It started on Cuban television the right to dream, a tribute to the creators of radio and the classic title by Félix Benjamín Caignet. His work the right to be born It premiered on the CMQ radio station in 1948 and had 314 episodes. Its success was such that sessions of the Congress of the Republic that coincided in time were even suspended.
The tragic death of the leading actress was in the news in her days, at the height of chapter 199. The Spanish María Valero, exiled in Cuba at the end of the Spanish Civil War, had earned the nickname of the “Great Lady of Cuban Radio”. . In the early morning of November 26, 1948, when various artists gathered in front of the Malecón to watch the passage of a comet, disaster occurred. La Valero was crossing Avenida del Puerto, her scarf got entangled in the wheels of a vehicle and the actress died, hitting her head on the pavement. She was replaced by Minin Bujones, who established herself from then on, embodying Isabel Cristina del Castillo.
Another well-known anecdote was the silence of Don Rafael. The Spanish actor José Goula demanded a salary increase and the director of the CMQ Circuit chose to fire him and eliminate his character. It was here that Caignet’s ingenuity shone like never before. Instead of removing it, he rendered it mute. Don Rafael would make some sounds, without the need for the actor to set foot in the recording studios. But the character was the bearer of a great secret. His importance grew and radio listeners became desperate, wondering when Don Rafael would speak. Thanks to Caignet, the actor got the lift on him and the character finally spoke.
Contrary to popular belief, ‘El derecho de nacer’ was not the first Cuban radio soap opera, it was not even Caignet’s first script for radio
Contrary to what is thought, the right to be born It was not the first Cuban radio soap opera, nor was it even Caignet’s first script for radio. The origin of the radio soap operas is discussed, although the influence of the soap operas american. Possibly the first title in Latin America was Argentine: the caress of the wolf (1929). And the first known telenovela was the Brazilian Your life belongs to me (1951).
What is clear is that the paradigm was imposed by Cuban creators and, in that school, the right to be born It has been considered the most influential. After 1959, many Cuban artists went into exile, taking their talent and experience to other latitudes and helping to consolidate both genres (radio soap opera and soap opera) in countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil or Mexico.
The regime never valued this audiovisual product enough and was unable to foresee how incredibly profitable the soap opera industry would become. Technology, controlled since then by the State, gradually became obsolete, unable to compete with the booming development in other countries. The exodus of artists and technicians created a vacuum, which was not always possible to fill with new faces and knowledge.
Cuba could have been an undisputed power in this industry. Soap operas are not only a strong exportable line, they are also ambassadors of a country’s culture
Cuba could have been an undisputed power in this industry. Soap operas are not only a strong exportable line, they are also ambassadors of a country’s culture. They are also capable of generating important debates in society. On more than one occasion they have helped break down taboos, raising awareness about certain problems and contributing to their solutions. The boring, pedantic and elitist Cuban cultural bureaucracy has always looked down on these productions, considering them superficial and dispensable. They ignore that Gabriel García Márquez himself pointed out among his greatest influences our Félix Benjamín Caignet and his creations.
But authoritarian regimes and soap operas have never gotten along. In Venezuela, Chávez practically declared war on them. In 2004, the Spring Law (Social Responsibility in Radio and Television Law) was approved, increasing control and censorship over the industry. In 2007, he closed the RCTV network, accusing them of being “at the service of the coup.” He also decided to place his own program, Aló Presidente, in prime time, to compete with the audience of soap operas. And to top it off he decided to “renew” the genre, making his own “socialist novel”. In a country that enjoyed prestige in the genre, absurd measures, censorship, inflation and the insecurity of Chavismo destroyed soap operas.
The Cuban already suffers his own soap opera in real life. Some seek a few minutes of distraction in front of his screens, disgusted by the melodrama that Díaz-Canel and other secondary villains impose on us. while airing the right to dreamOthers of us dream of conquering our rights.
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