NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
As Cuba stands to become even more isolated, many Cubans continue to leave and those who stay remain cut off from family in the United States. Carlos Varela, a singer known as “The Poet of Havana,” has been addressing the pain politics causes. Jeffrey Brown reports from Havana for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture series, CANVAS.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- What percent of Cuban citizens have left in recent years?
- Who is Carlos Varela, and what is his background?
- Where was Varela raised?
- How does Varela view his music?
- Why does Varela not consider his music political?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Carlos Varela claims that he doesn't see his music as political, but that it does address societal concerns and is focused on the lives and culture of the Cuba where he was raised. Why do you think Varela makes the distinction between politics and his music? In what way is it political even if that wasn't his intent?
Media literacy: If you could interview another person for this story, who would you chose and why?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Read about this art exhibit from 2016. How does the artistic expression of politics compare between that example and the one in the story you just watched about Carlos Varela?
You can also see more of News Hour's Art in Action series here, including this segment below about music as a gateway between the U.S. and Cuba. (A lesson on the segment below can be found here.)
This lesson was written by Payton Alfieri, a junior at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, with editing by Vic Pasquantonio.
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