HBO LATINO TO AIR FILM ON CARLOS VARELA

Luis Vazquez

September 23, 2015

The 30th anniversary of Cuban singer, songwriter, and lyricist Carlos Varela will be celebrated in various homes next month via HBO Latino in the movie “The Poet of Havana.” Havana was the locale where this documentary was filmed. It will show how Varela and his country influenced each other over the years. The politics and people of Cuba impacted him while his music returned the favor.

Ron Chapman, who directed and produced the film, has been a musician and music manager. His Toronto music club “The Edge” has been a hub of promotional events for top international artists. But it was through his film production company, where he directed rock videos and commercials for leading brands worldwide that made him perfect for this project.

He provides exclusive access and backstage views for different concerts and secured interviews with the likes of Jackson Browne, Benicio del Toro, Ivan Lins, and Luis Enrique, among others. They all shared their stories about the man, even showing them on stage with him.

The man who was known as “Cuba’s Bob Dylan” was in a constant battle over the censorship of his work. Long before the healed relations between Cuba and the United States, Varela was often a loud voice for freedom for the individual in Cuba while spending great deals of effort in building bridges between his country, his people who immigrated to Miami, and the United States. On October 23rd, at 7pm on HBO Latino and also on HBO on Demand, HBO GO, and HBO Now, “The Poet of Havana” will tell you all you need to know about Carlos Varela.