South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival – Right as the Trump Administration began locking down on visa availability and travel to and from Cuba, Cuban singing group “Vocal Vidas”, an all female quartet, was invited to play their first series of shows in the United States. As their celebratory, effusive joy crosses our borders, the cracking of relations with Cuba sizzles in just under their radar; as their hearts joyfully sing for us here and their minds and souls are back home in Cuba–Soy Cubana.

Vocal Vidas is from Santiago de Cuba, the home of AfroCuban traditional music, an unmistakable and joyful sound that in spite of language barriers speaks to anyone with heart and soul. Made up of Ana Josefina Hernández, Maryoris Mena Faez, Koset Muñoa Columbié, and Annia del Toro Leyva, Vocal Vidas is a powerhouse of art, music, beauty, and culture. Perfectly blended voices coming together to tell their stories – from songs a hundred or more years old to recent pop hits from Cuba. All of them strive to balance their work and home – and their artistic integrity and financial losses and gains.

While the general tone of Soy Cubana is positive and upbeat, there are moments of melancholic truth as the political unrest elevates and fear begins to permeate their triumphant journey. Not knowing how their visas will be handled moving forward, each sharing an anecdotal tale of parents separated from children, elders dying having never seen their families again, and the immense financial burden placed on those immigrants that do “make it”. There’s not a single one of these strong, stunning women that hasn’t been touched by the immigration reform issues, by deaths on freight ships and due to desperate measures. Most of us, at least I hope, can’t even begin to imagine the stress and strains of having to fight with everything we have for a “better life” in a country that doesn’t really want us.

If you’re a music lover, like me, you will be completely entranced by the music, culture, and legacy of Soy Cubana.  Even if you aren’t a world music fan, even if you’ve never heard AfroCuban music in your life, you’ll be enraptured by the delightfully remarkable, beautiful women whose life force drives Vocal Vidas. The documentary itself maintains a soulful, joyous balance of love, music, laughter (A lot of laughter), and heart. The concert sections range from farmer’s market performances, guest spots, and stadium sellouts, reminding us that music has a range, no matter how big or small the audience, and every heart you reach benefits from your voice.

Soy Cubana reviewed as part of our South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival coverage.

7 out of 10