The San Remo Music Awards Festival has reached the streets of Havana with a food sales fair and a stage for concerts located in the central Avenida Italia (Galiano). The event has been marked by controversy since its inception, a debate that was fueled this Saturday by the extensive police deployment in the area.
Since Thursday they began to install the kiosks throughout Galiano, even some of these points of sale were placed under buildings in danger of collapsing, such as the one that adjoins the La Época currency store. In the premises both state companies and private businesses offer their merchandise.
Sale of spices, honey and decorative objects were some of the proposals from individuals, with prices that provoked phrases of disgust and that in many cases were three figures. However, the longest queues were around the food kiosks, such as snacks and croquette bread.
“I have come to buy several loaves of bread for breakfast at home because there is no bread anywhere,” warned a retiree who was among the first customers at a state tent with the “Galiano en Feria” sign and another that cataloged Havana as “real and wonderful” city.
Galiano Street is one of the venues for the Festival and more than two years ago, during the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, a network of lights was inaugurated
Galiano Street is one of the venues for the Festival and more than two years ago, during the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, a network of lights was inaugurated, installed by Italian specialists, in part of the avenue, although the The facility has had its ups and downs and has been shut down for months.
The uniformed men were visible next to each point of sale this Saturday, especially around a queue to buy crackers in the old TenCent. A nearby health service charged five pesos to those who wanted to go to the bathroom, to the anger of several customers.
“Ma’am, land that in that kiosk over there they are selling a package of dry seasoning for 300 pesos, so how is it going to seem expensive to you that the bathroom costs five,” defended the employee. The client alleged that she had previously paid a different price for the same service. “Before it was before and now this is what it costs,” the worker stressed.
Hours before and with the windows painted black, a bus traveled the entire Galiano street, taking the beggars who are normally in their doorways. Several police officers were on the bus who picked up these people, on some occasions by force, as this newspaper could verify in the case of a woman who was introduced by three men into the vehicle.
“We don’t have change,” clarified another employee of the tent with offers of bread. “That’s where they lay down your money because, as they say, they don’t have a lot to give change, so they end up with three pesos here, five there, and they leave with their pockets lined,” a man in line complained aloud.
The stage installed on the corner that forms the avenue with Concordia street was empty this morning and the residents of the area did not know the name of the artists who will perform on the platform. At ten in the morning most of the kiosks were still not serving the public.
Last February, the Italian state radio television RAI confirmed that the Sanremo Song Festival and the Cuban San Remo Music Awards have no relationship through the channel’s press office and in response to the Cuban association for Democracy and ODV Democracy and Liberty.
Both organizations asked the public entity for clarifications about their possible involvement in the controversial contest and from which national and international artists who were hired to perform at the event withdrew, who were accused of contributing to improving the image of the same regime that condemns anti-government protesters. .
16 young Cuban singers compete in the contest and three Italian winners of the international contest also perform at the galas. On behalf of the Island, the singers Haila and David Torrens, the musicians Gastón Joya and Rolando Luna, among others, have been announced.
Among the artists who arrived in the Cuban capital are the Italians Gatto Panceri, author of the song Vivo por ella, popularized by the singer Andrea Bocelli, and the singer Ricardo Cocciante, the Mexican Samuel Castelini, winner of the talent show La Academia and band composer sound of soap operas.
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