Trades Club Cuba Link is an ad hoc group of club members who wish to extend the club's support of the "Music Fund for Cuba" by directly supporting the School of Arts in Matanzas. In order to do this we hope that club members will drop off any musical instruments (or indeed spares e.g.: strings, reeds) medical or teaching, supplies, gloves, etc, at the club C/O David. I can then collect this, box it up and have it transported to Matanzas in a container sent by the North West branch of UNISON. We recently dropped off 7 boxes of mixed equipment for the next container. We are hoping to develop direct and personal links with the school, and feature local news from the town. Anyone can join or be involved, phone 01706 819873 or e-mail salsastuart@aol.com.

NEWS FROM CUBA
Ry Cooder Fined. While Cooder was receiving plaudits all over the world for his involvement in the Grammy winning Buena Vista project he was also being slapped with a $100,000 fine (later reduced to $25,000 on appeal) by the US Treasury Department who, under 40-year old legislation, have the power to impose on American citizens illegally visiting Cuba fines of up to $250,000 for aiding the Cuban economy. Even so, some 25,000 Americans are thought to have visited Cuba clandestinely in 2001 alone, many possibly in search of the authentic sound of the Buena Vista Social Club popularised by Cooder. In addition to the fine, Cooder was also ordered not to make another disc in Cuba without permission. Enough damage had been done to the American blockade without risking any more.

Losses
This year two of Cuba's musical treasures died, Ruben Gonzales and Compay Segundo. "There's tremendous talent in Cuba, like [Compay] Segundo, like [Ibrahim] Ferrer, like [Manuel] Galban and like Gonzalez", Cooder told Rolling Stone earlier this year, "and I think there always has been. Whether we'll see the likes of anything like this again, I doubt it. The world is a different place now. This kind of expression, emotional expression, they just don't grow people like this anymore."

New CD
Old (?) Trades Club visitors Jovenes Classicos del Son have a new CD 'Tambor en el Alma' out now on TUMI records.