An international lineup of Latin acts will join Colombian rocker Juanes at his controversial “Paz Sin Fronteras” (Peace Without Borders) concert, scheduled for Havana, Cuba, on September 20.
The free concert, which coincides with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, will also feature Spanish pop act Miguel Bose and Puerto Rican tropical star Olga Tanon in addition to Cuban artists Amaury Perez, X Alfonso, Carlos Varela, Los Van Van, Silvio Rodriguez and Orishas. CuCu Diamantes and Yerba Buena, Italian rapper Jovanotti, Puerto Rico’s Danny Rivera, Ecuador’s Juan Fernando Velasco and Spain’s Victor Manuel and Luis Eduardo Aute are also on the bill.
In contrast to Juanes’ last Paz Sin Fronteras concert, staged last year to defuse an imminent conflict between Colombia and Venezuela, this year’s lineup is shorter on major, internationally known Latin acts. The concert has raised the hackles of some Cuban exiles, who perceive it as a show of support for the Castro regime. Juanes has repeatedly defended the concert — often via his Twitter account — as an apolitical expression of peace and a desire to bring nations together through music.
The concert will be staged at the city’s Jose Marti Revolution Plaza between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time. Organizers have requested that both the performers and the audience wear all white as a symbol of peace.
According to a news release from Juanes’ camp, local production costs for the sponsor-free event will be covered by the Cuban Institute of Music, part of Cuba’s Ministry of Culture. Juanes has also said that he, Bose and Tanon are covering production costs themselves. None of the artists on the lineup are being paid to perform.
Spanish composers’ society SGAE, Air Europa, A&C Charters and Aerosur are pitching in as well to cover rehearsals and airfare. More than 160 journalists have been credentialed to cover the concert, which will be aired via satellite through Cuban TV. The feed for the concert will be made available to any TV, online or radio outlet.
