Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
And welcome to our little show.
Tonight, we got ourselves...
...a bona fide multiplicitous...
...conglomeration of cubanos...
...on this here stage tonight.
We got...
...Paquito D'Rivera!
We got Ignacio Berroa!
And...
...we got my newest...
...Cuban son...
...Arturo Sandoval.
Here by special permission of the Cuban government.
I'd like to say something.
Ever since I was a little boy and...
...since the first time I heard his music...
...I had a dream to be able to play with maestro Dizzy Gillespie.
So, to me right now, life is truly a dream.
Mari, it's me, Arturo.
Arturo, where are you?
I'm in Athens.
-Are you okay? -Yes.
You're in London, this is it.
We're halfway there. It's all arranged.
Tonight?
I will be in Italy tomorrow.
Be careful.
I'll call you when I get there.
Tell 'em none of that feta cheese.
-Got that? "Un-feta." -You got it.
Don't go away.
Arturo, what's going on?
Quick, give me a cigarette.
My wife and son are in London.
They're where?
We're not going back.
It's not done yet.
It's okay. Don't worry.
We'll get you out.
Arturo, man, let's go. I called the embassy.
They're expecting us.
What's the matter?
I still got family there, Diz.
When you leave, the government punishes those you leave behind and love.
Then are you sure you want to do this?
I've been in jail all my life.
Freedom's a scary thing, but...
...I gotta get on the bird.
Well, come on, let's do it.
-The embassy's closed, sir. -You better get it open.
This is an international incident. My Cuban friend--
-Sir, the embassy's closed. -Not for me. I'm Dizzy Gillespie.
-Open the gate, Sergeant. -Yes, sir.
It's an honor to meet you, we got your call.
You must be Arturo Sandoval.
That's the second greatest trumpet player in the world.
Someone should be....
-There you are. -Good evening, gentlemen.
I should say, good morning.
I'm Michael Tasker. I'm a big fan, Mr. Gillespie.
Thank you. This is Arturo--
Arturo Sandoval, yes, petition for asylum.
How long's this gonna take?
Red tape respects no boundaries. That's an international fact of life.
-If you'd like to-- -This is the American Embassy.
I know you got some apple pie around here.
I think we can arrange something.
-You be cool. -Thank you, Diz.
Enjoy. Right this way.
Your Mr. Gillespie is one of the few people...
...who can open this place in the middle of the night.
Have a seat and I'll be back in a moment.
Thank you.
Coffee?
Thank you, yes.
I'm scared.
Trust me.
I think I should explain...
...there are certain criteria that must be met before we can grant asylum.
An individual must prove that he is unable to return...
...to his homeland for fear of persecution.
I understand. That's why I'm here.
You've been touring with Mr. Gillespie's United Nation band.
-Are you here with your family? -No.
My wife and son are waiting for me in London.
-You're seeking asylum for them as well? -Yes.
Is there a problem?
I just need some information.
Okay.
So, you've been a musician for how many years?
Since I was six years old.
I taught my cat how to walk on a tight rope while I played the bongos.
It was like an animal act.
And you were educated at a government-run music school?
Yes.
You were classically trained?
Yes.
It says you were a member of the Cuban Music Academy.
Is that right?
Yes.
Is that a state-sponsored organization?
Yes.
Your first professional job.... What is that? "Orquesta--"
Cuban Modern Music Orchestra.
-Government sponsored? -Yes, of course.
If the government doesn't sponsor it, it doesn't exist.
Maybe I'm missing something here, because it seems that on paper...
...that the government treated you quite well.
They supported you as a musician.
Yes.
Yes, as long as I did what they wanted.
That's the shit!
That's what we should be playing.
I know! Start a band and get on the bird and fly!
-You haven't changed. -What for?
You look good, very handsome. Even without the hair, very handsome.
-What's this about? -Nothing.
Come on in, guys. Relax, please, sit down.
Here, don't burn my couch.
Jaime, why are we here? What is this meeting about?
Compañero Somavilla brought a matter to my attention.
I just mentioned to Jaime, that...
...you want to start your own band.
You're own band. It's a good idea.
It's a shame we just can't do it.
Caballeros.
I'm an artist just like you are.
I understand the need to invoke the muse.
But as Cubans, we have to present a united front.
Politically and musically.
Destroying the orquesta is not in our interests--
No.
We do not want to destroy anything.
Just the best band in Cuba, that's all.
There's room for another great band in Cuba.
Normally I'd agree with you but we're living in times of scarcity now.
Exactly. Besides....
I just can't see why you can't play what you want in the orquesta.
In the orquesta, we play what you want us to play.
We need to experiment.
You don't want to experiment.
You just don't want to play our music. You want to play their music.
-The music of the enemy. -What is the music of the enemy?
That's enough!
Our comrades are losing their lives in Angola.
You guys are thinking about your little music.
Just about yourselves! There's no time for that.
There are limits!
-Leave the cowboys alone. -I never saw that picture before.
I don't care, this is dominoes.
-Pay attention to the game! -One more coffee, please.
Wait, it's not your turn.
Gracias, Mama.
Your coffee is like a wake-up kiss in the morning.
Cirita bonita, tan bella y sabrosita.
Gracias.
Tastes like the fourth time through on these grounds.
You boys wanna play?
Maybe later, Papi.
This is going nowhere.
You heard Jaime?
They pull us out of venues. They pull the equipment.
They won't ever do it.
We'll be so good they'll have to support us.
How are you gonna get 'em to support a jazz band?
Never call it " jazz." Don't ever even use the word.
They'll know. They'll hear it.
These guys, they're not musicians, they're bureaucrats.
You're Cuban, I'm Cuban. Chucho's Cuban.
Whatever we play is gonna be Cuban music.
We'll need some kind of camouflage, you know?
Congas.
Big ones.
-Up front. -Up front!
We called ourselves "Irakere."
It's an African word meaning, " jungle."
We played jazz...
...but we gave it our own swing.
Wait a minute, excuse me.
They didn't stop you.
And this band was a success.
Yes.
The camouflage we had worked.
You toured extensively.
You did a record for CBS.
You even won a Grammy.
It seems like the government didn't care what you were playing.
They chose not to notice because we were making a lot of money for them.
I imagine you were making some money for yourself as well?
It doesn't work that way.
The clubs pay the Ministry of Culture directly.
All we got was meal money.
You know you can make a lot more money if you weren't in Cuba.
It's not about the money.
It's about the music.
They let you play the kind of music that you wanted.
American jazz and Gershwin and Ellington--
You're always taking a risk because in Cuba you never know where the line is.
You can play Gershwin once too often.
Not being able to play Gershwin does not constitute persecution.
It is if they decide it's counter-revolutionary and you're put in jail.
In Cuba you live with that fear every day.
Someone might come to you, your house, your family...
...and hurt you because of a song.
Just a song.
And that is persecution.
If you felt that strongly about it...
...why didn't you defect earlier?
I was about to. I had it all planned out.
But you stayed.
Let's go!
Life has it's own plan.
Let's go!
C'mon!
C'mon, let's go!
I'm here, let's go. The bus is coming!
C'mon, what are you waiting for?
If you don't get this one, there won't be another bus for hours!
-I'm with him. -C'mon!
I've been here all along, right here.
She's with me.
She's the love of my life.
By the way, what's your name?
"Marianela Marianela
"Marianela
"When she walks
"All the buses have to stop
"And when she laughs
"She has to cry"
What's wrong?
My mother just died...
...a week ago.
I'm sorry.
Did your mother have something against laughing?
-Where are you going? -This is my stop.
Really? Mine, too.
What a coincidence.
I wanna see you before I go.
What's the point if you are leaving?
Why does there have to be a point?
When does your tour finish?
In a month.
Let's have dinner.
Ask me when you get back.
That's too long, I need to see you before I go.
What's the hurry?
I'm afraid you might forget me.
That's very unlikely.
CUBAN MINISTRY OF COMMERCE
Excuse me, do you work here at the foreign trade ministry?
Sí.
Don't tell me that you work here as well.
No.
I don't think so.
Is there a problem?
No problem.
"Marianela Marianela
"Marianela"
I'm gonna see you before I go!
That's a warning!
These are the East German purchases.
She sold everything?
And she actually left.
To Miami?
Both kids, the mother, the father, the grandmother, on a raft.
This is Cuca we're talking about.
What happened to Cuca?
They left a couple of weeks ago from Cojimar at about 3:00 in the morning!
-The whole family? -Yes.
The whole family, even the dog.
-The dog? -Good thing she escaped.
She didn't escape. She gave up.
She gave up because things got a little tough.
She wanted to go shopping in Miami.
Please, she bought everything she could in Havana.
-Hello? -May I speak to Marianela, please?
Marianela, for you.
Oigo?
-Marianela? -Sí.
-Arturo. -Who?
Arturo Sandoval.
You don't remember me?
Of course I remember you. It's been less than an hour.
Listen, you like baseball?
Do I like baseball?
What are you doing out here?
This is where I practice.
I like to come here 'cause the music....
My playing comes back to me like a wave.
What were you playing?
Something I just wrote.
What is it called?
Marianela.
Really.
Put your hand on my heart.
Right here.
Nice.
What's her name?
Marianela.
-Where does she live? -None of your business.
She was the waitress we were chasing around--
You were chasing.
Marianela works for the government.
The government?
You think I'm crazy?
I think you're in love and that's a dangerous place to be.
What are you talking about?
You know I wanna leave. I can't take my family.
You're free. You get on that plane, you never come back.
You get hooked, you're stuck.
Don't complicate your life, hermano, okay?
There she is.
What do you think?
It's worse than I thought.
Be careful. You know how it works.
They get a spy to dress up like the woman of your dreams.
It must be quite a temptation for you.
What?
Traveling to all those countries.
Nice cars, nice clothes.
Do you ever want to get off the plane and not come back?
You know, Arturo...
...you'd miss Cuba.
You'd miss the way everything smells like sugar.
You'd miss the baseball.
You'd miss our music.
I'm still sitting here.
I don't understand why people leave Cuba.
Especially you, who's gotten so many things from the revolution.
Marianela.
My talent comes from God, not Fidel.
Do I have "defector" written on my forehead?
What are we talking about here?
Do you get this nervous on stage?
Only at auditions.
How am I doing?
I'm still sitting here.
Wait!
This is Marianela!
When she walks, all the buses have to stop!
That was the last bus.
That was the only bus.
Okay.
What are you gonna do?
I don't know.
I could stay at my friend's apartment.
I should call home.
It was a lovely day.
Yes.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
Goodnight.
I'll walk you there. Come on.
No, it's okay--
It's okay? Okay then, let's go.
Come on.
I'll protect you.
I also was married.
It was a mistake. The husband, not the son.
-You have a son? -Yes, he's eight.
-Eight? -I was very young.
Very young.
She lives here?
It's not much further.
Emilia?
Emi?
She must be staying at the colonel's house.
-The colonel? -Yes.
She has a colonel?
Yes.
Thank you for the walk.
Goodnight.
Mari.
Are you really leaving tomorrow?
That's what I told you, yes.
Will you promise me you won't come back?
I don't understand. What are you saying?
Promise me you won't come back and I'll be with you tonight.
Why?
Because...
...I'm afraid I might fall in love with you.
It would never work.
-We are too different. -Different is good.
Promise me this will be our only night.
I don't understand.
If I promise you, you'll be with me tonight?
-I promise. -I'm serious.
Promise me.
I promise.
I'll be there in a minute!
Smells good!
Come on, Willis.
Hey there, this is Willis Canover bringing you jazz on the Voice of America.
Yes, go on, Willis.
What are you listening to?
Dizzy's Atmosphere, Dizzy Gillespie.
Charlie Parker live at Carnegie Hall, 1947.
Side B, track two.
You know what I mean.
It's just music.
Great music.
You're not supposed to listen to that station.
Now we're safe.
It's not funny.
You could get in trouble.
Believe me, I know.
I spent four months in military jail for listening to that.
I think I earned the right.
Time to go.
You have your tour and I have my work.
What are you doing?
Memorizing your face.
Oyeme!
Are we going?
What?
Tell me one thing. Can the colonel dance?
Please.
Do you love him?
Ay, chica.
C'mon, let's go.
I'm here.
See you tomorrow.
You promised you wouldn't come back.
The last promise I'll ever break to you.
-She wasn't an informer? -Of course not.
-But she did work for the government? -Yes.
She's still a member of the Party?
Yes.
She's an active member?
Not anymore.
She sees things completely differently now.
That's convenient, now that you're seeking asylum.
"Convenient."
It seems that her politics didn't bother you.
I never said that.
We had many disagreements about politics.
You had disagreements?
You claim to be on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
How can two people that far apart stay together?
Papi and Leonel, this is Arturo.
Mucho gusto, Señor Sosa.
Leonel.
Say hello to Arturo.
I'm sorry, I'll be back.
What's so great about him?
He's funny.
He makes me feel good.
You are the musician.
Trumpet player.
Mr. Trumpet Player.
May I know what are your intentions with my daughter?
I want to marry her.
I want to have a son with her and live with her for the rest of my life.
She never mentioned that to me.
I haven't asked her yet.
Señor Sosa, with all due respect...
...I know when you look at me, what you're thinking.
I'm a musician, she's your daughter--
I suppose you would like to move into my house.
Yes, for a little bit.
I have something for you.
It's soap from London.
You keep it.
-You know Félix Chapotín? -Of course.
I was admiring your taste in music.
Now, he was a trumpet player.
You like baseball?
Maybe we can go see my favorite team, Los Industriales.
You're trying to make me like you.
How am I doing?
Not good?
Let's try a bribe.
Sandwich?
No?
It's turkey.
Turkey sandwich.
When's the last time you had a turkey sandwich?
Never. Where do you get it?
Right there.
That's not turkey.
-What is it? -That's vulture.
Vulture?
No, it's not. It's turkey from heaven.
Bad news.
You know him?
Who doesn't know him?
Is he in the Party?
I don't think he's in anything.
He belongs to a different world. Different way of thinking.
I don't understand you and neither will anybody else.
You have a good position here, a wonderful reputation.
Why do you want to risk it?
I'm old enough to know what I'm doing.
Not as old as his first wife.
You know his first wife?
Alba Marina.
Alba Marina, the singer?
Honey, what else don't you know about the man you're gonna marry?
We hear what they want us to hear.
We play what they want us to play.
You know what we're missing?
Miles Davis.
Charles Mingus, Maynard Ferguson.
While the rest of the world is painting rainbows, we paint in one color.
Me? I'm getting outta here.
What about your family?
I'll get them out somehow.
Look.
I'm sick and tired of playing these fucking games!
Be careful.
Everybody in Cuba has an ear and not only for music.
Where have you been?
-What is it? -Somebody's following me.
What?
Somebody's following me.
He was not supposed to be following you.
Wait....
You know him?
He's a friend of Emilia's.
He was only supposed to ask around.
He's been looking for things.
-What? -About you.
About me? Why?
Because I asked him to.
-You asked him? -Yes.
If you want to know something about me, why don't you ask me?
Because I don't know if I can trust you.
You don't trust me? I've told you everything.
That's not true.
You never told me about Alba Marina.
-I told you I was married! -Not to Alba Marina.
What difference does it make? Do you have any doubts that I love you?
Listen, Arturo.
I had one husband walk out on me.
He walked out on you and your son.
Yes, and I won't go through that again!
Don't compare me to him!
Go home.
You all right?
You're not gonna have a heart attack, are you?
You scared the hell out of me.
I'm better now.
Stop following me.
I'm not coming around here no more.
You were such a nice couple.
Thanks.
-You gonna make it home okay? -Can't go home.
Why?
Because my wife kicked me out.
Did you hear the one about Fidel's zoo?
No.
In 1960, there was a sign there saying:
"Please don't feed the animals."
In 1970, they changed that sign for another one saying:
"Please don't eat the animals' food."
Yesterday, they changed the sign for another one saying:
"Please don't eat the animals."
Isn't that funny?
-You're a comedian. -No.
I am an orthopedist.
Don't laugh, it's true!
Yes, bone surgeon.
That's me.
I'm honored. A specialist. I'm honored, doctor.
You know the real money's in the taxi business.
I have a cousin who drives a taxi and he gets a lot of money.
I endorse. That's very important.
He's a doctor, too?
Don't laugh...
...physicist!
We have the most talented taxi drivers in the world!
How did you find me?
The doctor brought me.
The shawl is beautiful.
You should have asked me about Alba.
-I came here-- -I'm not finished.
-Arturo-- -I'm not finished.
What do you want to say?
I don't know.
What I feel about you...
...I've never felt it before.
I don't know how to feel it. I don't trust it.
What if I told you that I love you? Just because I love you.
No reason, I just love you.
I loved you the first time I saw you.
You're here with me now and I love you. I love you.
You could send 100 guys to follow me.
All they'll ever find out is that I love you.
I love you.
You trust me?
Ay, hijo mío.
You found yourself a good woman and you're gonna be a great father.
-And a great husband. -Gracias.
Great father, great husband, But lousy domino player.
Sounds like a wedding to me!
Ay, chica.
-You look amazing. -Thank you.
Where is everybody?
Oye, oye! Don't I get to kiss the groom?
-Once. -Come on!
Havin' a good time!
Thank you.
You better be good to her, or I'll have to talk to the colonel.
-I promise. -Okay.
I promise.
You know, Rosalina has a migraine, poor thing.
What about Yami?
-Militia duty. -What about the rest?
I'm here. I came, didn't I?
I'm sorry, I have to go.
Is that the colonel?
Ask him in, he's welcome here.
I'm sorry, I really have to go.
You look wonderful.
You look like a virgin.
All right, I'm coming!