Raúl Torres: I am Proud of my Cuban People

To laws without soul, brave songs, to accomplice silences, rebel voices, as the inheritance running through the veins of Raúl Torres. The author of great songs like Candil de nieve, Cabalgando con Fidel, and Pon la Ley, spoke to CubaSí.

You have just premiered denouncing something as cubanly inadmissible as the Helms-Burton Act and some people attack you and insult you in the social networks. It’s not the first time. How do you feel with those reactions?

I get frustrated on verifying there is so much ignorance in that Fascist command, dedicated to criticize each song with lyrics that upset them, far from slowing me down it gives me strength because the promotion they make me is strong...

However, you are not the only Cuban artist who has experienced that , do you find it casual or perhaps that is the job of some characters in the networks?

Actually your question is the answer, I have no doubt that there’s money and that this is part of the war today in the social networks. It’s a known secret already of how many mercenaries we have within and outside of our country, everybody knows them... We have recently seen the millionaire list of payments to entities that work in this cyber war against our homeland and in fact there are unethical people charging 3 bucks to try to discredit our artists who have been at the front of our revolution, like my brother Tony Ávila said: There’s got to be a bit of everything…

Let’s answer them once and for all: How much did you earn to write that song, for example, and share it immediately? Who pays you to write songs like that? Why do you write them?

I have not charged a cent for none of the songs I have written, it was enough the huge disappointment I have of the capitalist society during my stay in certain countries, that was enough payment to keep denouncing with my songs the lie and manipulation and in this case the imposition of completely unjustifiable laws. For example, Pon una Ley (Pass a Law), from my verses, it’s some sort of translation of what we Cubans feel, we are already used to witnessing this type of behavior from the North American government toward our people, a people worthy of the respect that precedes us, the respect and admiration of most of the world. I am proud of my Cuban people.

I listen to you singing so organically for love and homeland that I immediately think of the songs from Silvio and Pablo, but do I see certain people so astonished that I would like to ask you: Which influences or creative inheritances gave birth to songs like Candil de nieve or Regresamelo todo and Cablgando con Fidel or Pon la Ley?

Firstly my influences are in the Nueva Trova movement, those great ones have been and still are the first inspirers of all my work, however, the one I have turned more to get filled with inspiration it has our José Martí. After him the work of singers like Alí Primera (Venezuela), Victor Jara (Chile) and many more are present, they are part of my altar of great thinkers of the song.