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Singer Yotuel Romero in Miami (at a solidarity event for Cuban protesters in July)
Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The song "Patria y Vida" (Fatherland and Life), a hymn of the demos in July in Cuba, was named Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys.
"I dedicate this Grammy to all Latin American mothers in the world who fight for the dream of every child (...) and my free Cuba," said Yotuel Romero at the music awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Friday night.
The song, a co-production of well-known Cuban musicians such as Descemer Bueno, Yotuel Romero, the duo Gente de Zona and the rapper Maykel Osorbo, also won the prize for best urban song.
In other important categories such as best album and best recording, the prizes went to salsa star Rubén Bladés from Panama (“Salswing!”) And the Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso and his son Tom (“Talvez”).
"The people demand freedom"
The Cuban musicians from "Patria y Vida" put their song against the famous quote "Patria o Muerte" (Fatherland or Death) by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
The song goes on to say: “No more lies.
The people demand freedom. «With the song, the musicians want to support the dissident movement San Isidro made up of intellectuals and artists, which has been against the strict control of cultural life on the Caribbean island since 2018.
The protest song has been viewed millions of times on YouTube.
“Patria y Vida” was also often shouted when, for the first time in decades, large numbers of demonstrators against the socialist government took to the streets in Cuba in July.
Thousands were reportedly arrested.
A high presence of the security forces prevented new demonstrations against the government in Cuba at the beginning of the week.
The Cuban playwright and protest leader Yunior García Aguilera then fled to Spain.