Punktology Vol. 1 – Free Cuba Now! is on i-Tunes & More

18 thoughts on “Punktology Vol. 1 – Free Cuba Now! is on i-Tunes & More”

1. Hola – I hope this finds you well

   Out of interest I was wondering why no Cuban Punk bands are featured on this compilation if you have chosen Cuba for this political stand?

   Thanks
   Blair

2. Hi, good question. Very simple.. there are only a few. I did try to reach out to the most famous one, “Porno para Ricardo” but didn’t hear back. I know those guys are back and forth between Mexico and Cuba and dealing with harassment from Cuba’s government every time they return. If you know of any other Cuban bands who can and are able to participate, then please let me know. I’d love to include them.
   hope you enjoy the cd.

3. PS if your referring to Cuban American bands here in the U.S. well we’re really not in contact with them as these were bands featured in our documentary travels so far, and we’re not focusing on the U.S. . This was more of an international effort but I’d be happy to consider them for future compilations.

4. Hey Punk Outlaw – Thanks for the reply. Yeah I am actually meaning punk bands based in Cuba. There are some really good talented punk artist all over Cuba.

   Thanks
   Blair

5. Cool! please feel free to send their info our way.. we have some people going over in January and they can maybe get some of their music back to the U.S. That would be so cool.
   Thanks!

6. Thanks heaps.

   I will pass on your information. It is sad that you had a such a bad experience in Cuba in relation to all this. My partner and I have been working with the Cuban surfers for years now and have just come back from a couple of months there. We actually found Cuba to have more freedom than what we have in Australia in so many ways and we found 90% of what is written about the country especially within US Media absolute rubbish. You know you can support Cuba’s punks without bringing politics into it all and you will even be amazed if you did it under the eye of the Cuban Gov’t. They are open to a lot more than you think guys.
   Thanks guys

7. Blair,
   I’m not sure which Cuba you went to but that doesn’t match even remotely the experience I had. And punk without politics? You know nothing about punk music do you? Blink 183 aint punk my friend. And Cuba more free than Australia? Well, remind me never to visit Australia then. That’s why there are no motors on the boats in the harbor of Cuba I suppose? Everyone just dying to live there. The U.S. is certainly not without blame, I hate the embargo and maybe there is rubbish by the U.S. media (You can thank your fellow Australian Rupert Murdoch for a lot of that) but I know what I saw and I’m not sure what you saw but I saw people suffering pretty badly, and I’ve seen quiet a bit of that on my travels in the past few years. I don’t know what’s worse, Castro’s abusive power or people like you spreading a false image that Cuba is actually a haven for human rights.. talk about rubbish.

8. Wow!! Settle down Cowboy. I was just saying its sad you had such a bad experience in the days you were there.

   Yeah I know nothing about punk? Your right, I listen to Blink 🙂

   Punk without politics? At what stage did I say punk wasn’t about politics? Never did my friend. I merely said you can support the Cuban punks without bringing politics into it.

   Castro? I don’t think I at any stage throw support behind him either. I merely said that if your honest with the Cuban gov’t about helping Cuba’s youth, you will actually find they are supportive.

   I actually took a few photos of boats in the harbour myself and they seem to have motors. Send me an email my friend and I will send you a few pics. Remember Cuba is not the country where if your motor has trouble you just whack it off and take it to the local boat shop.

   You are right. The 50 plus years now of the embargo is totally disgusting. A massive abuse of Human rights actually. One of the biggest in history. My friend you don’t have to dig deep to find the US is one of histories biggest HR abusers as is Australia.
   We all have our own backyards that we need to tidy up before we go out and judge others.

   At no point did I say Cuba was a haven for human rights. I merely said we actually found a heap of freedoms the Media falsely reports on. I am sorry my friend but if you want to push your pro idea’s about who and what is right and wrong in your own ideas you have picked the wrong person.

   In relation to Gorki Aguila. Why dont you mail him and ask him the honest truth to his jail time and why he speaks outs so much against the Gov’t. There are two sides to every story my friend and the truth about Gorki I would have also jailed him, as would have every law and court in the world.

   Have an awesome Xmas my friend and a happy new year 🙂

9. Sorry. Your comments don’t pass muster. I went to Cuba with an open mind (actually expecting to like it based on so many comments from people like yourself who claim Cuba a paradise) and came away amazed at the poverty and especially the lack of human rights.. less than any country I’ve ever visited (including Russia and about 20 other Latin Countries). I PERSONALLY didn’t have a negative experience in Cuba, but the people and punks of Cuba did. I knew of 3 people arrested on 3 different occasions in the 8 days I was there (not all punks). There were some good things, and some bad about Cuba but for me, Human Rights and Freedom of Expression is a non negotiable issue and an absolute travesty that no defender of the Castros’ Cuba could ever overcome and still maintain an ounce of intellectual honesty or credibility. If the government has nothing to fear and people LOVE them so much, then let them hold REAL free elections, and let the people decide who their leader should be. And let people travel freely rather than imprisoning them in their own land. If Cuba is such a Paradise, WHY DOESN”T THAT HAPPEN? Can you answer that without moving on to another subject like the U.S. Embargo?

   Because of geography, I can’t speak with you personally and gauge the type of person you are.. but from your comments it seems you are either a tool of the Cuban government under AND/OR a very misguided human being who doesn’t believe in the rights of others to express themselves freely without the fear of government retribution.

   I’m done conversing with you on this subject but not on the subject at all. There is a big article I’m writing for an online magazine that outlines my experience in Cuba and hopefully will counteract ignorant remarks by people like you who confuse protesting capitalistic greed with supporting human despots like the Castros who routinely arrest and imprison anyone who disagrees with them.

   As a matter of fact “cowboy” I’m just getting started. so if you are a tool of the Cuban government like I suspect you are, you can tell them that. And if you are simply a misguided human being, then I pray someday you’ll learn to empathy for others and understand if the Cuban government kisses your ass, it’s not the same as allowing it’s citizen’s the most basic of human rights.

10. Bro – At no time did I say you didn’t enter Cuba with an open mind and I agree, we can message ping pong for eternity and get no where so I also pass on the opportunity to reason, chop and change.

    I do however look forward to reading your piece on your Cuban experience with a OPENMIND as I do with all.

    Tool of the Cuban Government? Love it 🙂 If having a registered NGO that supports Cuban surfers and Kids is being a tool for the Cuban Gov’t then yes I am.

    My friend I have two choices when working with the Cuban kids. I can walk into Cuba with my finger in the air and go FUCK your politics I am here to support your countries surfers and kids because I want the sport to grow on the island I want more kids surfing or I can go in with my arms open to any help I can get, make contacts and actually make a difference for these kids. I need the Cuban Gov’ts backing for what I am doing. Otherwise I might as well just walk away and tell the kids to find others to help.

    My friend, try taking mass musical instruments into Cuba to give to the Cuban punks to help them start bands and then tell me how you got on with it. That will put you in my shoes my friend and show you that what you call a tool for the Cubans is far from reality. We both have stories.

    I have one goal my friend and that is supporting the Cuban kids and getting more kids surfing on the island. It ends there. I don’t use Cuban kids to push my political views and never will.

    PS I would enjoy reading your piece so I hope you can message me a link when it is up.

11. if you want to see a group of guys who are actually do amazing things for the Cuban punks and creating opportunities for Cuba’s kids with rock’n’roll and punk then check out

    http://solidarityrock.tumblr.com/

12. Looks interesting.. I’ll check it out. I’m afraid I’ve had folks from Cuba who worked for the government infiltrate my reporting on my travels there early on, so that experience has colored my response when people seem to defend the Cuban government. I don’t have a political agenda other than Human Rights and Freedom of Expression are a right, not a privilege granted by a few “leaders”. I appreciate your comments and following the blog and we’ll have to agree to disagree about the government of Cuba’s role in stamping out descent and basic human rights. We’ve obviously had very different experiences. I can’t speak to yours, I can only speak to mine and stay true to that experience. I assure you I’m not a “My country right or wrong” kind of guy. The U.S. foreign policy blunders, especially in relation to Cuba, are legendary and are a shame. That being said, that is a completely separate issue from human rights and freedom of expression abuses which I witnessed first hand and was a bit of a shock to me honestly. All I know is too many people are suffering and that needs to stop.

13. Hey. I like your work. Shortly after 1959, Cuba put gays in jail and banned The Beatles. So it is not a progressive government. It is two white brothers ruling a nation of mulatos and blacks. Demanding Freedom of Expression is APOLITICAL. NON POLITICAL. It is cool and it is punk.

14. 🙂 Like you yourself said. We experienced/experience different worlds but hey we do have one thing in common. A love for punk and blink 182 (Joking)
    Look, I love your site and a lot of the punk here so keep it up and yes I am really keen to read your piece.
    Thanks 🙂

15. oh and as to Blink 182, I actually have a track or 2 on the old ipod.. they are certainly a good band, but just on the fringe of what most people who consider themselves punk would consider to be punk music.

16. I have just come across these comments and Blair and I’m from Australia, heads up, I picked up straight away you collaborate with the Cuban establishment and you’ve really annoyed me with this superficial leap. Pathetic to compare Australia with Cuba – yes we do have horrific history of abuse against our Indigenous Aboriginals and immigrants (every country does – it’s called ignorance), but we, Australians of all nationalities, banded together and protested against these injustices, we still do and we didn’t and don’t get thrown into prison or disappear for just talking about it. Sure there is more to do in our country but just imagine for a minute the devastation, the heart wrenching disappointment these people felt when they supported the revolutionaries only to find themselves denied everything they were promised, especially freedom and opportunity … How are they better off? And the comments from Robert are pretty accurate, Anthony Bourdain also made a point about these injustices, in fact he questioned why the average Cuban is not allowed to enter the ‘nice’ restaurants and wine bars where only the wealthy locals and the tourist are accepted … he just got a nervous fob off. This was not the aim of the revolution and you well know it. Australia is a paradise compared to any Latin American country, so sell ‘stupid’ somewhere else. To quote They Might Be Giants “You can’t shake the devils hand and say your only kidding” whatever your motivation.

17. Greetings from the group ESCOPETA ROJA, your site is excellent, you enviamo our latest album RIOS DE SANGRE expecting it to be listed on your site, Greetings
    http://www.mediafire.com/?s4aad95mhkfo21m
    You can check the tracklist in escopetaroja.blogspot.mx

18. Thanks guys.. for sure we’ll take a listen and try to get you some exposure. Gracias!

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