September 1, 1999

Tuning with the enemy

Piano for Havana provides instruments to Cuban musicians

By Justin Trapp
Herald Staff Writer
       Admit it; you never thought of James Bond like this: Lying in bed, perhaps with some exotic woman, whose name has a blatant sexual pun attached to it, having just crawled out of a piano case disguise, shipped from America to Cuba to elude the Feds.
      Yet that's just what Benjamin Truehaft of New York had done in real life, minus the woman.
      His organization, formed in 1995, is a licensed non profit institution designed to send pianos and other instruments to Cuba by circumventing the trade embargo. Though "Send a Piana to Havana" is licensed by the Office of Nuclear and Missile Technology, it is still under scrutiny from the state department, which has threatened Truehaft on many occasions with the consequences of "tuning with the enemy."
      "No matter how you feel about the Cuban government...Cuban musicians should not be feeling the effect of the embargo...why should these people suffer because of politics?" said Jimmy Johnson, sole member of the Traverse City chapter of "Send a Piana to Havana."
      Johnson joined Truehaft's program some time ago, shortly after viewing the Cuban Solidarity web site. The site contained information about Piana to Havana, M.U.S.I.C. (Musicians United Sending Instruments to Cuba), and Global Exchange.
      Global Exchange is the fiscal sponsor of Piana to Havana and is built on an anti-embargo platform. Johnson says he was intrigued that so many were interested in Cuban musicians, and made it a point to contact Truehaft as soon as possible.
      "I was a serious pest about it," said Johnson in retrospect, "pest, pest, pest."
      Fortunately, Truehaft was very receptive and took Johnson on as a contact quite readily. Since then, Johnson has solicited donations from numerous stores, individuals and institutions.
      "Jim is the world's greatest," wrote Truehaft in a recent e-mail interview, "He seems to have got TC in a buzz about Lida [Lopez] and the piano project. I have not met him [yet] but I like him."
      Lida Lopez is one of the latest projects organized by "Send a Piana to Havana." She is a classical Cuban pianist, and will be performing at the Dennos Museum on September 15th. Also at the performance will be John Paul, a Chilean Flamenco guitarist, and a one hour BBC video titled "Tuning With the Enemy."
      "The Lida concert series (Tur Misterio Magico) will garner another 75 pianos from across the country," writes Truehaft. "Our brutish movers will collect them and add them to the 25 to 30 we already have on both coasts. Once there [Cuba], we'll help Armando Gomez - my Cuban counterpart - set up his workshop/school for piano technology."
      So far, things have been working out well for the program, says Johnson. The organization has made several trips to Cuba and delivered more than 60 pianos to needy musicians. Donations are tax deductible, since Send a Piana to Havana is a licensed non profit organization.
      "The thing that really made me want to assist this organization is that it's a chance to actually help somebody out and to see results," said Johnson.
      Truehaft agrees. "Folks that donate money don't get much thanks except for an occasional update...piano donors will be getting a picture of their piano in action under 'enemy' hands," he writes.
      Traverse City has been very supportive of Johnson's solicitations; Sun Radius Music and Mr. Gig's are just a couple of examples. Unexpected donations, such as a $35 dollar organ from Goodwill purchased by Paesano's Pizza, have been welcomed also.
      "I'm not in favor of Communism one little bit," said Dave Warne, owner of Sun Radius Music, "but that doesn't mean the people should be suffering down there, as far as their art goes.
      "I'm totally in favor of the cultural exchange."