Chan Chan in Vietnam: Compay Segundo Makes Hanoi Dance

November 28, 2019

The Compay Segundo Group created today what is rarely seen in a Hanoi theater: the entire audience singing along to the songs and a good part of them on stage moving their bones however they pleased.

The 'culprit' of it all—may God have him in His Glory—was the author of Chan Chan... Yes, that same Francisco Repilado, the only thing we can't forgive him for is leaving with his music elsewhere 16 years ago.

Fortunately, Compay had the posthumous courtesy of bequeathing us a well-organized and delicious group, which he left under the direction of his son Salvador. And the armónico, an instrument invented by him and consisting of a sort of guitar to which he added a string from which he drew sounds like cowbells or little bells.

And it happened that very far from Alto Cedro, from Marcané, from Cueto and Mayarí, the Chan Chan of someone who was never second to anyone landed in this Vietnam so distant from son, guaguancó and other genres of traditional Cuban music.

Distant, but not turning its back, because a good number of Vietnamese took the stage of the Youth Theater here in Hanoi, whose movements of feet, shoulders and hips seemed learned in the Havana neighborhood of Cayo Hueso.

The colony of Cubans in the Vietnamese capital is not very large—just a few diplomats, aid workers and students, no more than 100—but they all arrived in a festive mood and with the intention of making something very clear: you can dance in the spinning top's house, but let no one get any funny ideas...

No, seriously, there was no competition. On the contrary, many mixed couples formed and everything was shared with very good vibes, because ultimately we Cubans live here like family and the Vietnamese treat us like anh em (brothers). The brothers we have been for almost 60 years.

And what more can I say? I resort to a rather worn phrase: words cannot describe what happened tonight in Hanoi with the Compay Segundo boys. Nor can photos and videos, because like many other things, you have to live these...