Critical Review - Robert Neustadt, "Buena Vista Social Club Versus La Charanga Habanera"

In this article, Robert Neustadt compares and contrasts the 1997 Buena Vista Social Club album - the most commercially successful recording of Cuban music internationally - with the most popular album in Cuba from the same year, Tremendo Delirio by La Charanga Habanera. Neustadt notes the similarity in lyrical content between the two (and between the genres in which he places them), as well as the criticism (directed at misogyny, machismo, vulgarity, etc.) the lyrics have drawn. His attempt to connect the content of the two is at times shaky: "If there is a distinction between the evocation of sex [on the the records], it is a difference of degree and tone." ...So there is a difference? Why break out the "if" - it's not as if degree and tone are inconsequential. Some other points I found interesting:

Neustadt cites Leonardo Acosta, who notes the similarity between the criticism of successive African-influenced genres, presumably suggesting racist motives. Without any knowledge of Cuban culture, it's hard for me to know which words connote race, but at least in translation, those mentioned - "vulgar, violent, macho" - seem like they could be valid and without ulterior motives.

Neustadt suggests that the Buena Vista cover art is deceptive, or at least that it's been chosen to present a certain exoticized idea of Cuba. One might argue that the music on the album comes from the time of the cars on its cover; the two are parallels, pieces of the past still alive in Cuban culture. My point is that it's unfair to assume that the image is trying to present all of Cuba as an exotic place where past and present mix, as Neustadt seems to think.

Similarly, he asserts that "It does not matter if the audience does not understand the lyrics, because they are most interested in buying an image of Cuba (coupled with the rhythm that helps to create this image)." The margins ask, "is this unfair?" Absolutely. Neustadt is using ridiculous generalizations to characterize the audience he accuses of doing the same of Cuba. People can enjoy listening to music without lyrics, there are English translations in the liner notes, his assertion about what "they" want is without any factual basis, etc. Imagine if the situation were reversed, and someone said that the entire Cuban audience for some American style of music only was interested in an image of America, along with the sneaky parenthetical "rhythm that helps to create this image" (suggesting that the audience only appreciates the musical content on the most superficial level)? With the names switched, I think that Neustadt might pick up on the condescension here.

The "?" in the margins addresses the whole flag thing pretty well. Thank you for clearing up the musicians' motives without any actual input on their part, Mr. Neustadt.

And there's a bunch more, but hopefully we'll discuss a lot of it in class.