Hip-hop Workshops and Double Morality in Cuba
This article examines the recent phenomenon of reggaetón in contemporary and revolutionary Cuban society. It offers an understanding of hip-hop culture that goes beyond the dichotomic analytical model that opposes resistance to subordination. What intentions compel Cuban arts educators and grassroots promoters to become involved with young rappers and reggaetoneros ? What are the guiding principles of their teachings in the context of music workshops offered by two Culture Houses in Santiago de Cuba ? These key questions allow us to identify the presence of dominant, alternatives and emerging forces in the discourses of the stakeholders involved. While encouraging young rappers and reggaetoneros to develop an authentically Cuban form of expression, these educators and promoters silently hope that their efforts will pay off in the commercial music industry. Herein lies the double standard (doble m oral) expressed by government agents, highlighting an ideological articulation that corresponds to dynamics expressed by the Cuban population at large.