Rotilla Organizers Accuse Cuban Government Of 'Hijacking' Their Festival

By Michael Lopez

Any fan of Cuban music and culture knows about the Rotilla Festival. Nicknamed "The Cuban Woodstock," it's an annual celebration filled with dancing, DJs, and thousands of party-goers on the beach. But this year things may change, as the government has taken over the festivities, according to the organizers.

Now that doesn't mean that Rotilla won't happen, but it will certainly be different from what fans have enjoyed for the past 11 years. Organizer Michel Matos angrily spoke out against the Cuban government and what he calls their plans to control every aspect of the festival.

"They're kidnapping, stealing our festival," Matos exclaimed. "It's not a simple case of censorship, of them shutting it down. It's an abduction! On the one hand, they're taking it away from us and on the other hand, they are organizing it themselves through official institutions."

Cuban government representatives didn't comment.

And Matos definitely deserves a say in the matter, as he was one of Rotilla's original founders back in 1999. Now he worries that the entire tone of the festival will change, from a free-spirited message of love, to a soulless government-run institution.

Although on the flip side, it would certainly be interesting to see Fidel Castro attempt to scratch it up in the DJ booth.

What do you think about Rotilla's government smackdown? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Cuba, Música, Politics, Rotilla Festival