The World Beat aficionado and the international musician have
become the new pariahs of the new, secure United States. Musicians
who hail from countries that the U.S. government has proclaimed
?state sponsors of terrorism,? such as Cuba, Sudan, Syria, Iran,
Iraq, Libya, and North Korea, are now considered potential enemy
combatants and are no longer allowed to tantalize American
audiences with the sounds of their respective homelands. The travel
restriction comes as a result of the far-reaching Enhanced Border
Security and Visa Reform Act, which was signed last year by
President Bush, reports Yvonne Wong for WireTap.
One can?t help but acknowledge the irony. The attacks of
September 11 woke many Americans from their Alley McBeal,
frappuccino slumber to realize that a whole world exists outside of
our borders. And now that people are making an effort to learn
about different countries and cultures, they find out that
Time magazine?s new favorite foreign musician, jazz
pianist Chucho Valdes, will not be coming to town because the
government has deemed him a potential terrorist.
While the law does not explicitly focus on musicians as
terrorists, these foreign entertainers have been swept up in the
all-inclusive measures taken to protect the Homeland. And American
audiences, which would otherwise have a chance to broaden their
perspective through music are now limited to what they hear and see
on the evening news. ?Depriving U.S. citizens of the opportunity to
witness different artistic traditions leads to a dangerous lack of
awareness of these cultures,? writes Wong. ?Future generations of
Americans will be ignorant of the cultures that lie outside of
their borders, an ignorance that is particularly problematic in
light of the world?s current political climate.?
?Nick Garafola
