This is what Solidarity Rock is, and why it’s important

William Garcia - Sancti Spiritus, Cuba

(Photo by Aaron Bocanegra)

I went to the Canary Islands in Spain in October 2006. I was there for three months doing what I could do best working since my second day there till the day right before coming back to Cuba, 14 February 2007. Being there I realized that I wanted to be back home and do music. That is what I do best and what I like the most, do music in every way, play it and help others to play it, work as a sound man, put shows together. When I was there I gat an email telling me that at the AHS in Sancti Spíritus a young Canadian was at a trova show and sang some songs. Everybody liked it and it was the first time we had heard someone from the north singing here.

(Photo by Bryan Kulba)

When I gat back to Cuba, I started working at the AHS as a sound man. I was asked to help with translation for a band coming to Sancti Spíritus Cuba from Edmonton, Canada. It was that young Canadian’s band. The one singing at the AHS at a trova show when I was in Spain. I was so happy I could do something like that, they gave me a CD to listen to the band and I couldn’t believe that it would happen. It did happen. 7and7is gat to Cuba in December 2007, after lots and lots of problems they gat to Sancti Spíritus. I was waiting for them at the AHS for
several hours but I had to go to practice so I went and started practicing. A friend came and told me the band had arrived at the AHS. I went there to meet them, and I was lucky to meet Sean Foster that young guy at the trova show the year before, David Foster his brother, Damian Frackzeck, Kelly Chia, the four members of the band. With them was Bryan Kulba as a photographer and Drew McIntosh to document the tour in video.

(Photo by Bryan Kulba)

We started putting together a D.I.Y tour in Cuba which is the most crazy thing you can imagine. It was the very first time anyone had done this in Cuba. No one had ever have thought about doing that but we had no alternative. They where here to play rock and roll and so we were here to help them make it. Through the days together we had the opportunity to become friends, and I’m glad I have seen them all again, except for Kelly, after those hard days in Cuba. They are into my best friends list for ever, and after lots of years I had the opportunity to meet some again in Edmonton, their city. That was a nice surprise, another step on the way but that’s another story.

(Photo by Bryan Kulba)

Going from one show in Cienfuegos to Trinidad for the next show, Drew McIntosh and me start talking on the bus about a video cam he had at home and wanted to send to Cuba for artists to use it and some ideas he had about it all. Great ideas. We spent the hole trip drunk talking about dreams and then continued on Trinidad beach the next day. We didn’t have anything to eat, just hanging out with friends and just a big bottle of Havana Club, laughing about Fito’s Speedo. From all those conversations came Drew’s idea to make Solidarity Rock. He asked me if I would be in the idea and here we are today, making dreams come true.

From those three months I spent working in Spain I earned enough money to buy an Silvertone guitar, a Marshall study guitar amp and a multieffect pedal. The Marshall study guitar amp helped us make the 7and7is tour. Damian played through it. At that point it was the only guitar amp in town and all around. The last day of the tour in Havana Damian gave me his Boss ME-50 multieffect, his guitar strap, and the cords he used during the tour, things I still keep and play with. They are like treasures for me because they have a big history and are part of something very special.

(Photo by Drew McIntosh)

Then it was the time for Slates to come down to Cuba after lots of work on one side and the other of the planet, they brought with them all things that were  needed here, two guitar amps, one base amp, a drum kit, guitars, bass, cymbals, cords and more. From that tour I gat Eric’s guitar, a Mann guitar that after lots of electrical problems is back to the fight. I gave the Silvertone I bought in Spain to some one else to use it and Eric’s guitar is part also of history. It’s another brick in the wall of this new world we are all building. Eric and his brother had sent before an Ibanez guitar that has past through different musicians hands here and is still
rocking and shredding hard, right now in Jatibonico.

(Photo by Aaron Bocanegra)

(Photo by Aaron Bocanegra)

I’m just telling what’s on my side, every one else here in the punk bands have their own histories to tell, their own instruments and stuff coming from Solidarity Rock, also trovadores, metal bands, classical musicians such as the young girl, Yenny who played for Solidarity Rock and The Vicious Cycles this January 6 at the A.H.S in Sancti Spíritus which was her first concert in her own town. That special night we officially welcomed to The Vicious Cycles to Cuba and the 25 Years Award of the AHS to Solidarity Rock in the person of its creator Drew McIntosh.

We gave Yenny a hard case that Vicious Cycles brought with them. It’s a hard case from Sparrow guitars and that is another special step. I gat to say that Yenny is a friend of mine, Osmin Torres’, daughter. I have known her since she was just a little girl and have seen her progress in her career, studying to be the musician she is today. It made me so happy that she played for us and the guys from Sparrow guitars gave her their hard case to protect her guitar.

(Photo by Sandy Phimester)

Ron Reyes ex-Black Flag and other bands sent me his guitar signed by himself and this is like an another award for the project - for everyone of us. It’s what we are doing all together. What we are building and what we are all part of. When I go to shows I see all punk bands playing instruments and stuff coming from your hands and that makes me feel so happy for them and thankful for you. It is the biggest thing everyone will have ever done for rock and roll at any place at any time and you have done that. You have helped the punk movement, the ideas and cultural and human relations to develop and grow up in every way possible. You have donated your time, your money, your possessions, your spirit and believed in this project and been part of something you didn’t even have to bother with. It is more than anyone in rock and roll has ever done anywhere. Is very humanitarian, very
spiritual and inspiring.  

We all had heroes when young and teenagers, rock heroes like Kurt Cobain or others on my side, but that is over. I passed that long ago. Those are media heroes that they want us to believe and fallow. I gat real friends and people who I admire now, people that represent a lot in my life and my present, future and past
now. It’s all of you who have taught me lots of lessons and made me a
better man everyday.

(Photo by Aaron Bocanegra)

I went to Edmonton Canada and had the chance to know who you are, people I
just knew by names, where you live and how you live. It made me see lots of things, different colours, different tastes that helped me understand lots of things in a total and honest way. Thanks a lot to everyone, I could never mention names and places, the list will never end.

I have an endless respect and admiration for everyone of you and your actions for us here. There’s a lot to learn yet for all of us here, and I just hope that if not all, at least a few more people can learn to see things in a real way and get to know the value of every single action and not the material stuff but the spiritual in every action.

I just wanted to write very few lines but it came to be more than I expected, in fact what I wanted to express is the admiration I feel for what you do and let
you know that things I have from your hands are with me for ever. They will
go with me and the rest, I’m giving to kids and friends from all around.  They’re for all the other bands to keep working and growing. I’m trying to put then in the best hands I can find so they will be put to good use and safe and remembered.

William Garcia.

(Photos by Drew McIntosh)