Rolling Stones in Cuba: See photos and footage from the historic show
UPDATE: March 26, 2016, 12:33 p.m. GMT
History is being made -- loudly and raucously so, all thanks to the Rolling Stones.
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On Friday night, the band took the stage at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba, marking their first-ever show in the country, the island's largest concert in recent memory, and a truly historic moment, too. Not long ago, the show would be nearly impossible to fathom, as most Western rock and pop music was strictly banned after the 1959 revolution.
But judging by the turnout of hundreds of thousands of fans on Friday, they were still listening all that time, as people held up signs reading "50 years, waiting for you." According to Reuters, some fans showed up 12 hours in advance. Organizers had estimated that around half a million people would show up for what was called The Concert for Amity.
The show was about a lot of things, but the rock legends were sure to make it primarily about the fans, asking them to pick what songs they were going to perform.
Footage from the show is hard to come as Wi-Fi on the island nation is poor, but fans on Twitter were eager for updates.
According to The Associated Press, Mick Jagger greeted the crowd in Spanish, saying, “Hola Habana, buenas noches mi gente de Cuba" ("Hello Havana, good evening, my Cuban people.")
The band then kicked off with "Jumpin Jack Flash," according to several reports. According to videos posted by Instagram user @pau_sweetie, they also performed "Paint It, Black," "All Down The Line" and "It's Only Rock n Roll."
Many foreign people were among the crowd, AP reported. Former supermodel Naomi Campbell, actor Richard Gere and singer Jimmy Buffet partied in the VIP section of the concert. President Raul Castro's son Alejandro, one of the driving forces behind Cuba's declaration of detente with the United States, greeted friends and relatives after the show.
But ordinary Cubans said they felt energized and reconnected with the world.
"After today I can die," said 62-year-old night watchman Joaquin Ortiz. "This is like my last wish, seeing the Rolling Stones."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Topics Music
