The Rolling Stones rocked tens of thousands of Cuban and foreign fans at a free, outdoor concert in Havana on Friday, capping a week of engagement with the West for the Communist-run country that once censored the veteran British band's music.
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones performs a free outdoor concert at
Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, Cuba March 25,
2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones performs at a free outdoor concert at
Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, March 25, 2016.
REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Ronnie Wood (L) and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform a free
outdoor concert at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in
Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones performs a free outdoor concert at
Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, Cuba March 25,
2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Mick Jagger (C) of the Rolling Stones performs a free outdoor concert
at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, Cuba March
25, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Fans cheer while walking outside the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana
sports complex, Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
A fan walks past police at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex, Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Fans take a selfie near the stage at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana
sports complex, Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Fans gather near the stage at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports
complex, Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
Fans gather near the stage at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports
complex, Havana, Cuba March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
(L-R) Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of the
Rolling Stones stand together after landing in Havana, March 24, 2016.
REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
HAVANA: The Rolling Stones rocked tens of thousands of Cuban
and foreign fans at a free, outdoor concert in Havana on Friday,
capping a week of engagement with the West for the Communist-run country
that once censored the veteran British band's music.
The Stones kicked off their first-ever show in Cuba with their hit
"Jumpin' Jack Flash." It was first recorded in 1968, when Cuban rock
fans were secretly sharing pirated vinyl records and risked being sent
to rural work brigades to cure "ideological deviation."
The group followed with "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like
It)," which may carry extra meaning for Cuban fans who once faced
discrimination for their musical tastes.
Fans started gathering 18 hours ahead of time at Havana's
Sports City football and baseball fields, including Cubans who traveled
from across the Caribbean's largest island and foreigners who flew in
for the occasion.
"I love Mike Jagger so much. I've always dreamed about this.
I couldn't sleep knowing he would be here," said Angela Menendez, who
cleans floors in a hospital and said she arrived at 2 a.m.
People were dressed in all manner of jeans, T-shirts and boots with
the Stones' tongue and lips logo. Noticeably absent were would-be
entrepreneurs selling T-shirts or memorabilia.
Cubans have taken to coloring the tongue with the stars and
stripes of the U.S. flag, whether in the mistaken belief that the
British rock stars were American or in the spirit of this week's
historic visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.
The Stones formed in London in 1962, just three years after
Fidel Castro's bearded, long-haired rebels toppled a pro-American
government.
Ironically, Castro's revolutionary government came to see
counterculture bands like the Stones and the Beatles as dangerously
subversive and prohibited their music on TV and radio.
Half a century later, both the Rolling Stones and Cuba's
leadership share a longevity, performing well beyond what most people
would consider retirement age.
"Time changes everything," Jagger, 72, told reporters on his arrival at Havana airport on Thursday.
Sjoerd Olrichs, 67, said he became a Stones fan when he
first heard "Not Fade Away" on the radio in his native Netherlands in
1964. He has seen 77 Stones concerts since 1970.
"To me, it's not about seeing the Rolling Stones. It's about
seeing the Rolling Stones in Cuba. It's special for the Cuban people,"
Olrichs said.
For Cuban Juan Carlos Leon, 57, the event was more than special.
"To me, this is a consecration," Leon said as nearby fans
broke into their own a cappella version of the band's "(I Can't Get No)
Satisfaction." "I've waited my whole life for this. The Stones are the
greatest."
(Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by W Simon and Peter Cooney)
- Reuters
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