With little impact The first edition of the San Remo Music Awards festival ended this Sunday in Havanaa contest that was marked by the cancellation of international figures engaged by first lady Lis Cuesta and the musician Jorge Luis Robaina, its Cuban organizers.
After months in which more was said regarding the controversies associated with the festival than regarding its cultural offerthe musical contest ended with the first prize for the Duo Iris, from Havana, followed by the singer Alejandro Padrón, from Mayabeque, and a third place shared by Saeed Mohamed and Dailys Álvarez, also from Havana. reported the state newspaper Granma.
Despite the cancellation of the main invited artists in protest once morest the repression on the Island, as was the case of the Spaniards Andy and Lucas and Alex Ubago and the Mexican Kalimba, Cuban authorities went ahead with an event that it was unmarked until the Italian Festival di Sanremo.
Also Cuban artists such as Raúl Paz and the rapper Telmary resigned from participating in the event following the departure of the foreignersbut others like Buena Fé, Tony Ávila, Adrián Berazaín, David Torrens, Toques del Río, Karamba, Pedrito Calvo, Tania Pantoja, Mariachi Habana, Waldo Mendoza, Elito Revé y su Charangón, la Charanga Latina, El Niño and La Verdad, Pupy and those who are Son, Mayito Rivera and Osdalgia Lesme they did participate.
To replace the invited artists who gave up participating, the organizers of the festival summoned the Italians Ricardo Cocciante, Gatto Panceri, Sonia Mazza, Rossella Zitiello, Sara Scognamiglio, the española Pilar Boyero and el mexicano Samuel Casteli.
The event included a concert program, an international business fair, a fashion show, a gastronomic event and four nights of musical competition at the National Theater.
The poor popularity of the festival was such that Lis Cuesta herself decided to stop appearing at press conferences months before the start, although was shown once more at the beginning of the event following posting a photo of himself at the Business Fair, to which users responded with a wave of criticism.
For now Cuban authorities have not confirmed whether they intend to organize more editions of the controversial festivalowned by controversial Italian businessman Nicola Convertino.
