I am very saddened by the film - this is the first big budget
Hollywood film ever with a majority Puerto Rican cast and subject
matter (can't count West Side Story with Natalie Wood as Maria) and
they blew an op****tunity to explore not only the history of salsa, but
to illuminate other issues facing the community on less than a shallow
surface level. This was a vehicle for JLo to showcase her acting - no
more no less. The choice of telling the story of Hector Lavoe through
the eyes (point of view) of his wife was a choice made by the
producers to give JLo a big chunk of screen time - but ultimately
takes away from the actual focus on Hector and his music - and the
impact of salsa that was felt around the world.
I realize that many folks who are Jlo & MA fans will simply look at it
from that perspective, or others will become nostalgic hearing
snippets of the music of the times, but the movie in no way explored
the history of either Hector Perez - his incredible musical family (in
PR), the actual development of salsa as a Nuyorrican genre, the
cor****ate control of the production and distribution of the music by
Fania, the political impact of salsa and its close ties to the
struggle for Puerto Rican nationalism and independence, the corroding
influences of drugs (and who supplied them) in the community, the role
of Santeria/Lukumi in that music world at the time, the long term
impact of AIDS and its relation****p to syringe exchange... this was a
blown op****tunity to make a great film of lasting significance, rather
than a Hollywood puff piece.
No wonder that even those musicians who were hired as advisors - or
actors are denouncing the results, including those who are openly
members of the religion.
I
Willie Colon has issued a statement about the film and Milton Cardona
has stated that the writers ignored his scrpting comments and
technical input:
"EL CANTANTE
The Creators of El Cantante missed an op****tunity to do something of
relevance for our community. The real story was about Hector fighting
the obstacles of a non-sup****tive industry that took advantage of
entertainers with his charisma and talent. Instead they did another
movie about two Puerto Rican junkies. The impact of drugs in the
entertainment industry is nothing new; look at Britney Spears, Lindsay
Lohan and Whitney Houston today.
I think Hector deserves the recognition the movie pretended to give
him. However, as someone who advised the producers, it's painfully
obvious that they didn't understand what made him so im****tant. It was
the music. It was his talent. They didn't understand or respect the
true im****tance of our music to people around the world. It's
difficult to comprehend how two individuals who are in the music
business like Marc and Jennifer are not aware of the damage and the
consequences of promoting only the negative side of our Latin music
culture.
I was disappointed that there wasn't a minimal effort to correct what
I felt were serious chronological and factual errors. This tells me
that they expeditiously crafted the simplest clich=E9 script in order to
just make a film quickly.
After the premier of El Cantante in Puerto Rico there were several
statements of protest by people who had sup****ted and participated in
the project until they saw it. Their complaints were not about sour
grapes or J-lo and Marc ba****ng but from a sense of betrayal and
disappointment.
We are all invested in the world that this movie represents. For many
of us the hope of our story finally being told sank into the horizon
with the final version of this film.
Willie Col=F3n "
Milton said:
"I would like to add my 2 cents to this topic, by saying that the
producers
were offered information from myself, and others. They blatantly
refused it.
I had explained to Mr Ichaso, that I kept diaries of every gig I have
ever
done throughout my entire career.
Everything that Hector ever went through personally and professionally
has
been do***ented to the date, time, and place in my diaries. Again it
was
refused. They didn't want the truth.
They preferred to show the ugliest skeleton he had in his closet. I
did
spend at least 3/4 of my entire career with both Willie and Hector.
Milton Cardona"
Ache to Willie and Milton for speaking out.
>From an article in the LA Times:
"After the film's premiere in Puerto Rico, salsa singer Ismael
Miranda, a Lavoe contem****ary who plays his father in "El Cantante,"
publicly condemned the film for focusing too much on the tragic
artist's drug abuse, which eventually led to his death from AIDS
complications. Miranda was joined in his critique by singer Domingo
Qui=F1=F3nez, who also has a bit part in the movie, and Cheo Feliciano, a
revered vocalist and member (along with Miranda and Lavoe) of the
Fania All-Stars, the '70s' super-group that helped launch the salsa
boom. "
What could have been a film of major historical im****tance is just
another tired Hollywood ***/drugs and tragedy cliche, with PR's in the
starring roles.
For those of you who never had a chance to see Hector live - you'd do
better searching you tube for some great clips. check out Hector in
Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJ4lXWRn6q0k
I hope the film La India is involved with will be better The
Singer:HECTOR LAVOE THE TRUE STORY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DcAXri-I6FiI
Other communities have successfully managed to force Hollywood to make
some historically correct and culturally sensitive non-do***entary
films (no mean task). Ache to actor/producers like Edward James Olmos
(Stand and Deliver, Zoot Suit), and films like the Color Purple,
Glory, Spike Lee's Malcolm X ... these films, and others like them
have proved it is not impossible to break through Hollywood
stereotyping of people of color.
As a former salsera, who grew up in NY, hung out in the clubs, danced
to the birth of salsa, knew the muscians and suffered through their
trials and tribulations, the same faced by the entire community, I am
angered and deeply concerned about the distorted and historically
incorrect images this film has chosen to project.
As a political activist I can testify to the deep commitment salsa
musicians had to using their music to uplift Boriquas during the 60's
and 70's . Even the use of the PR flag on album covers and at concerts
was part of the movement. From 1898 to 1952 it was considered a felony
to display the Puerto Rican flag in public; the only flag permitted to
be flown on the island was the flag of the United States. No mention
in the film of musicians like Eddie Palmieri - who took up the issue
of economic and social injustice in the US on his 1969 album Justicia.
No scenes of the street concerts participated in by Willie Colon,
Hector, Jonny...Eddie...Bobby Rodriguez...to raise money for the Young
Lords Party and community struggles around housing, health care,
drugs, prisons. The impact of the Fania trip to Africa is ignored.
Unfortunately many of todays young people are never going to be taught
their history - and to be truthful - it isn't Hollywood's role to do
that. But the fact that the advice and concerns of those who do know
the history and attempted to influence the script and production
decisions was ignored - when it could have been incor****ated is to me,
a valid critique of the film.
For those of you who did not know Puchi - Hector's "wife" who played a
part in introducing a naive young kid from PR to drugs - who abandoned
him after he was diagnosed with HIV and who was not present for much
of the development of the music or political scene of the time -
please think about the images you will walk away with from this film.
As a santera - I am angered by the pathetic (and incorrect) scene in a
botanica where Hector "buys " some Saint Barbara beads. Hector
actually struggled to find a spiritual refuge in Orisha to escape the
demons of his addiction, and received help and sup****t from santeros,
but sadly, this was too late for him to escape the consequences of
shared unsterile syringe use - which no one at the time was aware of -
the new plague that has felled many in our communities.
As an AIDS researcher and activist - I am angered by the fact that the
film leaves out Hectors struggle with the virus and his attempts
(along with those who stood by him) to fight the disease and the
stigma at the time.
I wouldn't be so concerned if this film was simply one film among
dozens available that ****tray Puerto Ricans on the silver screen. As
it stands you'd do better to watch do***entaries - the new one by
Rosie Perez "Yo soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas!" (HBO), the Young
Lords "Palante Siempre Palante" film and Raquel Ortiz' "Mi Puerto
Rico" (PBS) or concert footage available on DVD.
Since this is the ONLY big budget film on PR's - we have no choice but
to judge it from that perspective - and as such I give it a minus
zero. Hector Lavoe's contribution to the music and PR history was not
just a tragic tale if yet another junkie.
I will wait and hope that someday Puerto Rican's and their rich
heritage and contributions to our collective history will be ****trayed
effectively .
Pa'lante Siempre Pa'lante
Denise
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