Charisma and propaganda
- Radio Rebelde (1958): Began as a guerrilla station in the Sierra Maestra, key tool for propaganda.
- After 1959: Castro used radio and TV to broadcast speeches, music, and achievements, making the revolution omnipresent.
- Impact: Media reinforced Castro’s personal image as the face of the revolution, fostering a near-cult status.
- Literacy gains (1961 Campaign): Enabled widespread use of print for propaganda.
- Publications: Bohemia (co-opted magazine) and Granma (official newspaper) spread ideology, achievements, and anti-imperialism.
- Themes: Social justice, sovereignty, anti-imperialism, fostering loyalty to the revolution.
- Impact: Written propaganda, boosted by high literacy, consolidated support among youth and urban middle class.
Cuban revolutionary music
- Role of music: Unified people, celebrated heroes, spread socialist values, and built national pride.
- Genres: Traditional forms (son, guajira, bolero) adapted with revolutionary themes.
- Nueva Trova (late 1960s): Artists like Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés linked music to social justice and anti-imperialism.
- State support: Government promoted music via festivals, EGREM label, schools, and media, embedding it into society.
Music, art and cultural expressions as propaganda make a prime topic for Internal Assessment investigation, as they can be narrowed down and studied effectively in 2200 words.
Bohemia Magazine
- Bohemia (founded 1908): Influential Cuban magazine, known for investigative journalism and nationalism.
- Role against Batista: Published reports and images of regime brutality, supporting reformist and revolutionary movements; mobilized middle-class and intellectual opposition.
- After 1959: Nationalized, lost independence, and became a tool of state propaganda promoting socialism and Castro’s leadership.
