An Ethnomusicological Study of the Policies and Aspirations for US
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2014 Beyond the Blockade: An Ethnomusicological Study of the Policies and Aspirations for U.S.-Cuban Musical Interaction Timothy P. Storhoff Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC BEYOND THE BLOCKADE: AN ETHNOMUSICOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE POLICIES AND ASPIRATIONS FOR U.S.-CUBAN MUSICAL INTERACTION By TIMOTHY P. STORHOFF A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2014 Timothy Storhoff defended this dissertation on April 2, 2014. The members of the supervisory committee were: Frank Gunderson Professor Directing Dissertation José Gomáriz University Representative Michael B. Bakan Committee Member Denise Von Glahn Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii To Mom and Dad, for always encouraging me to write and perform. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation was made possible through the support, assistance and encouragement of numerous individuals. I am particularly grateful to my advisor, Frank Gunderson, and my dissertation committee members, Michael Bakan, Denise Von Glahn and José Gomáriz. Along with the rest of the FSU Musicology faculty, they have helped me refine my ideas and ask the right questions while exemplifying the qualities required of outstanding educators and scholars. From the beginning of my coursework through the completion of my dissertation, I could not have asked for a finer community of colleagues, musicians and scholars than the musicologists at the Florida State University. As this dissertation explains, traveling to Cuba is not easy. I depended on the help of numerous individuals to make it happen. I would like to thank the various administrators and staff at FSU who supported my field research efforts and made it possible. Additionally, I am grateful to the kind individuals who made my time in Cuba so memorable, particularly Carlos, Anier, Amparo and Leo. I also need to thank all of the musicians who took their time to speak with me, whether it was while they were trying to enjoy their time in Havana or over the phone months later in the United States. Additionally, my research efforts with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba were made possible with the assistance of Eric Amada, Leonid Fleishaker, Aurora Herrera, and all of the individuals at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, the Krannert Center in Urbana, and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. I am grateful to my coworkers at the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs for their encouragement and understanding as I balanced working full-time with research and writing. I am indebted to the Property Crimes Unit of the Tallahassee Police Department for recovering my computers and research after two unfortunate burglaries. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful friends I have in Tallahassee for providing feedback on my ideas, driving me to the airport time after time, and indulging me with fun and laughter during what could be a trying, solitary process. I especially want to thank Caleb Murphy, Lorin Brand, Josh Durden, Ian Pawn and all the members of the Steve Holt! trivia team. Finally, I need to thank my family. I could not have done this without the faith and support of my parents, sister and grandparents. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................................viii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................xi INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Significance ............................................................................................................ 1 Background Overview ................................................................................................................ 2 Review of Literature ................................................................................................................... 5 Cuban History, Music, and U.S. Relations ............................................................................. 5 Festivals and Tourism ............................................................................................................. 9 Music and (Late) Socialism .................................................................................................. 13 Music, Politics, and International Relations ......................................................................... 16 Theoretical Approach................................................................................................................ 19 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 21 Research Location and Participants ...................................................................................... 22 Participant Observation......................................................................................................... 23 Interviews.............................................................................................................................. 24 Musical Analysis................................................................................................................... 25 Content Overview ..................................................................................................................... 25 1. U.S.-CUBAN MUSICAL RELATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THE REVOLUTION....... 27 Pan-Americanism and U.S. Musical Diplomacy ...................................................................... 27 The U.S. as the “Good Neighbor”......................................................................................... 28 Post-War Musical Diplomacy............................................................................................... 31 Pre-Revolutionary U.S.-Cuban Musical Interactions................................................................ 33 Art Music and Institutional Interaction................................................................................. 33 Popular Music and Commercial Interaction ......................................................................... 35 Latin Jazz and the Mambo Craze.......................................................................................... 37 From America’s Playground to Revolutionary Enemy......................................................... 39 U.S.-Cuban Relations from Kennedy to Ford........................................................................... 41 The Havana Jam and the Carter Years...................................................................................... 44 The 1980s: Reagan, Dizzy, and the Cold War.......................................................................... 49 v The Special Period and Buena Vista Social Club ..................................................................... 53 Beyond the Axis of Evil: U.S.-Cuban Musical Interaction and George W. Bush .................... 57 Conclusion: The Promise of Change......................................................................................... 61 2. U.S.-CUBAN RELATIONS IN THE OBAMA ERA: POLICIES, OPPORTUNITIES AND AN ETHNOMUSICOLOGIST’S CHALLENGES............................................................. 64 Barack Obama and Raúl Castro ................................................................................................ 65 Obama’s New Beginning with Cuba..................................................................................... 65 Cultural Policies and Economic Transformation in Cuba..................................................... 68 Navigating Bureaucracies: My Personal Challenges in Traveling to Cuba.............................. 73 Academic Travel and Research at the FolkCuba International Folklore Laboratory ............... 75 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 82 3. THE 2012 HAVANA JAZZ PLAZA FESTIVAL.................................................................... 83 Introduction: The Importance of Improvisation........................................................................ 83 Jazz After the Revolution.......................................................................................................... 85 History of the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival ............................................................................ 89 Jazz Plaza 2012: Jazz on All Chords......................................................................................... 92 U.S. Musicians at Jazz Plaza 2012.......................................................................................... 103 Friends University............................................................................................................... 104 Will Magid .........................................................................................................................