STEWART COPELAND

-will play late Dec. as the last stop of their North American or their tour
-2nd american band to play Cube.
-concert to be free w/o any tour sponsorship (remember the U.S. has an intense trade embargo against Cube since the early '60's when JFk was blown away by Cubian exiles).
-Sting's 1st concert in that country, while this would be Stewart's 2nd time (ha ha).

That is interesting. They played in some dictatorships their first time around, too. They're really more of an English band though--Stewart notwithstanding.

However:

>>>since the early '60's when JFk was blown away by Cubian exiles<<<

Uh...

Aw, geez. And people freaked out over at TPT over the "Fidel hat" in the online store.

I would imagine the joint is jumpin' over there about this. (Not that I feel like wading through 100 random "appreciation" threads to find out...)

I guess it depends what their intent is. To endorse the regime? To cheer up Castro in his time of ill health? Maybe not. If it flows from typical lockstep hippie-leftover/Hollywood sentiment, it would be to promote an idea of moral equivalence between the U.S. and Cuba and demand an end to the U.S. embargo, which as we know is the sole reason Cuba has been destroyed and enslaved in poverty despite the best efforts of Castro's wise and benevolent leadership.

That said, who knows. They also played in Chile while Pinochet was in power. Stewart apparently at least used to be opposed to communism. Maybe by playing there they bring some kind of a glimpse of the free world that encourages the people to rise up and throw off the shackles of Castro's socialist hell.

When they play in Iran and have their picture taken hugging Ahmadinjad while pissing on the Union Jack, that's when you'll know they've lost contact with reality once and for all.

Dive,

I love your buttons! I have lots of cool ones too, including a few Ian sent me. Damn I miss him, he was such a sweetie.

[quote="Wait and See"]I guess it depends what their intent is. [/quote]

My guess would be to play music.

Damn! Sounds good to me!

The Police play in Cuba. US lifts embargo...

CUBAN CIGARS FOR EVERYONE!! YESSSSSSSSS!!!

Yeah, sounds cool, interesting and innovative...

[quote="wgtomlinson"]-will play late Dec. as the last stop of their North American or their tour
-2nd american band to play Cube.
-concert to be free w/o any tour sponsorship (remember the U.S. has an intense trade embargo against Cube since the early '60's when JFk was blown away by Cubian exiles).
-Sting's 1st concert in that country, while this would be Stewart's 2nd time (ha ha).[/quote]

I didn't happen to see that tour date on tpt website. Is Cuba confirmed?

[quote="amaninasuitcase"]I didn't happen to see that tour date on tpt website. Is Cuba confirmed?[/quote]

Nah, it's still in the rumor stage. The info is from the same article as the bit that TPT has quoted denying new demos, etc (both of which are attributed to "sources" and "insiders" -- ooooh, very Deep Throat):

[If it's a no-no to post the whole article, Gio, let me know and I'll excerpt it.]


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265245,00.html

The Police may be giving their Cuban fans a free show this Christmas.

The super rock group, which recently reunited for a sell-out world tour, has received an invitation from the Cuban government to perform there in December.

The Havana show would be the last one in North America, ending the Police's massive tour that begins on May 28 in Vancouver.

The invite stems from a recent visit to Havana over the 2006 Christmas holiday by Sting and Trudie Styler where they met with many local musicians and poets.

"They were overwhelmed by the Cuban culture and the arts and the musicality," a source said. "The people were very generous to them with their time."

The couple evidently started out the vacation at one of Havana's large tourist hotels, but quickly moved to more intimate accommodations. Immediately, musicians started showing up every night, sources said, wanting to meet and jam with Sting.

Sting is not the only member of the Police who has been to Cuba and wants to go back. Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers each went there for a Music Bridges concert in February 1999 where they performed with an eclectic group including Bonnie Raitt, Peter Frampton, Gladys Knight, Lisa Loeb, the Indigo Girls, Joan Osborne, J.D. Souther and Burt Bacharach.

The Police's desire to play Cuba as an artistic message shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, since the group is very connected to the world music scene.

During their heyday in the 1980s, the group played many Third World countries. Sting, of course, is also the main force with Styler behind the Rainforest Foundation.

The group would not be the first to play Cuba. Audioslave was the first American rock act there, in 2005.

Several years ago, sources say, Paul McCartney was scheduled to give his own outdoor show in Havana, but his beer sponsor wanted to cover a historic statue with a huge plastic bottle. The show was summarily cancelled.

If the Police go through with their concert, they will not have a corporate sponsor, sources told me.

Meanwhile, rest assured that reports of a new Police album are untrue. Insiders tell me, as this column has reported, there are neither plans for an album of new material nor is there a demo of a new song.

The Police are currently rehearsing for their tour in Tuscany, Italy, at Sting's tranquil estate. Songs on the tour are and have always been just from the Police. No new songs and no songs from Sting's solo albums will be included.

"And the Police are and always will be signed to A&M/Interscope," a source added.

Another time my instict thinks about Cuba into the Poll of never visited countries THE POLICE needs to play a Concert and I mentioned Cuba....

Why? Because of recent Sting visit to La Habana, about Fidel Hat on TPT.com, and in spite of the fact is a totalisarism and comunist regimen I thinks Cuba represents lot of music and for instance culture ( poets, writers, etc) and could have the attention of World Press If they fixed a gig in La Habana... very interesting idea...

I love real people than the political regimen that govern every country... thats's why I like people from around the world...since USA till Cuba!

One World is enough! without any political solution...

Nice toughts Jose.

Congratxxxx!

An update from TPT:

16.04.07 The Police in talks to play free Cuba show...

The band initiated discussions of a free concert in Havana as an expression of their gratitude to Cuban fans who have supported The Police throughout the years. All three band members have a long-standing and genuine interest in Cuban music, having visited & performed with local musicians in the past. Sting, Stewart & Andy wish to reciprocate the generous support they have received by doing something special for the Cuban people. It was in this spirit that a Christmas season concert in Havana was conceived. While planning details are currently underway, it is the band's intention to put on a free show in Havana this December.