Ciro Díaz Penedo Javier - Cuban guitarist and singer, punk, antyreżimowego band Porno para Ricardo, and the creator of the solo project of La Babos Azul, in which he recorded CD with songs by Jacek Kaczmarski. blogger and activist. Brothers Castro hates more than ogólniaka director, which he attended. ... So far
interview was conducted in Havana, November 2nd, 2009.
Me: You do not have musical training, right?
CD: Yes.
Me: And what did you study?
CD: Mathematics at the University of Havana, for five years. As for the music, I just like to give different sounds. From kid. Upcycle first song that I knew, then I started making my own. And so it had lasted throughout high school and college, which I finished in 2004. Although I completed my studies I wanted to continue working to deal with mathematics and work at the university as a lecturer. I had the appropriate degrees and qualifications, but I was not politically appropriate. To be a teacher because you have to meet certain policy requirements. I taught earlier - before I finished studying - for two years, but it obviously was not sufficient. Well, I was without a job - they offered me a job it is true, but in such a position, which I did not want to accept it, that was the degradation. So I decided to take only the music, dorabiając only as a private teacher of mathematics. But I was aware the fact that my life is music - since then, it has already recorded five albums, I composed lots of songs, I did a lot of clips. So I can say that people who refused to teach me the right were the same ones who pushed me towards music.
Me: And on what basis it was decided that it is not really a teacher? Did you do anything specific, whether you have been punished for so-called. lifetime?
CD: They, above all, do not allow any form of opposition to government policy. Of course, Cuba's hard to find someone who would actually agree with it, but you must not be an activist, speak out, because then you start to stand out from the crowd. But I always openly talked about what I think, in the classroom during classes, or wherever. To podpaść do not even need to go to any political demonstrations, to give up the opposition circles, just simply do not hide their views, because then you become a problem that as soon as possible to get rid of. Of course, this applies not only to higher education, but educational institutions in general. Well I flew.
Me: Before we started this conversation, you mentioned that you started playing early that wrote the song at primary school. So my guess is that the Porno Para Ricardo is not the first team in which you play?
CD: Ever since I fell in love with rock and roll began to form teams. I just can not be in this situation, I do not have a band where I play. Scrolled up a lot of these groups in my resume. As for Porno Para Ricardo - is certainly the longest piece of my life assigned to one band. Now, I created a separate project, but all is not important - I just need to have a team. Always.
Me: Songs PPR is very rebellious, they are moving in the political, social, describes in the strongest terms the Cuban reality, which obviously is not like you. It always has been - whether those issues were always close to you?
CD: The texts that I wrote always relate directly to my own reality, such as I saw her. But politics was not always in the center. For example, in high school subject that moves me the most was director of the school, which I hated. So I created a whole lot of songs against the director, teachers and everyone who pisses me off (laughs).
Me: So you always have to rebel against something?
CD: (laughs) Maybe this is my life now that I always have to be against something, but it seems to me that just in a place like this - maybe in others too, I do not know - very easy to be Vs. Contributes to this mainly a great lack of tolerance for everything, for example, at my school no one could wear long hair, you had to bet on all social actions, rallies, marches, etc., as the first of May and things like that. Director and teachers have never been friendly to the students, always treated us as enemies, not even the slightest thread agreement between us. This bothered me terribly. Especially those orders, saying what we think, nobody has ever heard of any pupil. Was a series of do's and don'ts and the end. You have to obey. I had plenty to sing about.
Me: A Porno Para Ricardo - you were always No. 1 enemies of the people, whether in the beginning was a bit easier?
CD: No, no. Our first album was not even in twenty five percent so critical as those later. It is not easy to decide on the radicalization of expression, the overt expression of his views. Yet all this has its consequences. When we started playing together we were not, of course, a group sympathetic to the authorities in our country, and the way in which Cuba was ruled, but not this time were our songs. Here and there in one text, something about this mentioned, but we used the language of metaphor, oględnego, not as direct as it is now. Most text was about sex and stuff. You know ... (laughs) I
: Just know the name of the team to know what you sing.
CD: Yeah, sure, but after the team's logo is strictly anti-Communist. But at the beginning of our message did not try to do a hundred percent clear, yet poetic language zasłanialiśmy, Licencia poetica might say, we called it simply a creative blending of symbols, pretending that what we say other than it seems. We knew that we call anticommunists, but we did not do that out loud, we preferred to be safe. That changed only after some time.
Me: And how was the recording that first album? You could benefit from a state college? Someone helped you?
CD: Yes. All the CD we recorded ourselves. In this country really are not many recording studios. So what - they are all state-owned. Independent teams are not allowed to record them. To enter into such studies need consent of the various cultural institutions, primarily the Ministry of Culture, you need to be approved, and so on. There we played in it.
Me: And then I went to Gorki four-year prison sentence. He served only two - how did you get it from there?
CD: First of all, it turned out that all the measures that we used to tell anyone not podpaść were not sufficient. That, however, been noticed by some institutions, for some shadows that exist throughout the country. Government from the beginning we did not like. Gorky was arrested in 2003 on charges of common crime he never committed. He was charged with drug trafficking. We played a concert in Pinar del Rio, and after the show came to him girl and started talking with him about various things, including drugs. She said she has some pills, Gorky also said that he had some pills for his own use, no, and she asked him one, so of course it then offered Gorki. To be clear - do not want money from her, just gave it to her as a gift. Well, it was an offense for which he was sentenced to four years in prison. He spent two and a half years and left due to pressure from the father of one of his friends, who had considerable influence in the government environment. But after his departure our views are radicalized. We were furious. We started recording songs using direct language, metaphors ended, we wanted to tell the world loud and clear that we disagree with the Cuban government and his way of dealing with citizens.
Me: Does the team has changed in that time?
CD: Yes. Even before the arrest of Gorki's bassist has changed, but here in general played a lot of bass players, it seems that the bass just have to be problems. Before and after their time in prison, Gorky was four of us for the same clientele.
Me: So, the arrest did not affect the team?
CD: Yes. The composition has changed a few months after the release of Gorki. Those two guys left the country, and I have been Gorki. Drummer, yes, scared texts strongly to the new songs. He left earlier, because I knew that he wanted to leave and did not want to have any problems with this. Bassist probably also think that his reasons were similar. Well, then we adopted two new guys who are playing with us today - Hebert on bass and drums Kayrus Renay.
Me: I wanted to You ask about the film "Habana Blues", which was also filmed at Gorky stay in prison. Director Banito Zambrano often mentioned in interviews that your team was his inspiration. How much of your history, we can see on the screen?
CD: It's hard to say how Benito was inspired by the meetings with us, but I figure Gorky was interpreted by our friend, Ishmael, who knew after Gorky. Moreover, in the scene in the hallway, at home one of the characters tells a joke that I went back just turn off the lights El Morro, it is more or less exactly what he said to Gorky City, when he came to visit us at home, where Gorky lived with his father. Then he wrote down many of the jokes in his notebook. What to make of Ishmael Gorky - he did it as best he could, nobody can be a different person. People who know Gorky see that it is not, but I think it's a good interpretation of the person they are. But in the end the film.
Me: Well, back to the music so - what about organizing concerts? Gracie, where do you want?
CD: Listen, organizing concerts in Cuba, it is damn difficult. Why? Because all, all of which are suitable to play part of the state. Porno Para Ricardo never play in those places. Well, unless you enlighten us and suddenly invent some super-secret strategy to do so. (Laughs) We do not have and never have we will not permit you to play, and those that lead all the concert halls and other such places will be released if we let you in there. So, our lives must be held in private homes. We can not invite many people. Why? Because the more people, the greater the risk that turn up someone who works in the police, the Ministry of Culture, or anywhere else, and that the concert will be interrupted. So there were a few times - and suddenly we start to play gets the police and announces that we split up and will not be any concert. Blocking the entrance, the organizers have invited trouble, etc. Usually, so some friends and tell them that they invited their friends and so creates a chain. Yes we do. And - and one more thing - usually begin to invite one, up two days before the concert, entitled to prevent the response of the institution. When it comes to their information about the planned concert, no longer have time to prevent this, when they are ready for action is usually after a concert, or just ends.
Me: So your fans need to be ready at any moment?
CD: Yes. And if you are from outside Cuba, it must first contact us, otherwise you have no way of knowing that we play.
Me: Recently, after telling me that you played a big concert on the beach near Havana, where the rest of the punk rock zaśpiewaliście great version of "Walls", you called This festival, talking about several other groups, which are also presented there. Such an undertaking requires unless preparation?
CD: Well, yes. You know, the government has a strategy to block us, but we've got your strategy to avoid blockage. We do this very simple - change the name of the team. Of course, we do not do this alone - we have friends who are handled by us to play at official appearances by presenting us as someone completely different. Festival, of which we speak, in September this year. was almost independent, but no knowledge that we needed a government authority, because without it you are not allowed to rip up on the beach. Some people sometimes try, but it is very difficult. So I present as a band x, and no band name and play your songs. People who are spending authorization, or control the concerts are not sophisticated enough to see the names of team members and to consider whether their case has not ever seen. Well, maybe sometimes the check, but certainly not always. We take this into account and always try to play anyway.
Me: You said also that during the concert appeared in a few other bands that in their texts are highly critical ...
CD: No, not a few, there were really a lot.
Me: These are the new teams, or play from iluś years? A government can still just do not know about them? Do others also have to use different pens to be able to play?
CD: To begin with, there are several levels of censorship. These other teams are playing really well and are very critical of. But the problem with Porno Para Ricardo is that we do not have the slightest respect for authority (laughs). So we always try to provoke as much as possible, in our texts we use specific names. And the names are very important. If you do not give specific names are not on the same level. You can party all kontestować holiness, but even then you're one level below the censorship. We are already at the highest level, because clearly pronounce names like Fidel Castro or Raul Castro.
Me: And where is the border? Is there something I did not do for fear of further reprisals?
CD: The music and words I do not have to cross any border. Already broke all the rules and crossed all limits. What else when it comes to the so-called performance associated with each performance - is still room to maneuver. We could dress up I do not know, for Fidel Castro and parody it, but not very much we have the resources. Well, we do not play as many concerts. But in the same work I do not believe there is any barrier, which would not have crossed, if I would consider that it is worth it, that somehow I identify with her. I might say that never in his words, not going to incite people to kill someone for example, because it is incompatible with me the same, so I do not want to do that. The same idea I did not like, so it not be realized, but that fear is an obstacle not only is this discrepancy. Although this may be the limit above which posłałoby us to an even higher level of censorship. And the higher you climb the steps of censorship, the more you wait repression.
Me: Two years ago, created his solo project, La Babos Azul. What made you decide to do something so musically distinct from what you are doing in PPR?
CD: I love experimenting with music. If you compare the same album musically Azul La Babos, you'll see that at first you're dealing with a mixture of rock and jazz, while the second is my interpretations of songs Vladimir Vysotsky and Jacek Kaczmarski, which since then is completely different - both musically and in the text layer. I like the changes. Kaczmarski Vysotsky songs and I really liked, and I got to know them by Daniel Roman, who once worked at the Polish Embassy in Havana. I had a lot of fun creating their own versions of these songs. One of those songs, "Los Muros," or Polish "Walls" is the Catalan version of the song written by Luis Llach. We translated into English, both versions - the Polish language Kaczmarski Llach and the Catalan language. Because, of course, words are not the same - Kaczmarski took the music and wrote a completely new words. This version of the same play the guitar on the album "Cuando un dia amanezca", the second recorded with Porno Para Ricardo and placed in the most recent album, "El rojo Album (destenido).
Me: We already know that lately you've recorded lyrics, which in Poland are well known, and what was your first album?
CD: If you ask me about the topics that interest me most, I can say that they come in stages. Because There were many songs that I sang before we started Porno Para Ricardo and have never recorded. And it was a beautiful time in my life. So - the first album we did a "Rock couple las a massage (Cárnicas)," or rock for "meat" of the masses. "Meat mass" is a term nieprzetłumaczalnie, type of food you can buy in Cuba. Skojarzyliśmy course, the mass of a human, and so was the title. All the songs on this CD were written by Gorky. The next album, which we did when we left Gorky from prison they were "I do not like politics, but politics loves me" and "I'm the porn, so I'm popular", a title he was a paraphrase of Cuban tobacco advertising called "Popular". All recorded independently in their own homes or private college, which we rented. But I'm extending myself, and you do not think about it ... You asked
Me: Well no, I asked about their first album La Babos Azul and the moving of her subjects.
CD: And ... well, I knew that I talk of things (laughs). Well ... La Babos Azul created so as to be able to take all this, what remained in isolation from Porno Para Ricardo. Therefore, these albums are so different. The first album is a joke. Titled it "Idioteces Urbanas", which can be translated as "Cuban stupidity", or something like that.
This is not a political song. It was like take a break from the content which we, together with the PPR. So that just made that much when I played alone on acoustic guitar in various public places, parks where people gathered. It all had a big influence on me, so I decided to put all these songs na jednej płycie. Muzyka na niej jest różnorodna, jedna piosenka różni się mocno od drugiej. A o tym, jaka ma być, decydował zazwyczaj nastrój w jakim budziłem się rano. Wstawałem, robiłem różne aranżacje, aż powstał cały album. Lubię go słuchać. Bo czasami bierzesz do ręki jakąś płytę, słuchasz jej i po chwili wiesz tylko, że jedna piosenka podobna jest do drugiej. Ja nie umiem tak pracować. Nie umiem powtarzać takiej samej aranżacji. Nagrywam melodię, potem siadam do komputera i za każdym razem wychodzi mi coś innego. Jest zupełnie inaczej niż gdy nagrywamy z Porno Para Ricardo, gdzie każdy comes from a song, or I usually Gorki and the rest of the guys added something from each other until we find work as finished. La Babos Azul is something much more personal. All I do there alone - I play all the instruments, I arrange, sing, backing vocals. Now I plan to continue this fun and record a new album, with songs never before published. I will try to refer to Cuban rhythms, no, and we'll see what comes up.
Me: And how Cuban audiences react to these songs? What you are doing in both projects?
CD: Let's start with the fact that the most beautiful moment of play in a band or play at all, is the moment when you come in contact with the audience, you can see if what you do they like it or not. Of course, usually do not write for the audience just for himself, but the confrontation with the audience, however, remains a part of the creative process. Porno Para Ricardo has always, since I can remember, had a good reception, although I must admit that last is better than ever. Rarely played, but when we play, people come onto the stage, take our microphones to be able to sing together with us, crowding around us and we all know these songs. Although I have no idea how whore. But we do not sell records in Cuba clearly give away the music - on CD recorded at home, portable memory, but we are friends, and it then spreads like a virus. We do not play on television, we are not there on the radio and even as all those who come to concerts, they know the songs. From beginning to end.
Me: Well, but this is probably the main goal, right? Unless you're writing just for the Cuban people, not for people from abroad?
CD: Sure, although in the case of the PPR is always was a controversial issue, because our managers tell us to keep the new songs in secret for some time, until the creation of new album and will be sold abroad. And it is obvious that we can sell abroad, because only there we can give the disc at all, there would be too expensive and in general it is almost fiction. We have a website through which we sell mainly in the United States and so on. In any case, since the recording material to start selling a lot of time always passes and I get Krecke, he would immediately begin to distribute music among the people here. And so I sit on tenterhooks at the moment by asking - do I have? And now I? And as soon as it will start to give this music who can. But really, I do not write music, even for people in Cuba, I am doing it for themselves. Do not wonder about what people think of the new pieces. For example, an album with songs Kaczmarski and Wysocki was not as popular as those recorded with the guys from PPR. This is a disc for people who like songs copyright trovy who listen and know that it is much smaller percentage of the audience. In this case you can not dance, So the number of listeners immediately drops. But I do not mind, because I have to be happy with your work. Sometimes, for example, tried to sing to people, "Epitaph for Vladimir Vysotsky" - a very beautiful song, but also garments long, so people who like Cira fun playing songs they could not stand her. They began to listen, but I get bored just after the first two minutes, because it is difficult to track and understand what it actually is, you have to concentrate and put in listening to a lot of effort. But I obviously did not mind, I played the whole ten minutes, until the end, paying no attention to them (laughs). Because I like it and I think it is beautiful and the end. But on this album are songs that have become very popular - "La escuelita", "Mi guardería", these all like to hear, because they are fun, and Cubans are fond of laughing.
Me: And how exactly did it happen that you decided to record them? What was it like working with the Polish Embassy?
CD: One day I played in the park. And a woman came up to me belonging to the 'Dam in White ", which as you know a group of wives of political prisoners and said she knew someone at the Polish embassy, \u200b\u200bwho could help me record my songs. So I went there thinking it was their songs I recorded. But the embassy found that support projects that are in some way connected with Polish culture. I started laughing, that my songs are much more common with her, but it's good we have already talked with said Daniel Roman and I figured that we could organize a joint concert with the Pole, who plays similar to my music. Unfortunately I did not know any Polish artists, but the idea fell to Cuba can record something in English Polish. Daniel was looking for something that would appeal to me, and that was a big fan Kaczmarski, it gave me the CD. I asked for some translation of the words to these songs, and that I really liked, I started to work on them. It was so much easier that after Poland was also a communist country, and this your communism from our could not again so very different. So what made Polish poet at that time proved to be highly adaptable to the Cuban reality. They all sounded as though they were written in Cuba, so they translate to our terms was really easy. Actually, enough to change a few names or place names, some changed a bit of metaphor to one that would be easier to understand here, on the spot. And I'll tell you that as I look at it in hindsight, it is the coolest album Azul La Babos, I did.
Me: And besides music? Take care of yet other forms of artistic?
CD: I love to learn. So as soon as I start to learn something new, I try to use it. Now computers offer great opportunities, so I try to use them whenever I can. In addition, there are blogs. As soon as I learned that you can do on its own, and that the publication of any material on it is easy, I started my own blog, El Auditorio imbecile, or "fool the audience." Thanks to my own place where I can arrange their own concerts, and the listener can come when he wants. I put there, movies, clips, which spin at home, but also recordings of the concerts. It is simply another form of expression.
Me: In addition to a blog or websites are - two sides of Porno Para Ricardo, one called the official and unofficial run by a collective of Cuba Underground and the side of La Babos Azul. While the first two are not often updated, and the latter seems a bit "lively". Did you personally take care of it?
CD: No, not alone. Home La Babos Azul is also on the server Cuba Underground and is an administrator with whom I work a lot, however. It deals with updating my good friend. Often I send him a text that I put on the page, and he is responsible for the technical part. As for the site Porno Para Ricardo, it was also the first official at Cuba Underground, but due to some differences of opinion have decided to leave. Well, that side has been transformed into a place for fans where they can throw in news, comment, events, etc. We created a new, and we decide what is placed on it, but we lack the time for such things, so it is rarely updated, is used mainly for sale plates.
Me: And is it true that you are trying to create my own recording studio?
CD: yeeaaah! It even already in place, we've done in the recording. We lack only the usual place. Every time someone wants to record something, then I go to hardware, to adapt a place to record, mute the room, close the window (Ciro starts waving the window frame and the way he does get hurt) and stuff. Auuu ... Well, that's why we try to prepare a place for the studio, I do not have to fight with the hardware each time. But they operate. We recorded there for three CD and covenants for the next three, including the new album the band Eskoria, which is a great punk rock formations. He wants us to record a Barrio Dentro, another group of punk. We try to help them, because I record a CD in this country is a difficult task, and the punk group that's Gymnastics - lack of cash, technology. We're playing for ten years, in complete isolation, so we had ourselves to procure all that was needed, and somehow we managed it in the end. Time to share with younger children.
Me: We already know what you plan to do with the project gives La Babos Azul. And what of Porno Para Ricardo, especially Now, when pub-Gorki abroad?
CD: In the last three or four months we played more gigs than before we played in two years. Gorky was not lucky to be here with us, and suddenly we started getting a lot of invitations. With the rest we played well when he was in prison, certainly not as much, but still. PPR does not stop. Moreover, even as I play with boys under the banner of La Babos Azul, and so we play our songs of Porno Para Ricardo, because we are after the same people, except that listeners often ask us to play this or that piece, no matter on what the album was released. We can not refuse, because I like what we say? We are not Porno Para Ricardo? How not? But you, you and you, and if not, then who are you damn you? (Laughs). And as for the discs, we think that the PPR of two CDs - you want to record new songs, but we are not yet determined whether the previously-recorded summary of our decade. Although now it's actually eleven, something we're doing that slowly (laughs). But you know, we wanted this to be a special album, with an enlarged composition, additional instruments like saxophone or violin, with totally another, the new wording. A La Azul Babos it still does not know what to do - do as you said - but the old songs dressed in traditional Cuban rhythms, and some new songs, over everything working properly yet, so I do not know what to finish first.
Me: Well, that's because it depends on what mood to get up in the morning.
CD: Exactly. (Laughs). Today I woke up in the mood for parody songs recorded by other artists. But I know one thing - the last record was played exclusively on the guitar, so the next certainly will not. I have to do something larger.
I thanked you for your time, and Ciro in response to me singing part of the song "Epitaph for Vysotsky" in Polish ...
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