On Good Friday, rock’s best-loved dinosaurs – with a combined age of 286 – became the first Western band to play in Cuba since the Communist Revolution.
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Many of those at the free concert were lifelong fans who for years had to keep quiet about their love of the Stones and other groups.
Sir Mick Jagger greeted fans in Spanish on their arrival, saying he was happy to be there. The band played 18 songs in two hours, starting things off with the hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, reports the BBC.
“After today I can die”, Joaquin Ortiz, a 62-year-old night watchman, told the Associated Press.
US President Barack Obama re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba a year ago, in an attempt to end the legacy of the Cold War and prompt Cuba to engage in more reforms of its single-party system and centrally controlled economy.
Among the spectators was a large contingent of foreign tourists, for whom seeing Cuba was as novel as seeing the Rolling Stones is for Cubans.
The band’s private plane carried the four British rockers, family members and about 60 technical workers to manage the huge amount of gear brought to the island for the concert, including seven huge screens and 1,300 kilograms (2,866 pounds) of sound equipment.
It included Out of Control, Angie, Honky Tonk Women, You Got The Silver, Before They Make Me Run, Midnight Rambler, Miss You, Gimme Shelter, Start Me Up, Sympathy For The Devil and Brown Sugar, as well as All Down The Line, which was chosen by fans on social media, and an encore.
The Stones ignored the Pope’s request that they refrain from playing on Good Friday.
“Much as they didn’t want to upset the Pope, they had a contract to play and were going to honour it”.
The source said the matter was all resolved before the gig at the Ciudad Deportivo.
The concert marks a turning point for Cuba after the band’s music was banned in the country – including on the radio – for many years because it was believed to be subversive however fans listened to their tracks behind closed doors.
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The Stones added the date after completing their Latin American tour last week.
