Cubans celebrate their own Grammys

(5 Sep 2003) 1. Wide shot International Press Centre conference room 2. Grammy nominees at table 3. Cutaway journalists 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Carlos Marti, President of Writers and Artists Guild: "We indignantly denounce this new insult which is unequivocally reactionary and anti-cultural." 5. Wide shot nominees at table 6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Eliades Ochoa, Grammy Nominee: "Sometimes it's better to sing and speak less. There's a song that says: 'After one lives twenty disenchantments, what's one more?' (laughter) Thank you." Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba - 4 Sept, 2003 7. Fidel Castro walking to his seat 8. Wide shot applause 9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Mayito Rivera, Singer "Van Van", Grammy Nominee: "We are aware that in this anti-cultural and anti-Cuban decision, US artists had nothing to do with it. We are united with them by a close relationship of friendship and exchange." 10. Wide shot stage and audience 11. Close up Castro and Marti 12. Zoom out from guitar of Manuel Galban (Buena Vista Social Club) to Eliades Ochoa (with hat) 13. Wide shot "Munequitos de Matanzas", Grammy Nominees 14. Medium shot dancers 15. Wide shot applause 16. Wide shot "Van Van" Grammy Nominees 17. Medium shot "Van Van" Grammy Nominees 18. Wide shot audience 19. Close up audience 20. Wide shot audience and "Van Van" ALTERNATIVE GRAMMY CELEBRATION IN CUBA Several Grammy-nominated Cuban musicians celebrated their contribution to Latin music at a concert on Thursday night in Havana, after they were unable to attend the Latin Grammy awards in Miami the night before. Deputy Culture Minister, Abel Acosta, told reporters that the Latin Recording Academy gave into pressure from anti-Cuba groups, and didn't send the letters of invitation needed by nominees to apply for U.S. visas. The State Department ultimately agreed to process the visa requests without the letters. Recording academy President Gabriel Abaroa said that invitations were sent out for all the nominated artists, including the Cuban acts. Cuban authorities said that only three of the nominated musicians had applied for visas and that all three were denied. The State Department said the remaining applications for four people who were to accompany the groups had arrived too late to be processed. A similar situation arose last year when none of the 22 nominated musicians received US visas in time to attend the ceremony. Cuban citizens must undergo a lengthier and more extensive review because the communist island appears on the United States' list of countries that sponsor terrorism. President, Fidel Castro, attended the concert, along with Ricardo Alarcon, leader of parliament, and several representatives from the Cuban Ministry of Culture. However, the two musicians who won awards in Miami did not perform. According to Cuba's Culture Ministry, members of the rap group Orishas, who for Best Hip-Hop album, are not in Cuba and Ibrahim Ferrer, a member Buena Vista Social Club, who won Best Traditional Tropical Album, was preparing for eye surgery. Musicians who did perform were Eliades Ochoa, nominated for Best Traditional Tropical Album, the popular group Los Van Van, nominated for Best Contemporary Tropical Album, the Romeu group, nominated for Best Flamenco Album and the Munequitos de Matanzas, nominated for Best Folk Album. Ochoa said at a news conference on Wednesday that if Cuba was chosen to host the Grammys, they would invite all nominees, including those that now are prohibited from going. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/dbe6332ed7081a035cf490fa76ef1b82

Added 30 Mar 2026