Music Entrepreneurs in Contemporary Havana: The Children of Transition

Abstract

Cuba’s cultural policy has not sufficiently adjusted to the new cultural agents and conditions the island faces in the twenty-first century, creating significant tensions in the arts sector. This article describes the emergence of a group of music entrepreneurs and start-ups in the context of Cuba’s current transition to a new socioeconomic model and analyzes some of the challenges they face. I focus on the damage caused by an outdated and dysfunctional cultural policy framework. I examine how this issue is a cause and consequence of poor and ambiguous regulation in the arts sector, as well as how this troubling combination interferes with the prosperity of domestic creative industries. Two case studies illustrate the experiences of informal music start-ups: the magazine Magazine AM:PM and the communications agency Bonus Track. Music entrepreneurs and start-ups are part of the solution to the ongoing crisis in Cuba’s cultural sector. The task of adapting, restructuring, and redefining their role should be the priority of a more inclusive and prosperous cultural policy.