Young Rebels

To tourists, Cuba is the island of salsa music, an image vigorously propagated by the authorities. But apart from this traditional music style, there is also a brisk hip hop culture, which is rooted in the so-called Special Period during the early 1990s. At this time, the national economy collapsed as a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and many families lived in dire poverty. The rappers sing about their daily lives and the dilemmas that modern-day Cuba is contending with. They are closely watched by the authorities, because songs about racism and destitution are not appreciated, as is clear from the sudden power failure during one show. Young Rebels follows five hip hop groups and two producers during their preparations for the annual festival in Havana in 2003. They talk about their passion for the music, the influence of the American rap scene, the censorship and the impossibility of recording a CD in a professional studio. This year, the government established a rap agency in an attempt to institutionalise the hip hop culture. This is counterproductive: some artists join the agency, but many others enter the underground circuit once more. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)