OVER ONE MILLION ATTEND -PAZ SIN FRONTERAS- CONCERT
Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, an historic event took place in Havana, Cuba: An estimated 1.2 million people attended an all-star concert made up of many of the top Latin pop, rock and salsa stars from Latin America, Europe, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
The concert, known as Paz Sin Fronteras, or Peace Without Borders, was the dream of Colombian singer, song-writer and multiple Latin Grammy winner Juanes and his two primary collaborators Miguel Bosé of Spain and Olga Tañon of Puerto Rico.
The message of the Peace Without Border concerts is to circumvent politicians, and using the medium of music, speak directly to young people and encourage them to think in fresh ways - to change their way of thinking - and leave behind the old politics, the old hatreds, prejudices and national enmities that have locked too many people into patterns of conflict, violence, poverty and despair, dividing them from one another. It's an attempt to break down barriers and ask people to join in common purpose.
Both the U.S. and the Cuban governments helped facilitate the concert, including providing Juanes and his company of 15 international and Cuban artists full control over message and staging. The Departments of State, Treasury and Commerce - and especially Secretary of State Clinton - are to be commended for providing in record time the various licenses and authorities required for U.S. musicians, technicians, musical and production equipment to travel and enter Cuba.
This is the second Peace Without Borders concert organized by Juanes in what he hopes will be a series of concerts in the hemisphere in places where people, if not politicians, might be open to a message of change, especially young people who are more readily engaged by the language of rock-and-roll. The first such concert took place last year on the Peace Bridge on the border of Colombia and Venezuela when military tensions escalated between the two countries.
I applaud Juanes and all the participating artists for their courage, vision and commitment to working together to communicate directly to the Cuban people through the language of music.
More than just a rock concert, this massive cultural event in Havana was a moving and emotional testament, even to many of its critics, about the power of the human spirit to reach across barriers during times of tension and opportunity. The ripples and waves created by this concert are just beginning to be felt in Cuba, the United States and throughout the hemisphere. I very much look forward to supporting other Paz Sin Fronteras initiatives in the future.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Insert into the Congressional Record the following materials:
• -In Castro Country, Giving a Concert for Peace,- by William Booth, Washington Post, 9/21/09
• -Juanes in Havana: 'This is the power of music,' by Lydia Martin and Jordan Levin, The Miami Herald, 9/20/09
• -Opening Borders: First Came the Pope, Next Came Juanes,- by Jeffrey Kofman, ABC News, 9/20/09
• -A day after Juanes show, emotions in Miami still mixed,- by Jordan Levin, The Miami Herald, 9/21/09
