Fifty years after the Cuban revolution, which prompted a US embargo against Cuba, both Americans and Cubans remain far removed from each other’s realities. The documentary “Cuban Hip Hop: Desde el Principio (From the Beginning)” shows that one cultural link between the Cuba and the US is Hip Hop. The bilingual film features intimate interviews and performances by such legendary Cuban Hip Hop artists as Doble Filo, Obsesion, and Anónimo Consejo, who have all toured internationally. There is also never-before-seen footage of Common, M1 of Dead Prez, and political exile Nehanda Abiudun. Hip Hop, a culture that incorporates various elements, including rapping, breakdancing, and graffiti, developed in the Bronx, NY, during the late 1970s as a vehicle of expression for disenfranchised youth. “Cuban Hip Hop: Desde el Principio ” shows that Hip Hop is serving the same purpose within socialist Cuban society. Cuban rap is defying numerous misconceptions about censorship in Cuba via its highly critical lyrics. At the same time, the music is reaffirming certain limitations that Cuban society faces under Castro’s regime, including the lack of commercial success for artists. How did Cubans learn of Hip Hop, when all American ties were severed by the US blockade? This documentary explains it all. Based on a first-hand investigation carried out over the course of five years, which included participation in Cuban HipHop concerts and colloquiums at the eighth annual Cuban Rap Festival in …
Video Rating: 4 / 5