Reggaeton Revolución was produced this past year in Cuba, and follows some of Cuba’s most recognized artists from all over the island. It was filmed alongside Lisette Poole who is a Cuban-American photographer based in Havana.
Reggaeton Revolucion: Cuba in the Digital Era from WEREHAUS on Vimeo.
Lisette has been photographing Reggaeton artists for a while, and on a recent trip to New York we made plans to film a documentary. A few months later we followed up before I booked my ticket to Cuba. During that time, the travel restrictions were just beginning to open up, and Obama’s effort to normalize relations began to take place. As I traveled through Mexico City, en route to Havana, it began to sink in. I had no idea what to expect and was blown away the moment I got off the plane. It felt like traveling back in time and I have lots of footage of the iconic vintage cars. After I got used to the obvious visual differences, I began to realize the similarities of Cuba to other parts of the world.
Filming this documentary allowed me to experience a different side of the country that people may not get a chance to see. I was able to be in people homes, see the daily life of Cubans, and learn the intricacies of their music industry. I wanted to portray these artists from a slightly different perspective and give the viewer a behind-the-scenes look into their lives. The amount of effort they put into their music showed the dedication to their goal of playing around the world. These parallels are the same as all musicians – and the Cuban dream is no different.
