Cuba Gives Musician DreamTrip
Brave Combo's Cripps enjoys high-profile cultural exchange
by Susan Budilovsky - Staff Writer

Joe Cripps planned to go to Cuba for quiet music study, but instead found himself in a
musician's dream, jamming with the likes of the Indigo Girls and Burt Bacharach.

The percussionist for local band Brave Combo was first asked to be a visiting artist in
Cuba's Instituto Cubano de la Musica, but instead decided to be part of a high-profile cultural exchange.

And he's still not sure how he got so lucky.

The Cuban institute where Cripps planned to study also was involved in a program called Music Bridges Over Troubled Water. The project, which held its first meeting 10 years ago in
Russia, brings musicians together for a week of songwriting that culminates in a concert performance.

This time around, artists like Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, Lisa Loeb, Joan Osborne, Mick Fleetwood and countless others attended.

Mr. Cripps said he was happy and surprised that he was asked to be part of the weeklong collaborative effort. He accepted and headed for the airport.

"I just got on board and went through the motions," he said.

He wasn't sure exactly how things were going to be arranged, let alone what he would find once he got there.

From March 21 to 27, several big-name U.S. artists met with their Cuban counterparts in Havana's Hotel National where the group took up an entire floor. The hotel also was equipped with three recording studios.

When the artists arrived, the names of the Cubans and Americans were placed in separate hats and two names were drawn from each. That became the basis for the groups, although the
artists were not confined to them.

Mr. Cripps was grouped with Me'shell NdegeOcello … a jazz/rap/hip hop artist and Sintesis, a well-known Cuban band whose music Mr. Cripps describes as "very electrified, hard-driving
contemporary Afro-Cuban pop."

He was pleased with his group because he was familiar with many of the Cuban artists and
owned some of Sintesis' albums. Also, he said his background and knowledge of Cuban music gave
the group the "glue" that allowed them to come together.

"We were able to start playing right on the spot," he said.

And of all the places to write songs, they found themselves in an abandoned synagogue one of the Cuban artists had access to. It had a stage and full sound system.

When other artists found out about the group's lucky venue, some decided they wanted to be part of it, including rhythm-and-blues artist Montell Jordan.

"We had this huge all-star band going by the end," Mr. Cripps said.

Besides spending hours composing, the artists had time off for sightseeing. Some even ventured to the historic baseball game between the Cuban National Team and the Baltimore
Orioles. Later that night, though, it was time for music.

The concert began at 8 p.m. and lasted until about 11 p.m. Twenty-five songs were selected for the concert, and two of the four Mr. Cripps' group created were included, "which I was
very happy about," he said.

One was a reggae song in English about being in Havana. The other was an Afro-Cuban funk song sung in Spanish by Sintesis and titled "Not of This World." Most of the songs dealt with the musicians' shared experiences in Havana. Several thousand Cubans … most of whom were young
… attended the concert.

For one song, Mr. Cripps acted as backup musician for Peter Buck of R.E.M., and soon after,
Mr. Buck returned the favor.

And at the end of concert, the musicians were invited to a private reception with Cuban
leader Fidel Castro.

"There had been rumors that that might or might not happen," Mr. Cripps said.

Sometime after 1 a.m., the percussionist got to meet the man sans fatigues … he was dressed in a suit and tie.

"It was very interesting," he said. "Whether you agree with his politics or not, it's like
history right in front of you. He's very gracious."

The two spoke for a few minutes through a translator, and another man was present who knew
just about everything there was to know about anyone in Castro's presence … a detail of Cuban intelligence that Mr. Cripps found eerie, he said.

"I kept thinking, `How did I end up here?'‚" he said.

Overall, he said, the experience was complex because Cuba isn't necessarily as bad as it's
been portrayed through this country's propagandist eyes. However, many of the conditions are poor, such as the frequent power outages.

"You can't separate things out and say, `This is absolutely horrible,'‚" he said. "Everyone
I met could read, but on the other hand, there's no medicine. I don't have an answer, but
musically, I know it works."

One source of inspiration was "the overwhelming spirit the Cuban people have and they don't hardly have anything," he said. "You hear the propaganda about the bad stuff, but there is
good stuff. Their heart and music was so alive."

Mr. Cripps found it hard to understand how communism influences life in Cuba … outdated infrastructures and architecture, taxis dating to the 1950s and the inflated costs of items such as musical instruments made living there seem almost surreal.

But the Cubans' zest for music and intricate understanding of other countries' music was a
breath of fresh air in a foreign place.

"Everything was so confusing, but there's one thing that made sense to me and that's the
music," he said. "It was overwhelming … I'm still digesting it."

Aside from a cultural education, Mr. Cripps also made vital contacts during the trip. He
was able to talk to Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees, he said, who also has an interest
in Cuban music.

Mr. Cripps said Mr. Martin spoke of possibly coming to Denton.

While he reflects on his Cuban adventure, Mr. Cripps looks forward to going back in the
fall to do what he originally set out to do. He will research Afro-Cuban music, particularly
drumming. He said he'll be curious to see what it's like when the city is not putting on its
best face for U.S. musicians.

But he's come to one conclusion from his recent trip.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and it was historic," he said. "I'm real fortunate to have been included … I'm not sure how it happened."

Brave Combo will be playing at 10 p.m. Friday at Rick's Place.

Reprinted with the permission of the Denton Record-Chronicle