Solidarity Rock

(Photo: Bryan Kulba)

WELCOME TO SANCTI SPIRITUS

A big billboard says when you are riding along the road: This is the city I live in, not a city where in the next corner you will find an instruments store; this is the city where the nearest instrument shop is 365 kilometers away. As unbelievable as it is, 365 kilometers away, in Havana city, the capital of all Cubans as a slogan says.  Can you imagine what this means, I guess you don’t, well, just think yourself trying to start a band without where to buy instruments, and when you get then, no place where to buy strings, picks, straps, drum skins, sticks, cymbals or anything needed for replacement. What means you will have to play your guitar or bass with the same strings for a year or so? The same for drummers and other instruments players. That’s impossible you will say, but the real truth is in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba there are 5 bands playing shows every month.

(Photos: Aaron Bocanegra)

Thanks to Solidarity Rock that’s been helping for 3 years, seems 2008 and with the help of 7and7is in December 2007, and Slates in January of 2010 that brought lots of equipment(strings for guitar and bass, sticks, picks, straps, skins) a small drum kit and a bass amp, and two guitar amps to get better sound in the shows . These bands have been provided with the material we lack, as I said before. Kids on Fire a band from Winnipeg, Canada is coming in March to tour the island with Solidarity Rock answering an invitation of the A.H.S in Sancti-Spiritus, which organized all the tour. The A.H.S is a NGO, which works to promote artists under 35 old years in Cuba. The Kids on Fire helping to get more gear for the bands, more instruments, strings, cymbals, cables, skins, picks, and sticks, anything needed for the bands to keep working and getting better results of their music, they will tour with Arrabio a hardcore band from Trinidad, Sancti-Spiritus and that will be the very first time a Cuban band gets on a bus in the island as part of a tour with a band from other country. The musicians in Sancti Spiritus, are waiting on your help, so anything you have at home and you are not using for a time now, anything you think is useless, it will help the movement, the scene in this city to grow up, and get stronger. Anything is welcome, we have people interested also in taking photos and make art, nothing fancy, that small cam you are not using, so an old cam not in use for you can get back to work and be use for film makers, video art artists, photographers that will help the rock scene in Sancti Spiritus to be in history by been documented in every concert and shows we get done here.  Solidarity Rock will help you help; they will bring anything down to the artists in the city. Make the world a better place with more rock and roll and art. We are all in this together!

If you have anything to donate, and you don’t live in Edmonton, Winnipeg or Vancouver, please email donations@solidarityrock.com and they will let you know what you can do.

William Garcia P.

(Photo: Aaron Bocanegra)