Cuba Feliz explores race and the country's musical tradition. Photo courtesy Studio Canal.

Mo Cuba, Mo Cuba

by Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic

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I must admit that I had a bit of an attitude watching "Cuba Feliz." I couldn't help but wonder about the underpinnings of the film, in light of the commercial and critical success of 1999 documentary "The Buena Vista Social Club." In Buena Vista, a Black musician, Compay Segundo, guides us to the aged Afro-Cuban musical masters of the Buena Vista Social Club. In "Cuba Feliz," director Karim Dridi follows Miguel Del Morales, a White musician, across Cuba. Along the way, Del Morales acts as a guide to various Black musicians and musical traditions of the big island.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no raving nationalist. I just have little tolerance for the way that African cultures are more often selected, filtered or edited by others. Second, my trip to Cuba last year has left me acutely aware of the racism on the island. I couldn't help but wonder if this new film, with the elderly, white-haired White man as guide and interpreter, was just another example of Afro-Cuban culture being co-opted and exploited by Whites to bolster their sense of cultural authority, and not for the empowerment of the Black population.

Musician Del Morales travels the Cuban countryside in search of a song. Photo courtesy Studio Canal.

I tired of Del Morales going to various houses where musicians seemed to suddenly burst into song. As it tries to be both impromptu and filled with artistry, this 96-minute work can't help but feel staged in moments. People just don't sit around making music all day, even in Cuba. And I'm not quite sure how I, as a Black woman, am supposed to respond to the scene where Del Morales sings to an aging Black blonde: "Oh my Black girl…" or something like that. Yuck.

On the other hand, the plus-side of this flick is that, unlike the Buena Vista Social Club set in old Havana, "Cuba Feliz" covers a wider swath of the island—Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Trinidad and other cities—and includes a rich variety of musical styles and rhythms. Despite several on-screen performances by the veteran master Morales (I am not saying I cannot give the man some props), the star of the film is Pepin Vaillant, a talented vocalist and free spirit who steals several scenes in Santiago. During one, Vaillant shows his versality by singing in one moment a classic ballad and then pairing with a trio of young rappers. As they rhyme, he vocalizes and wails in some Sun Ra-esque moment of creative possession. Vaillant is clearly a rare being. At home, the camera catches him, in his aged body, doing a series of physically challenging stretching exercises, including a full split down to the floor. We all need whatever this Vaillant guy is taking.

Cuba Feliz presents a road less traveled. For that it is good. It just could have used a tour guide from around the way.

Screened at Filmfest D.C. 2001.

-- May 17, 2001

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