Q & A: Buena Fe

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The Scene discusses Cuban music with Buena Fe frontman Israel Rojas.

The Scene: Why is music so important to people in Cuba?

Israel Rojas: In Cuba, the people like all music -- music from around the world, from the 60s, Jamaican music, rock 'n' roll from the 50, all music. Cuban music too: charanga, rumba, Latin music. Of course, people have their favorite singers and they like intellectual music, but for Cubans, music is about happiness.

TS: Has Cuba's music been influenced by its political situation?

IR: Maybe one day great artists from around the world like U2 or Bruce Springsteen could come here to play with Cuban musicians like Charanga Habanera -- but at the moment they cannot because of political situation. One day I hope everybody will be able to play here so we can enjoy other cultures. Perhaps one day it will be possible.

TS: What does "Buena Fe" mean?

IR: "Buena Fe" means "good faith," because our songs talk about the special spirit of a generation . Cuba is one special country with situations, contradictions, rich and poor. It's very contrasting society. Our songs talk about all this with good faith. We wanted through our music to talk about this spirit and the problems but with love.

TS: How did you become musicians?

IR: We begin in Guantanamo in 1999. I write the songs with Joel playing the guitar and making the music. Then, beginning in Guantanamo, festival by festival we started singing our songs until one day Egrem, that's the record label in Cuba, said that maybe it was possible for us to make a record. We were very happy because in Guantanamo only a few artists get the chance. Then we came to Havana and our music began to happen. We play here and in Europe and in Latin America.

TS: Who were your influences?

IR: I think our influences are diverse because we are continuing the Trova music in Cuba. La Trova is music related to writers, to thinking, to the transmission of ideas and we're continuing maybe from Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes. But we have many influences, universal influences -- Latin rock first but also English rock, American music, bossa nova, Cuban and Latin American rhythms. Guantanamo is the most Caribbean province in Cuba so you could get radio stations from Cuba and the U.S. and reggae from the Caribbean. Maybe it was all important to our way of seeing life. That's what art is -- our way of seeing life.

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