Free Rolling Stones concert in Cuba was Curacao lawyer's idea
Curacao corporate lawyer Gregory Elias feared the manager of the Rolling Stones would hang up on him when he called last November with a proposal that the Rolling Stones give a free concert in Cuba.
Instead, the manager acknowledged Elias had made a unique proposal and promised to get back to him, the Miami Herald reports. The Stones said yes.
The band played for free, and Elias paid for the staging through his charitable trust. Elias also negotiated the appearance with Cuban officials, aided by officials in the Curacao government.
The cost of staging last week’s concert has been estimated at $7 million. The technology and gadgets needed to stage the concert, along with extras such as bottled water, had to be flown in to the island.
Elias says he made the suggestion after he learned that Cuban officials were looking for cultural exchanges and the Stones were launching a five-week tour of Latin America. Elias thought that music would be a good start. “Music doesn’t create envy or animosity, it just creates love and understanding,” he told the Miami Herald.
