The show, before hundreds of thousands of fans, was particularly poignant just days after U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Havana, since the British band’s music was banned in Cuba in the 1960s. But Cuba has changed since then.
Advertisement
The veteran rockers played 18 songs over two hours, starting off with their 1968 hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, and also including classics such as “Satisfaction” (as one of two encores), “Gimme Shelter”, and “Sympathy for the Devil”.
Before the concert, Mick Jagger greeted viewers in Spanish, which was followed by a burst of applause and approving cheers. For Rolling Stones, it was their first performance in Cuba since they began five decades ago.
The Ladies in White, a mostly Catholic women’s group that has protested since 2003 on behalf of political prisoners were arrested for protests about the pope’s Cuba visit in September. “Don’t let anybody tell you different, this is the best concert in the history of Cuba”, said 18-year-old Cristian, who said he had seen a free electronic music show performed by Major Lazer earlier in March.
Time changes just about everything.
The Rolling Stones in their concert in Cuba.
“After today, I can die”, 62-year-old night watchman Joaquin Ortiz told the Associated Press following the concert.
Meanwhile, the concert was initially on touch-and-go hours before the band took to the stage after Pope Francis requested for it to be halted because it fell on Good Friday.
“We have performed in many special places during our long career, but this show in Havana will be a milestone for us, and, we hope, for all our friends in Cuba, too”, the band said in a statement before their arrival.
Later he got a huge roar when he said: ‘We know that years back it was hard to hear our music in Cuba but here we are playing.
Corrales said the concert was especially meaningful for people of her generation, who were born at the start of the 1959 Communist revolution and were forced to listen to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles in secret on smuggled records. “This is like my last wish, seeing the Rolling Stones”.
“The band’s team were flabbergasted when the Vatican got in touch by letter – couldn’t believe their eyes”.
“I think he made a very good impression here – a great frontman – he said some interesting things and he was very charming and we’re very pleased to be here after him”, said Mick Jagger.
Advertisement
For years rock “n” roll music had been discouraged in Cuba.
