Raúl Torres says that he sings inspired by the cry of his people

June 17, 2020

To the beat of timba and guaguancó, Cubans today have a new way to demand an end to the blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba for almost 60 years, this time in the voice of singer-songwriter Raúl Torres. His most recent song "Unblock Me" denounces the effects of the blockade and these days occupies airtime on local radio and television, and on YouTube social networks.

In an interview with Sputnik, Raúl Torres expressed: "I feel committed to humanity in any place in the universe where it inhabits, and after having seen what I have seen, I have no choice but to denounce with my songs what damages our species".

For Torres, "Unblock Me" is the cry of the Cuban people that he tried to turn into a song. "We have a tradition of turning our sorrows and joys into music, and this issue about which so much protest has been raised not only in Cuba but throughout the entire world could not be left without its denunciatory song," he noted. With an abundant discography featuring canonical themes in the Cuban songbook such as "Candil de Nieve," "Se fue," "Give It All Back to Me," and "Phoenix of Crystal," among other important compositions, Torres has held a prominent place on the island since the 90s, when he became known through troubadour Pablo Milanés.

His music also made headlines with political songs dedicated to important figures of the Latin American left, including: "The Return of the Friend," dedicated to the memory of the late president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez (1954-2013); "Riding with Fidel," a song that almost became an anthem after the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro (1926-2016); "Drums of Peace," a musical piece that identified the worldwide solidarity campaign in favor of the Venezuelan people. The musician stated that he enjoys composing equally a rock and roll, a ballad, a timba or a jazz.

In this case ["Unblock Me"] it is a latin-house with very modern sounds that are present in our youth and also with the imprint of our identity, adding timba and Matanzas guaguancó [traditional Cuban genres in the western province of Matanzas]," he explained. In the music video for "Unblock Me" appear important figures from sports, culture, science, entertainment, along with children, young people and workers, in a representative spectrum of Cuban civil society, upon whom falls, in representation of the people, the main demand to put an end to the White House sanctions against Cuba.