed the previous ruler, Fulgencio Batista. According to Aviva Chomsky, the author of A History of the Cuban Revolution, the Cuban Revolution totally altered the country by articulating the importance of literacy and literature, centralizing sports, reorganizing the political office, reviving traditional and indigenous music, modifying socioeconomics, and reforming religion.

Since the Cuban Revolution, interest in Latin American Studies has become stronger in schools in the United States (Chomsky 110). Cuban literature was divided by the Revolution. Books and other written works were labeled

The roots of Cuban music go back very far, to pre-Columbian times. The Revolution only changed, or attempted to change some characteristics of music, and others were left to flourish (Chomsky 120). Traditional Cuban “son” music was internationally revived in the 1990s, post-revolutionarily (Chomsky 121). The Revolution gave traditional music more modern variations. In 1965, musician Carlos Puebla wrote “Hasta Siempre Comandante” about Che Guevara leaving Cuba to spread the Revolution elsewhere. Cuba took the “New Song” movement that was going on in other Latin American countries, and made it the “Nueva Trova” in Cuba. The goal of “Nueva Trova” was to challenge the commercial and foreign control of the airways, by playing traditional, meaningful, and authentic songs. All over Latin America and Cuba, people were embracing indigenous musical roots instead of being influenced by the popular sounds of the time (Chomsky 121). Cuban rap music also flourished, but later, in the Post-Revolutionary 1990s. Cuban rap was a new aspect of music influenced in part by the lack of political influence and modern sounds, but also by the edgy, covertness that was persuaded by the Revolution (Chomsky 122). The popularity of rap music made its concept seem less radical, but in a very short time people began to praise rap for its rejection of the normal social standards of the day (Chomsky 122). Cuban rappers may have networked with some rappers from the United States because of similar interests, but realistically, that was a plan to criticize capitalism and embrace the freedoms they were given by the Revolution. It was a struggle for many modern musicians to reject what was popular and accepted. (Chomsky