Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Poet of Havana' uses music to address pain of politics

Season 2025 Episode 37 | 9m 01s

As Cuba stands to become even more isolated, many Cubans continue to leave and those who stay remain cut off from family in the United States. Carlos Varela, a singer known as “The Poet of Havana,” has been addressing the pain politics causes. Jeffrey Brown reports from Havana for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by Consumer Cellular and Cunard Cruise Line. For a complete list of funders for the PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour weekend, click here.
Extras
August 31, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Trump's midterm influence
Descendants of enslaved potter David Drake work to reclaim ancestor's art
Analyst breaks down challenges U.S. will face to unlock Venezuela's oil
What the latest U.S.-Iran strikes mean for oil supplies and maritime safety
Artificial intelligence agents going rogue fuel calls for regulation
U.S. and Iran trade strikes for first time in weeks over Strait of Hormuz control
How NASA's new space telescope could help solve mysteries of dark energy and dark matter
News Wrap: Supreme Court allows Trump ballroom construction to continue amid challenges
Grand Canyon flash flood leaves 2 dead, others missing