Cuban Salsa Stars Missing the Beat in Miami Politics

One of the ironies of life in subtropical South Florida is that while other major U.S. cities have taken part in a virtual worldwide mania for Latin music by playing host to some of Cuba’s top singers and bands, this most Cuban of American cities has not.

It’s not that Miamians are immune to salsa fever. Dance clubs are packed, and performers such as Celia Cruz draw large, hip-shaking crowds.

But for much of the last 39 years, exile politics has determined which artists, entertainers and authors can appear here. Only those who have distanced themselves from the regime of Fidel Castro by exile from the island are safe from community scorn and protest that has often turned violent.

Thus, the popular Cuban dance band Los Van Van prepares for another summer tour of the United States that includes a June 14 date at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles but excludes Miami--at least for now.

Even recordings by Los Van Van and other Cuban bands, such as Irakere, NG La Banda and La Charanga Habanera, are rarely broadcast here except over low-watt stations. Last year, the general manager of a company that owns three Spanish-language stations resigned after a public mea culpa over allowing Los Van Van’s music to be aired.

Last month, hot young salsero Isaac Delgado broke the live sound barrier. The singer flew in from Havana to perform two advertised shows at a Miami Beach nightclub, and although trouble was anticipated, there was none. Both performances at Club Onyx were packed, mostly with younger Cuban Americans.

“The time is right,” said Hugo Miguel Cancio, who promoted Delgado. “The doors are completely open now.”

That may be an exaggeration. Danny Scher of San Francisco’s Bill Graham Presents, which is booking Los Van Van’s U.S. tour, said State Department concern over exile reaction in South Florida still defines the itinerary. “I would hope that someday the people of Miami would get to hear the same caliber of music that the rest of the world hears,” he said. “But Miami is a unique situation, and one we have to deal with.”

Nonetheless, Cancio said he would meet with Los Van Van leader Juan Formell in Havana this week to discuss a South Florida show. “It would be more than a concert,” said Cancio, who has already asked the city of Hialeah for permission to use its race track as a venue. “Formell told me it is his dream to perform in Miami.”

A sure test of the area’s political climate will come in August when Reed MIDEM, a music industry trade group, returns to Miami Beach to host a conference that serves as the world’s biggest Latin American music festival. Last year, the conference was beset by controversy when a Miami-Dade County ordinance was invoked to exclude Cuban artists. The ordinance bans vendors who do business with the county from dealing with any firms that trade with Cuba.

After MIDEM threatened to boycott Miami Beach--going elsewhere with about 4,000 visiting music executives and an estimated $17 million in economic impact--private music industry leaders agreed to replace the county in underwriting the event.

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At least one Cuban musician--rumored to be 77-year-old pianist Ruben Gonzalez--is scheduled to perform at the conference, and other music labels are asking to showcase their acts. Jimmy Maslon, president of L.A.-based Ahi-Nama Music, which records 15 Cuban groups, has asked to present the band Arte Mixto and performer Orlando “Maraca” Valle.

With the oppressive atmosphere that has long hung over South Florida exile affairs beginning to lift, Cancio and others predict that many top Cuban acts are likely to show up soon. Irakere, NG La Banda and Orquesta Aragon have all toured the States recently but bypassed Miami. Cuban troubadour Carlos Varela did perform here in March, although his unpublicized show took place in a private home before 150 invited guests.

“At concerts in Cuba, people follow every rhythm, every lyric. It’s like a shared religious experience,” said critic Judy Cantor, who covers Latin music here and on the island. “When these bands play Miami, it will be as close to Havana as you can get. Pandemonium. A love fest. Just ecstasy, no doubt about it.”

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Times staff researcher Anna M. Virtue contributed to this story.