Rolling Stones to perform in Cuba

The Rolling Stones will roll their aging bones over to Havana.
The Rolling Stones will roll their aging bones over to Havana.

HAVANA, Cuba – On March 25, within days of the historic visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, Havana will host a free open-air concert by the iconic British rock band the Rolling Stones at Ciudad Deportiva, the city’s sports complex.
The show, billed as the Stones’ Concert for Amity, will make Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood arguably the most famous musicians to play there since the 1959 Cuban revolution.
“We have performed in many special places during our long career but this show in Havana is going to be a landmark event for us and, we hope, for all our friends in Cuba too,” the Stones said in a statement.
In the years following the Cuban Revolution, which culminated with Fidel Castro becoming president in 1959, rock music was viewed as a symbol of Western capitalism in the communist country.
Now, as government restrictions on cultural events in Cuba have loosened and relations with the States have normalized, more international artists are beginning to schedule events there.
The Rolling Stones are also leading a musician-to-musician initiative in which musical instruments and equipment are being donated by major suppliers for the benefit of Cuban musicians of all genres.