Guest Commentary: Embracing my complicated history with Cuba - Orlando Sentinel

Revisiting Cuba Through Music and Memory in a New Orlando Sentinel Essay

In a recent guest commentary published by the Orlando Sentinel, former columnist George Diaz examines a complex, lifelong relationship with his country of origin, tracing a personal journey from a child’s departure out of Cuba to a poignant reckoning sparked by the “Buena Vista Social Club” musical at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.

The essay details an immigrant experience defined by early assimilation and a long-delayed emotional reconciliation with Cuban heritage. Diaz arrived in Fort Lauderdale from Cuba as a young child alongside two sisters, while his parents made the decision to seek freedom. While Diaz quickly learned English, excelled in school, and gravitated toward American rock bands like the Eagles and Led Zeppelin, his connection to his homeland remained dormant for decades.

The Echoes of a Musical Revival

That distance narrowed significantly inside the performing arts center, where the vibrant salsa tunes and ballads of the “Buena Vista Social Club” production stirred long-suppressed memories. The musical serves as an artistic framework reflecting the history of Cuban musicians marginalized under Fidel Castro’s administration, which shuttered traditional venues and dismantled private enterprise.

Guest Commentary: Embracing my complicated history with Cuba - Orlando Sentinel

Those artists remained largely unseen until 1996, when American musician Ry Cooder traveled to Cuba to record the famous album that breathed new life into the aging performers. The production also highlights the divergent paths of the Portuondo sisters, Haydée and Omara. Haydée defected to the United States in 1961 following a performance at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, severing ties with her family and ending her professional career, while Omara remained in Cuba.

The Ongoing Crisis Facing Contemporary Cuba

Diaz notes that the nostalgic reflection of the musical contrasts sharply with the grim realities of present-day Cuba. The island nation is currently navigating a severe economic and energy crisis marked by shortages of food, medicine, and clean water. This collapse is driven by a combination of escalating U.S. sanctions, a fuel blockade, and the loss of foreign oil shipments, leaving residents with few economic opportunities.

That enduring pain resonated beyond the stage for other members of the audience. Following the performance, Diaz spoke with a friend, Luisa, a Cuban American whose family experienced a similar forced separation decades ago.

“When the sisters were separating, one of them was holding a piece of luggage,” Luisa said, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. “It brought me back to walking away from our grandmother, cousins, aunts and neighbors as they were all gathered to give us a farewell. This moment brought me back 60 years in an instant, which shows to me the pain never goes away.”

For Diaz, the experience cemented a dual identity shaped by sacrifice, artistic survival, and the enduring emotional weight of history.

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