|
|
#68368 - 01/30/04 10:52 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Executive Member
Registered: 08/19/01
Posts: 1664
Loc: U.S.A.
|
It is terrible!
I suspect there's more to this story than you were told, La Maestra. In the past the U.S. authorities allowed Cuban nationals to come to the U.S. for any reason, cultural, sport,or to visit families, etc., as long as they were not criminals or held criminal records.
Cubans traveling from countries other than Cuba, must seek permission from the local U.S. embassy.
Have you seen anything in the newspapers about this?
_________________________
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
--St. Augustine (354-430)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68369 - 01/30/04 11:17 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
But, Paco de Lucía is Spanish.  I ddidn't know this, but I recently read he said he wasn't going to travel much ('giras') from now on because of the excessive precautions. 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68370 - 01/31/04 09:18 AM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Executive Member
Registered: 03/03/01
Posts: 373
Loc: Tucson, Arizona
|
The article in the Arizona Daily Star is 3 paragraphs long:
"Visa problems have forced the cancellation of Paco de Lucía's Wednesday show, according to UA presents.
A member of the Spanish guitarist's band, bass player Alain Rodriguez, a Cuban national and a resident of Spain, is unable to get into the country for the performance in Centennial Hall."
The article then explains how to get refunds.
This is a slightly different story than I originally got, but the end result is the same.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68371 - 01/31/04 09:41 AM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Sorry, LaMaestra. I read your message too fast, and I understood you said Paco was Cuban himself, hence my surprise. :o
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68372 - 01/31/04 05:08 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Executive Member
Registered: 08/19/01
Posts: 1664
Loc: U.S.A.
|
That's sad, la Maestra, but now all Cubans must pass through a very stringent security process, it took my cousin, who is a nun in Cuba, 8 months to get the permission to visit our family. The last time she visited us,1994, it took her two weeks to get permission from the Sección de Intereses Cubanos in Washington, D.C. The Tri-Valley Herald Online verifies the visa problem. It looks like Paco will have to get a new bass player, if he wants to come to the U.S. But bass player Alain Rodriguez was held back from entering the country indefinitely as the Department of Homeland Security looks over his petition to visit. That is, if they are looking it over at all, said a frustrated Scott Southard of de Lucia's booking agency, International Music Network.
"It has been very difficult because I have no communication with Homeland Security," Southard said.
Rodriguez and eight other musicians were to accompany de Lucia on his eight-month tour of 27 cities in several countries, including the United States. Rodriguez has been living in Spain for five years but is a Cuban national with a passport from Cuba.
That means he is subject to tighter scrutiny and delays from Homeland Security.
Rodriguez is just one of several dozen performing artists nationwide whose trips have been delayed or denied entirely because of the tightening restrictions on foreign visitors, especially visitors from Cuba.
By the way Paco the Lucia has a new CD Cositas Buenas (reminds me of Martha Stewart's Good Things ) which is touted to be an excellent CD. It just came out, have you bought it yet? I am ordering mine from Amazon, and cannot wait till it gets here!
_________________________
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
--St. Augustine (354-430)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68373 - 01/31/04 05:14 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Member
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 1235
Loc: Rockford, IL/Milton, WI, USA
|
Since 9-11, the swinging door policy that no longer lets people in to the US from countries that are not considered "favored nations" has gone into effect.
Whether we like it or not, its the law, and its in place for a specific reason. If they had planned in advance for his visa to be approved it more than likely would have been, but I'm afraid we can't make exceptions for him because somebody wants to see a concert.
I know that sounds harsh, but its the facts.
By the way, we are not the only nation that requires advance visa procurement, so lets not consider this another "US" thing.
Wolf
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68374 - 01/31/04 05:30 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Executive Member
Registered: 08/19/01
Posts: 1664
Loc: U.S.A.
|
Well, you are right there, Wolf. We live in a dangerous world, and the carefree days of old are no more.
_________________________
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
--St. Augustine (354-430)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#68375 - 01/31/04 05:46 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Member
Registered: 01/25/01
Posts: 1235
Loc: Rockford, IL/Milton, WI, USA
|
Bookie,
I guess we had it way too good here in the US. We felt safe, and now we don't. It was bound to happen, but it would have been nice if it was at a later time, on someone else's watch.
Nice hearing your voice again my friend.
Wolf
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#68376 - 01/31/04 07:00 PM
Re: Paco de Lucia denied visa!!!
|
Executive Member
Registered: 08/19/01
Posts: 1664
Loc: U.S.A.
|
Nice to hear from you too, Wolf! Hope you are keeping warm up there!
I agree, it is sad that we have to be so careful. But with nuts like Fidel Castro loose on the world, what else can we do. It is a verified fact that he sends out Cubans to spy.
_________________________
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
--St. Augustine (354-430)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 registered (),
2520
Guests and
4
Spiders online. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
This morning there was a very short blurb that said one of the musicians was a Cuban national living in Spain and that was the problem! 
Previous Topic
Index
