Dave Sandoval
Fear and Longing in La Habana
“The opinion of the Cuban public is the only metric really worth considering, because Cuba has to be for Cubans.”
Cuba Explained in One Song
If you want to understand Cuba beyond the superficial, invest the time on a deep analysis of these lyrics.
Why ‘Gusano’ Is an Ethnic Slur
I think we’ve all agreed that racism and ethnic slurs are not OK in 2015, haven’t we? Maybe we haven’t. In today’s world, a lot of bigoted/racist/xenophobic sentiment creeps up not overtly, but in the subtle ways that are less perceptible. For example, we all constantly hear racist jokes, see stereotypical costumes and read publications […]
‘Sí, pero no:’ How Best to Understand the Paradox That Is Cuba
One of the hardest things I’ve had to accept is that almost nobody really cares that much about Cuba. Even my close friends, college roommates —these are my brothers who care about me dearly— in moments of honesty tell me that they just aren’t very passionate about the Cuba issue, or care very much. My […]
Why Does Every Silver Lining in Cuba Have Such Dark Clouds?
“Wowwwwwwwwwww” This was the first text message I got. Confused, I replied, “?” And then suddenly, my phone was exploding with text messages. So many people came to me, a Cuban-American musician, to get my take on President Obama’s new Cuba policy. I went online to find a range of opinions, from angry takedown pieces […]