Watch Major Lazer Make History In Cuba
In 1962, under the watch of John F. Kennedy, a strict embargo was placed upon the small island of Cuba restricting finical, economic, and commericial trade. Well fast forward to 2016, and what once was, has officially come and gone. With the two governments mending a broken past, leave it to the musicians of the world to go straight to their fans; which is exactly what Major Lazer has done.
On the streets of Havana, the trio consisting of Diplo, Walshy Fire, and Jillionarie, performed the first main street dance event the country has ever seen. In the video below, you can see just how familiar the crowd is with the sounds of Major Lazer as they work their way through their set.
With music bringing happiness to people around the world, we can only hope that Major Lazer sets the ground work for future artists to come to the island of Cuba. At the end of the day, the island may not be so large, but the fans should get what they deserve! And that my friends, is Music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbwBD1LBH1U
A Genuinely Historic Moment For Cuba
This free concert drew a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands, making it one of the largest music events Havana had ever seen and a genuine milestone in the thawing relationship between the US and Cuba during that era. It happened at a uniquely open window in US-Cuba relations, and Major Lazer’s decision to play a free, all-ages street show rather than a ticketed club date gave ordinary Cubans access to a major international act in a way that simply hadn’t been possible for decades.
More Than Just A Concert
Moments like this tend to carry weight well beyond the music itself, and this show became a talking point in conversations about cultural diplomacy and how touring artists can bridge gaps that governments take years to close. Major Lazer’s blend of dancehall, reggaeton, and electronic influences also made them a fitting act for the moment, since that sound already had deep roots in Caribbean and Latin culture. Years later, this Havana show is still referenced as one of the more genuinely historic crossover moments between the dance music world and global politics.
