The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon

Last updated
Havana Moon
Rolling Stones Havana Moon.jpg
Official cover
Directed byPaul Dugdale
Produced bySimon Fisher
CinematographyBrett Turnbull
Edited bySimon Bryant
Tom Watson
Music by The Rolling Stones
Production
company
JA Digital
Distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment
Release date
  • 23 September 2016 (2016-09-23)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Havana Moon is a concert film by the Rolling Stones, directed by Paul Dugdale. Havana Moon was filmed on 25 March 2016 in Havana, Cuba. The film is a recording of a free outdoor concert put on by the band at the Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex, which was attended by an estimated 500,000 concert-goers. The concert marked the first time a rock band had performed in Cuba to such a large crowd, breaking the previous record of the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari who performed to a crowd of nearly 70,000 goers in 2012. [1] [2] On 11 November 2016 the film was released in multiple formats.

Contents

When the news that sitting United States president, Barack Obama was to visit Cuba was released—marking the first time a sitting president had visited the island nation in 88 years—the concert was rescheduled from 20 March 2016 to 25 March 2016.

Production

Development

The concert was suggested by lawyer Gregory Elias to Rolling Stones manager Joyce Smyth during a phone call on 13 November 2015. Elias suggested that the Stones play a free concert in Cuba, which he would cover the costs of – to which Smyth responded "Well, that’s certainly a unique proposal". [3] The concert was bankrolled by Elias' charitable organization, Fundashon Bon Intenshon. [4] There was some speculation that the move on Elias' part was politically motivated, to which he responded in a statement that he only wanted to do something good for the Cuban people and did not have any business relations in the country. [3]

The concert was planned for several months prior to its public announcement while the band was on their 2016 tour of South America, titled América Latina Olé Tour 2016 . [5] The bands' manager, Joyce Smyth, and Concerts West  worked extensively with the Cuban government in order for the show to be approved, due to the Cuban government still having control over what its citizens listen to. [6] [7] The embargo on Cuba proved to be a technical challenge for the band and stage crews since they had to ship all of their equipment from Belgium and could not rely on local infrastructure to assist to the degree that they are used to in more developed areas. [6]

Delays

The concert took place five days [8] after President Barack Obama visited Cuba, [9] marking the first time a sitting United States president has visited the island nation since the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, visited the nation 88 years earlier, in 1928. [10] [11] After it was announced that President Obama would arrive on 20 March 2016, the decision was made to reschedule the concert to 25 March 2016, due to security concerns. [6] [7] Shortly before the rescheduled concert date, Pope Francis attempted to delay it, asking that the band play on a later date as the concert was scheduled for 25 March 2016, which was Good Friday, a major and solemn Christian holiday. The Vatican also suggested that the band delay the start of their concert until midnight to avoid the holy day. [12] However, the Stones opted to play the concert at the originally scheduled date and time. [12]

Events

Prior to the show, the band were guests of honour at the British embassy in Cuba, which held a meet and greet on 24 March 2016 for approximately 200 people, many being Cuban musicians. [7] The Rolling Stones also started a "musician-to-musician" charity initiative in which musical instruments were donated by major instrument suppliers to Cuban musicians of all genres. [7] [13] [4]

Release of film and soundtrack

Havana Moon had a limited one night premiere in over one thousand theatres internationally 23 September 2016. [14] [15] The film made its United States television premiere on the premium cable television service Starz 22 January 2017, but could be downloaded on the Starz app 15 January 2017. [16] [17] The sound track of the film was released on the iTunes Store [18] and the music streaming service Spotify [19] 11 November 2016. [20] The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, DVD+2CD, DVD+3LP, Digital Video, and Digital Audio. [18] [21]

Reception

The concert itself was attended by a crowd estimated to have consisted of over 500,000 concert-goers [18] [22] and marked the first time a foreign rock band had performed an open-air concert in Cuba to a crowd of that size, [9] [23] [24] breaking the previous record of the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari who performed to a crowd of nearly 70,000 goers in 2012. [1] [2]

The film received critical acclaim from multiple publications, including The New York Times , The Guardian , Rolling Stone , and The Daily Telegraph . [18] The New York Times stated that "The Rolling Stones gave a stunning performance". [9] The Guardian remarked that the show was "spectacular and historic." [25] Rolling Stone magazine praised the concert, stating that it was "no ordinary concert" and had a significant impact for music in Cuba. [21]

"This was no ordinary concert. People hugged and shared looks of disbelief. Coming at the end of a run of shows in South America and Mexico, last night might have marked at least a temporary pause for the legendary group, but it had all the markings of a new chapter for music in Cuba."

Richard L. Dewey, Rolling Stone , 26 March 2016 [21]

“We have performed in many special places during our long career but this show in Havana is going to be a landmark event for us, and, we hope, for all our friends in Cuba too.”

The Rolling Stones official statement, 1 March 2016 [4]

Set list

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jumpin' Jack Flash" Jagger, Richards  
2."It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"Jagger, Richards 
3."Tumbling Dice"Jagger, Richards 
4."Out of Control"Jagger, Richards 
5."All Down The Line"Jagger, Richards 
6."Angie"Jagger, Richards 
7."Paint It Black"Jagger, Richards 
8."Honky Tonk Women"Jagger, Richards 
9."You Got the Silver"Jagger, Richards 
10."Before They Make Me Run"Jagger, Richards 
11."Midnight Rambler"Jagger, Richards 
12."Miss You"Jagger, Richards 
13."Gimme Shelter"Jagger, Richards 
14."Start Me Up"Jagger, Richards 
15."Sympathy for the Devil"Jagger, Richards 
16."Brown Sugar"Jagger, Richards 
17."You Can't Always Get What You Want"Jagger, Richards 
18."(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"Jagger, Richards 

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones</span> English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active across seven decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their early years, Jones was the primary leader of the band. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. The Jagger–Richards partnership became the band's primary songwriting and creative force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Springsteen</span> American rock musician (born 1949)

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", he has released 21 studio albums during a career spanning six decades, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock, a genre combining mainstream rock music with poetic and socially conscious lyrics that feature narratives primarily concerning working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, which sometimes last over four hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumpin' Jack Flash</span> 1968 single by the Rolling Stones

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone magazine, the song was seen as the band's return to their blues roots after the baroque pop and psychedelia heard on their preceding albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and especially Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). One of the group's most popular and recognisable songs, it has been featured in films and covered by numerous performers, notably Thelma Houston, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell and Alex Chilton. To date, it is the band's most-performed song; they have played it over 1,100 times in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings of Leon</span> American rock band

Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Lucas</span> American musician (born 1952)

Gary Lucas is an American guitarist, songwriter, and composer who was a member of Captain Beefheart's band. He formed the band Gods and Monsters in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zucchero Fornaciari</span> Italian musician (born 1955)

Adelmo Fornaciari, more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero, is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his elementary teacher used to call him. His music is largely inspired by gospel, soul, blues and rock music, and alternates between Italian ballads and more rhythmic R&B-boogie-like pieces. He is credited as the "father of Italian blues", introducing blues to the big stage in Italy. He is one of the few European blues artists who still enjoys great international success.

AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming and combat sports—including boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can't Always Get What You Want</span> 1969 single by the Rolling Stones

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" before dropping a place the following year.

Rock and roll music was introduced in Cuba in the late 1950s, with many Cuban artists of the time covering American songs translated into Spanish, as was occurring in Mexico at the same time. "The Batista police never looked kindly on Rock and Roll, and much less after the screening of films like Rebel Without a Cause and The Bad Seed, among others. After 1959, Rock and Roll followed the same path, although artists like Argentinean Luis Aguile emerged."

The Pearl Jam 1993 European/North American Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Pearl Jam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampire Weekend</span> American indie rock band

Vampire Weekend is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnetic Hill Concert Site</span>

Magnetic Hill Concert Site is a live music venue in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is one of the largest music venues in Canada.

"Olé, Olé, Olé" is a chant used in sport. The chant is based on the Spanish interjection "Olé" used to signify approval by the spectators in bullfighting; however, the chant is not used in Spain. The popular version of the "Olé, Olé, Olé" chant was first used in a 1985 song written by the Belgians Roland Verlooven and Grand Jojo called "Anderlecht Champion" as "Allez, Allez, Allez, Allez" in French, but became "Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé" in Spanish in a version titled "E Viva Mexico" created for the Mexico 86 World Cup. This version of the chant quickly spread around the world and chanted by football fans in tribute to a team or a player, and it is now also widely used in other sports as well as in non-sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sasha Allen</span> American singer and actress (born 1982)

Sasha Sierra Allen is an American singer and actress. Born and raised in Harlem, New York, she began her career in the music industry as a backing vocalist for Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Leona Lewis, and Usher. In January 2016, she joined the Rolling Stones touring band. In May 2020, she joined The Pussycat Dolls touring band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Is Dead Tour</span> 1999 concert tour by Marilyn Manson

Rock Is Dead was a worldwide arena tour by American rock band Marilyn Manson in 1999. It was the second tour launched in support of their third full-length studio LP, Mechanical Animals, which was released on September 15, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva</span> Coliseum in Havana, Cuba

Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva is an indoor sporting arena located in Havana, Cuba. Built in 1957, the Coliseum is one of the most important works of Cuban Civil Engineering. It is located at the intersection of Boyeros and Vía Blanca avenues in the Cerro Municipality. The capacity of the arena is for 15,000 spectators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">América Latina Olé</span> 2016 concert tour by the Rolling Stones

América Latina Olé was a concert tour by The Rolling Stones, which began on 3 February 2016 in Santiago and made stops in La Plata, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Lima, Bogotá, Mexico City and ended in Havana with a free show on 25 March 2016. The tour was chronicled on two video releases: The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon, which documented the final show, and Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America, a documentary following the band across the continent.

<i>Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America</i> 2016 film by Paul Dugdale

Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America is a documentary produced by the Rolling Stones that documents their Latin America tour in 2016. Olé premiered on 16 September 2016 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The initial trailer for the film was uploaded on the band's official YouTube channel 7 September 2016, with a United States trailer released 10 November 2016. The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-Ray 26 May 2017. Both Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America and the related Stones' concert film Havana Moon were directed by Paul Dugdale.

Parvaaz is an Indian rock band formed in 2010 in Bangalore by Kashif Iqbal and Khalid Ahamed. The present line up features Khalid Ahamed (vocals), Fidel Dsouza (bass), Bharath Kashyap and Sachin Banandur.

References

  1. 1 2 "Concerto di Zucchero a L'Avana" (in Italian). Foto Image. 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 Greta C (10 December 2012). "Zucchero, un italiano a Cuba che fa ballare e divertire L'Avana". Melodicamente (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Meet the lawyer who paid for the Rolling Stones concert in Havana". Miami Herald . Archived from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Rolling Stones announce free concert in Cuba! | The Rolling Stones". The Rolling Stones. Archived from the original on 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  5. "The Rolling Stones are playing a free open air concert in Cuba". The Independent. 2016-03-01. Archived from the original on 2016-10-01. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  6. 1 2 3 Jagger, M. & Richards, K. & Watts, C. & Wood, R. & Jakobek, J. & Smyth, J. & Worsley, P. (Producers), & Dugdale, P. (Director). (2016). Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America [Motion Picture]. World-wide: Eagle Rock Entertainment.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Inside The Rolling Stones' Historic Free Concert in Cuba". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  8. "Obama's schedule for historic trip to Havana, Cuba". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2016-07-23. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  9. 1 2 3 Robles, Frances (2016-03-26). "Another First for Cuba: A Concert by the Rolling Stones". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  10. "Obama Visits Cuba". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2017-06-01. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  11. "The Last Time an American President Visited Cuba". ABC News. 2016-03-22. Archived from the original on 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  12. 1 2 Bryant, Tom (2016-03-25). "Pope Francis makes last-ditch bid to stop Rolling Stones from playing in Cuba". mirror. Archived from the original on 2017-04-22. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  13. "The Rolling Stones are going to play Cuba for the first time — and it'll make history". Business Insider . Archived from the original on 2016-12-23. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  14. "Havana Moon in cinemas for one night only | The Rolling Stones". The Rolling Stones. Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  15. "Rolling Stones Cuba Concert Film 'Havana Moon' to Play in Theaters". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  16. Petski, Denise (2016-12-21). "'The Rolling Stones Olé' & 'Havana Moon' Docus Get Premiere Dates On Starz". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2017-02-04. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  17. "U.S. TELEVISION PREMIERE OF ¡OLÉ, OLÉ, OLÉ! & HAVANA MOON | The Rolling Stones". The Rolling Stones. Archived from the original on 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Havana Moon | The Rolling Stones". The Rolling Stones. Archived from the original on 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  19. Havana Moon (Live), 2016-11-11, archived from the original on 2017-07-07, retrieved 2017-08-07
  20. "Havana Moon (Live) by The Rolling Stones on Apple Music". iTunes. Archived from the original on 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  21. 1 2 3 "Rolling Stones Prep Release of Historic Cuba Show". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  22. "Rolling Stones Thrill Huge Crowd at Historic Havana Show". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  23. Barker, Andrew (2016-09-12). "Toronto Film Review: 'The Rolling Stones Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  24. "Rolling Stones announce historic free concert in Havana". Reuters. 2016-03-01. Archived from the original on 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  25. Watts, Jonathan (2016-03-26). "Pleased to meet you: Rolling Stones treat Cuba to spectacular and historic gig". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2017-06-13.