Latin Grammys Need a Venue; Miami Waits

The question for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in choosing a host city for its annual Grammy Awards show has always been simple: New York or Los Angeles?

But now, as the Santa Monica-based academy prepares its first Latin Grammy Awards show for next September, the question involves a different pair of cities: Miami or Los Angeles? And the answer hinges on an issue more complex than the usual war of ego and dollars.

Miami is home to all but one of the world’s major Latin music labels and most of Latin music’s biggest stars. It is also widely regarded as the capital of the Latin American entertainment industry. So Miami seems a no-brainer for the first Latin Grammy show, right?

Wrong. The show may not happen there, say insiders in the music industry and Miami politics, because the city’s Dade County is the only jurisdiction in the nation with an ordinance that prohibits it from contracting with any group that “does business with Cuba,” which the awards show would because it is open to artists from all Latin nations.

The ordinance, which has been called unconstitutional by its opponents, is the product of fervent hatred of Cuba’s Communist President Fidel Castro among a small but powerful group of Cuban exiles in Miami, many of whom fled the island nation after Castro’s 1959 takeover.

The ordinance would block Miami from providing police, fire and other key city services if the internationally televised awards show were held at a venue that has received public money, which most major arenas have. Essentially, the ordinance makes it impossible for the Latin Grammys to be held in Miami unless the academy bans Cuban musicians from participating.

Academy President and CEO Michael Greene says his organization will not ban any nation from participating in the show, which he says has a completely nonpolitical agenda.

The new Latin Grammy Awards--like its sponsor, the NARAS-affiliated Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences--were created to address the enormous variety and diversity of Latin musical genres. While the regular Grammys will continue to give awards in the existing 10 Latin genres, the Latin Grammys will give out awards in 39 genres. Artists will be eligible to win awards in both competitions.

Greene says he understands the resentment for Castro felt by many Cuban exiles. “I would never trivialize those emotions,” he says. But he also asks that the exiles not punish musicians for the perceived sins of their president. “I just ask those folks in south Florida who feel passionately about this, as we all do, to allow the arts to become a bridge. I think once that happens, the people living in Cuba are going to realize there ain’t nothin’ like freedom.”

But for some exiles in south Florida, freedom of expression is not the issue, says Debbie Ohanian, a Miami nightclub owner and concert promoter accused of being a communist on Miami radio and television programs--simply for hosting a concert by Cuban dance band Los Van Van last month.

Because of the ordinance, Ohanian had to pay $30,000 for security for the show, which was attended by 3,000 fans and protested by an equal number outside. Ironically, the lyrics sung by the Cuban band are either nonpolitical or guardedly critical of Castro’s regime.

“What do I think of all this?” Ohanian asks with a bitter chuckle. “I think it’s nice to live right next to America.”

Ninoska Perez, a spokeswoman for the Cuban American National Foundation, which supports the ordinance, says she and others like her are being misunderstood by Ohanian and others who accuse them of violating the 1st Amendment. In fact, she says, it is the 1st Amendment right of the exiles to protest Cuban performances.

“These types of cultural exchanges are not really cultural exchanges, because the Cuban government gets to pick who goes in and out of Cuba,” Perez says. “We have seen internal documents from the [Cuban] ministry of culture that say all events are possible as long as they coincide with the goals of the revolution. Why should we lend ourselves to be part of that?”

At a recent Los Angeles panel discussion for the Latin recording academy, powerful producer and executive Emilio Estefan addressed the Cuban issue in a diplomatic way that nonetheless underscored Miami’s resistance to the Grammy show.

“I think [the Latin academy] has a no-politics agenda,” Estefan says. “It’s about music. As an American, it’s nice to have the freedom of speech, to welcome everybody to this country. As a Cuban, my heart is sad with what’s happening in that country.”

According to U.S. foreign policy, it is legal for Cuban musicians to perform in the United States, provided they have appropriate visas. The past year has seen a veritable explosion in Cuban musical sales and performances in the U.S. An album by Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club ensemble has sold more than 1 million copies in the United States, yet in recent weeks a concert by that group in Miami was canceled because of protests.

Many powerful Cuban Americans in the Latin music industry--and there are plenty--say they support open cultural exchange with Cuba. But few are willing to say so publicly. As one influential radio executive put it, “I can’t be seen in Miami as being in favor of Cuban artists because it would have serious repercussions for me as a businessman.”

The ordinance has already caused Miami to lose millions by effectively rejecting the Junior Pan American Games and the Pan American Games this year--even though Miami had spent more than $200,000 courting the latter.

Nonetheless, city and county officials appear to be unwavering in their views. Miami Mayor Alex Penelas, a Cuban American, said last week that “if [Cubans] want to play at a public facility with public resources, I will enforce the law,” meaning he would make sure no city assistance would be provided for the Latin Grammy show.

The ordinance does not reflect the feelings of most Cuban exiles and Cuban Americans in Miami, according to Max Castro, a senior research associate at the North-South Center at the University of Miami. Most Cuban exiles favor economic restrictions against Cuba, but are flexible in cases of cultural exchange.

Max Castro and others doubt that the academy will put itself through the unnecessary stress of battling the ordinance in putting together the first Latin Grammy Awards show, however.

“Most cities are falling all over themselves to attract this type of event,” Castro says. “Why would they want to come here and deal with all of this when they can go to another city that welcomes them with open arms?”

Neighboring Broward County has told the academy it would welcome the show, as has Los Angeles.

Greene’s office declined Friday to say whether a decision has been made regarding the location for the awards show, but indicated that an announcement will be made soon.