‘Homeland and life!’ Rallying cry is a big win at the Latin Grammys — and for Cuba
“Patria y Vida” for the win.
The hit collaboration that turned into a rallying cry over the summer during the protests in Cuba won a Latin Grammy Thursday night for Canción del Año, Song of the Year.
The inspirational anthem, a twist on Fidel Castro’s infamous phrase “Patria o Muerte” (Homeland or Death), became an anthem of sorts when Cubans took the streets in July, disgusted by the communist regime.
After the opening of the envelope, the audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas erupted into applause and cheers.
The emotionally charged track’s singers, including reggaeton and hip-hop stars El Funky (Eliecer Márquez Duany), Yotuel, Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona (Randy Malcom and Alexander Delgado), excitedly leaped onto the stage. All were dressed in white, seemingly a nod to the Damas de Blanco, an opposition movement by wives and other women related to jailed dissidents.
“I want to thank God and Cuba [and] my mother who told me, ‘Son, have the courage to do what my generation did not do,’” Yotuel said. “This Grammy I dedicate to all the Latin mothers in the world who fight for the dream of every child.”
The singer ended his speech to more cheers with, “To my free Cuba! Homeland and life!”
The South Florida-based men then performed the uplifting piece, which also won best urban song. Notably absent: hip hopper and collaborator/activist Maykel Osorbo, who was still in Cuba, detained by the government earlier this year after livestreaming on Facebook.
On the artist’s Instagram stories, Osorbo showed him on a FaceTime call with his crew after the ceremony.
“This is my way of telling you, my people are crying out and I feel their voice,” say the lyrics. “No more lies, my people ask for freedom. No more doctrines, let’s not sing of homeland or death but homeland and life.”
In July, here in downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park, roughly 1,000 people gathered to demonstrate and lend support to the pro democracy movement on the island. The event, which featured a concert with such artists as Willy Chirino, Gloria Estefan and Pitbull, was called “Down with the Chains! Patria y Vida!”
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 1:12 PM with the headline "‘Homeland and life!’ Rallying cry is a big win at the Latin Grammys — and for Cuba."
