This year the Greenwich Music Festival is focusing on traditional and contemporary music of Cuba. Also featured is a rare staging of Hans Werner Henze’s The Runaway Slave (El Cimarrón), a remarkable work of music-theater narrating the true life story of Esteban Montejo, an Afro-Cuban born into slavery on a sugar plantation in 1860, who escaped bondage to live in the jungle, later fought in the battles for independence from the Spanish and, having witnessed one final revolution with Castro’s rise to power, died in 1973 at the age of 113.
One casualty of the conflict between the United States and Cuba has been the exchange of arts and culture. And while many on both sides of the Florida straight have lost confidence in the politicians to normalize relations between our two countries, in some instances artists are taking the lead. The massive peace concert in Havana organized by Colombian musician Juanes last year is one one such example, as is a recent concert performed there by none other than Kool And the Gang.
Performances at the Greenwich Music Festival run June 8-13th. Info and tickets here. Read Time Out New York's review of The Runaway Slave.
