Por Adalberto Delgado
No importa quién lo vio ni cómo se llama el individuo que mira ahora en dirección a la esquina de la 9 calle y la 8 avenida: allí está el edificio del judío Aarón; samaritano de centenares de familias exiliadas cubanas durante los 60 (bajo alquiler y tremendo cariño... la cosa siempre terminaba por convertirse en un solar miamense). El tipo observa a la multitud de temperamentos que lo rodean... Yoryi el mulato indio, Lazarito "cagaraja," Yiyito, Toni Ascarreta (DJ arrepentido que deleitara con sus "conciertos" de consola tocadiscos con timbales en vivo) Ascarreta era el primer "pistero" con sequencer que se conociera en Miami. Hay testigos: Orlando de la Madrid, la gruesa Zena, Martica, la hermana de Yoryi (futura mujer de Armandito "el chiva"), Concha la gorda, El Bolo (quien nos despertaba los domingos con una rumba en vivo). Una noche, se nos ocurre hacer un concierto experimental en la azotea de La Paloma, con Yoryi, Renecito el negro (tremendo saxofonista), el Bolo en las tumbas y otro chamaco en el fender (negrito él, de familia "fina y decente") y un servidor como cantante principal, interpretando un menú variado de Steve Winwood con Spencer Davis y alguna que otro "side B" de los Stones: Un año después, los Beatles nos fusilaron la idea y filmaron Let it Be. Nuestro protagonista con la mirada fija en la sagüesera, no podía concebir que unos británicos se hicieran famosos cuando nosotros ya habíamos inventado la idea del concierto en la azotea del barrio. Luis Caín (hippie cubano de la época), comentó -muy consternado- el incidente en los micrófonos de La Fabulosa, la estación prominente del Miami de esos tiempos. Prontamente, Junior y sus colegas del grupo "Tu Madre" imaginaron que Alice Cooper los estaba fusilando. Que se sepa: Tu Madre se anticipó al accionismo vienés de los 60 y Amanda Galás... mataban pollos "en vivo", en medio del escenario y le tiraban la sangre al público. El otro día me pelaba en la barbería Marlin y oí el rumor: El hombre que mira a la sagüesera ha reaparecido... quiere saber qué había pasado con la vanguardia de Miami.
El otoño acaba de entrar también en la sagüesera con un revolú del carajo. Oye que venga Aarón y lo paré...no sea que el viento se lo lleve y la calle se muestre intranquila.
ResponderEliminarAmílcar
Adalberto nunca olvidaré tu maña como DJ.
Es tremenda historia Inqui. Adalberto se la sabe porque la vivio. Otro Miami mucho antes de nosotros (yo por lo menos).
ResponderEliminarVanguardia cubana?, Miren adentro del segundo tinajon, ahi vive Demencia de la Pequeña Habana. Toque el tinajon tres veces antes de visitarla, pa' que no te tire un domino!
ResponderEliminarEsa especie de rooftop culture parece recurrente en los cubiches. Se mezcla, con este relato, el tema de la arqitectura (que vacilables deben ser las azoteas de Manolito Gutierrez o Frank Martinez en Poma o en San Juan) con la poetica streetlevel de Eddy Campa o Nestor Diaz de Villegas. En La Habana, los blanquitos de Paideia hicieron celebre la azotea de Reina Maria, donde, con aire de conspiradores redactaban los textos mas tediosos e inofensivos que hayan tenido que descifrar los criptologos de Villa. Yo creo que vanguardias siempre hay. Unas mas ventiladas, otras mas marginales, que no llegan a las estaciones de radio o a las cronicas de los periodicos. Claro, cada cual defiende la suya. Reivindico entonces un show underground que algunos pintores, escultores y fotografos hicimos en un sotano (el otro extremo arquitectonico, antipoda de la azotea) en Normandy Isle hace diez o doce anos y que para nosotros, casi todos en los veinte y los treinta era "vanguardia". Tal vez algun bloguero de por aqui se acuerde y diga algo. El show se llamo "The Basement" y el opening (ademas de los artistas, un punado mas de visitantes) termino en una densa y memorable nebulosa vegetal.
ResponderEliminarAdalberto me ha llevado hasta los momentos en que siendo un niño ví partir a mis medios hermanos mientras mi viejo lloraba. Luego, la salida de tíos y primos. Después, el adios de la primera noviecita, Angélica Santana, las pestañas más dulces y más largas que haya conocido. Más adelante se fueron los mejores amigos: Joaquín Pelayo, excelente dibujante e ingenioso creador de historietas y Francisco Prada, una verdadera promesa en el campo de las letras. Otros brothers del alma cruzaron con el Mariel: Pepe Fernández, un ingeniero autodidacta, quien demostró entereza a mi llegada y el Fifo Iturralde, un amigo arrepentido, que es más dañino que un enemigo. El ex primer gran amor, mi fragmento de Merimee, Carmen Calixto (Carmenchú). La mujer que más me apasionó, Luz María Arnáez, un enigma rubio de ojos gatunos. La última generación de amistades: Eduardo Pla, entrañable colega del museo, las hermanas Rebeca y Ofelia Fernández y algunos fraternos de la logia. La orilla se me fue vaciando. Un país interior que se iba despoblando en lo que Miami iba mutando de cobijo improvisado a barrio alto de extramuros. Todas las pérdidas hasta entonces se fueron acumulando en un pozo insondable. Hasta que me tocó partir también a mí y convertirme, como el personaje de Adalberto, en unos ojos mirando a la sagüesera. Territorio emblemático de la isla portátil. Albergue de todas las generaciones del sufrimiento cubano. A cada una de ellas le ha brindado el pañuelo, la palmada de aliento y la alameda soleada.
ResponderEliminarSiempre me ha llamado la atencion la similitud entre la transcripcion espanola "huitlacoche" de un termino nahuatl y la transcripcion inglesa "withlacooche" (Withlacooche River, west coast of Florida) de un termino de los de aqui. Que piensa Ud., profesor?
ResponderEliminarHistoria de Miami- Y no es corta!
ResponderEliminarWINDS OF CHANGE
by Marc Andries Smit
A warm breeze sweeps the Tequesta village at the mouth of the Miami River. Life among the natives is unchanged. At the time Columbus sailed into the New World the residents of South Florida were made up of a domain of independent yet linguistically, racially, and politically connected tribes known as the Caloosas. The two principal groups in the South East Coast were the “Ays” (located near the Indian River Inlet ) and the “Tequesta” ( which inhabited the Biscayne Bay and Miami River sites).
In the year 1493 Christopher Columbus launched his second expedition accompanied by a young explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. By 1508 Ponce de Leon had already settled the island of Puerto Rico and been appointed its governor. Yet soon enough he was replaced by Christopher Columbus’ son Don Diego. Undaunted, Ponce de Leon mounted an expedition to find the fabled Island of Bimini, which according to the Indians,” a magical spring offering the gift of youth could be found on the Island”. On March 15,1513 the winds of change filled the sails, and Ponce de Leon’s expedition was underway. The ocean currents and tropic breezes send him on a North West heading and the explorer spotted land several weeks later. “Tierra Florida”, named after the Easter season “Feast of Flowers” (Pascua Florida). Historians are unsure where he first set foot in Florida, but most believe it to have been somewhere between St. Augustine and Melbourne. Sailing towards the south to the Florida Straits he recorded sailing into “Chequescha Bay” (Biscayne Bay), but no evidence has been found of his setting foot on land.
Miami’s first recorded location appears on a map drawn around 1515 by Conti de Ottoman Freducci. The “Freducci Map” was based, in part, on Ponce de Leon’s journals, and it shows such sites as “Rio Salado” (New River in Fort Lauderdale), “Chequiche” (Biscayne Bay), “Tequesta” (Miami) and “Los Martires” (Florida Keys). Incidentally, the name “Los Martires” originated from the early sailors reporting that the rock formations that protruded from the sea appeared from a distance to be men in distress.
Other expeditions were mounted, Ayllon in 1526, Narvaez in 1528, and Hernan de Soto in 1539. Yet, there is no evidence that they came ashore on this area. In 1562 the French established a colony near Jacksonville; this did not sit well with the Spanish Monarch Phillip II. The Spanish King appointed Pedro Menendez de Aviles to cleanse Florida of the “French Heretics”, giving Menendez de Aviles the title of “Adelantado” or governor of Florida. Menendez defeated the French in 1565, and became the founder of the city of St. Augustine. Sadly though, one of the reasons that Menendez de Aviles was anxious to come to Florida was to search for his son, whom had been reported shipwrecked and presumed lost in Florida. He searched diligently for his son but instead rescued another sailor by the name of Hernan d’ Escalante Fontaneda.
Fontaneda had been shipwrecked as a boy at the age of thirteen and taken captive by the Indians. He lived with them for close to twenty years. Upon his return to Spain, in 1575, he published his memoirs. In his journal he recorded the flora, fauna and the Indian customs; he also gave detailed accounts of his travels with the Indians. An excerpt from his journal states... Toward the north, The Martyrs end near a place the Indians call Tequesta (Miami), situated on the bank of a river which extends into a country the distance of 15 leagues, and issues from another lake of fresh water, which is said by some Indians who have traversed it more than I, to be an arm of the lake “Mayaimi” (Lake Okeechobee) ... Could the name “Miami” be a contraction of the Miami River’s origin, ”Mayaimi”?
Menendez was not finished with South Florida yet. In 1567 he began to establish Jesuit missions and opened one at the Biscayne Bay (Tequesta) village. With a team of 30 men and a Jesuit Brother Villareal, the mission was underway. The conditions were harsh, as evidenced in a letter written at the Tequesta (Miami) mission by Brother Villareal, he wrote.... “I and all of us endure this land trials which would appear insufferable in another place. I say this for we have had for the past three months or more a plague of mosquitoes so bad, that I spent several days and nights without being able to sleep an hour “...Tensions between the Indians and the Spanish intensified and soon the mission was abandoned.
Tequesta (Miami) was ignored by the Spanish as they favored other more lucrative settlements. The combination of swamp and mosquitoes didn’t offer much to justify attention. By the early 18th century British colonies in Georgia and Carolina began to force the Creek Indians into Florida. The British referred to these runaway Creek Indians as “Seminole” and had no objections to their coming into Spanish Florida. With the Seminole advance, the native Indians found themselves in danger as they were attacked and enslaved by the Creek Indians. In 1711 the local tribes sent their chiefs to Cuba to request asylum. The Spanish dispatched several ships to Florida but found close to 2,000 Indians awaiting to emigrate to Cuba. The ships could barely accommodate 300, and once in Havana, the local Cubans took the new arrivals into their homes. Immediately the Indians fell ill to European diseases for which they had no immunities. Seventy Indians died, In a panic, the remaining survivors returned to Florida. The Spanish decided to establish a new mission at Tequesta. In 1743, Father Jose Maria Monaco and Father Jose Xavier de Alaña came and opened the new mission “Pueblo de Santa Maria de Loreto”. But just as the previous mission, it was abandoned after a short time.
The Seven Years War (French and Indian War) brought changes to Florida. The British captured Havana, and in 1763 Spain agreed to exchange it for Florida. The remaining Tequesta families, approximately 80, chose to emigrate to Cuba in 1764 establishing the city of Nueva Florida (Ceiba Mocha) in Cuba, leaving Florida to the British and the Seminole.
Almost immediately the British set forth to take over the area. The first thing they did was to change the Spanish names into English, such as; Biscayne Bay became Sandwich Gulf (after the Earl of Sandwich) and the Rio Ratones (Miami River) became the Garbrand River. Advertisements appeared in London papers offering free land in the new “Cape Florida Settlement”. But few if any took interest, and with the independent movement in the “Colonies” the English had bigger problems to deal with. Spain seized control of the English prize, Nassau, and soon thereafter the British negotiated its return in exchange for Florida. Spanish Florida was of little interest to Spain since its other colonies could supply it with more riches, so by 1821 Florida was peacefully turned over to the United States.
Key West, not Miami, became the first South Florida community in 1823, and with pirates and shipwrecks along the Florida Straits, the Government built a US Customs house and Lighthouse at the Keys. Due to continued complaints and shipwrecks the Government decided to build a 65 foot tall lighthouse at Cape Florida which became operational in December of 1825. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was somewhat ineffective and the lighthouse keeper had a wrecking business of his own.
On December of 1835, Major Francis Dade and 109 of his men were in route from Tampa to Ocala when they were suddenly ambushed by the Seminole. By days end Major Dade and 109 soldiers lay dead, and “The Seminole Wars” began. The shock hit home on January 6,1836 when a family was massacred at the New River Plantation, a young slave survived the attack and warned the Cape Florida settlers. In a panic, everyone took refuge at the Cape Florida Lighthouse, and were taken to Key West by ship. The newly assigned lighthouse keeper John Thompson and his black aid Aaron Carter stayed behind. On July 23, 1836 the Seminole attacked, Thompson and Carter barely made it into the lighthouse. The Indians set fire to the cabin and lighthouse. As smoke and flames engulfed the lighthouse, Thompson threw a keg of gunpowder down the stairs to end the torment. The explosion convinced the Indians that both men were dead, but miraculously Thompson survived. Although stranded at the top of the lighthouse, he was soon rescued by a passing ship and taken to Key West.
To ward off Seminole attacks the Federal Government selected a site by the Miami river to build Fort Dallas. Soon enough, the soldiers returned to Cape Florida and a small site was set up named Fort Bankhead. Eventually, the attacks subsided and settlers began to return to their homes to rebuild there lives. The Dade County Seat was moved to Miami on March of 1844, and by 1846 the Cape Florida Lighthouse was heightened and equipped with a new and more efficient light. But peace was short-lived when in 1849 a US Inspector was killed in an attack, Miami was deserted again and the army returned. This time they rebuilt and expanded Fort Dallas and under the leadership of US Capt. Abner Doubleday (the Father of Baseball), the Fort Lauderdale to Miami highway was opened. By 1857 the conflicts had ended and life slowly returned to normal. The 1860 census reported a population of close to 60 at the Fort Dallas district.
The Civil War erupted and Florida for the most part was Confederate. Yet Miami was split, since Key West remained under Union control, most settlers found it convenient not to “rock the boat”. In 1861, Rebel guerrillas did manage to attack the Cape Florida Lighthouse and sabotage the light, but no other major incidents took place. For the most part Miamians went on with their business.
The 1870’s was a period of growth as “Carpet Baggers” and “Northerners “ started moving into Miami. Among those was Ephraigm T. Sturtevant whose daughter (Julia Tuttle) would on occasion come South to visit. Julia Tuttle first visited her father around 1875, and loved Miami. The Tuttles lived in Cleveland, Ohio during the industrial boom and there she met one the owners of Standard Oil, Mr. Henry M. Flagler. Flagler’s wife was dying of tuberculosis and the doctors advised warmer weather, so he moved to Florida. His wife soon died and he married his wife’s nurse, honeymooning in St. Augustine. Falling in love with the city, of St. Augustine, he built a hotel and brought the railroad from Tampa in order to travel in his own rail car.
Around the same time, in 1891, Julia Tuttle’s husband and father passed away, so she moved to her fathers estate in Miami. Upon hearing of Flagler’s newest venture (building a new Hotel in Palm Beach and connecting the city by rail), she pleaded with him to consider doing the same for Miami. Flagler just gave Julia the “cold shoulder” until the citrus freeze 1895. The citrus industry suffered major loses in the winter of 1894-95, and Julia seized the opportunity to promote sunny South Florida, this time Flagler listened and “warmed up” to the idea.
On the 3rd of March in 1896 construction of the Royal Palm Hotel began, and by April 15, 1896 the train arrived to Miami. Within a month, Miami’s first paper ”The Miami Metropolis” was printed, financed by Flagler. Finally, on July 28, 1896 voters met to incorporate the City of Miami, and with 343 votes, Miami became a city. Soon the new city was on its way. The Royal Palm Hotel opened on January 17,1897 and its first convention was the “International Tobacco Growers Convention”, thus starting Miami’s tourist town image.
“REMEMBER THE MAINE”!!!!! on February 7, 1898 the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor and the sounds of war echoed through the streets of Miami. The local residents panicked, fearing Spanish invasion they summoned Washington DC for protection. Henry M. Flagler seized the opportunity and promoted Miami as “The most pleasant place south of Bar Harbor to spend summer” hoping that this would “put Miami on the map”. On June 24th 1898, 7,000 troops arrived in Miami. The “pleasant summer” was anything but that, 7,000 hot, bored, mosquito-bitten soldiers were too much for the new town to handle and as one soldier put it “If I owned both Miami and Hell, I’d rent out Miami and live in Hell”... Two months later, the war had ended. The troops returned home and life slowly got back to normal.
Soon developers started turning dreams into reality. Carl Fisher and John Collins joined forces to build a Causeway to Miami Beach and by 1915 the city of Miami Beach was incorporated. In 1918, ”The Alamo” became the new hospital (presently located at the Jackson Memorial Center ). Others continued building and selling, George Merrick developed Coral Gables as famed auctioneer “Doc” Dammers sold the lots. Miami roared in the early 20’s as speculators rolled in to purchase paradise.
“Paradise Lost” - September 17, 1926 most locals went along with their business, even though hurricane warnings had been posted, few cared. By late evening the winds increased, and for eight hours pounded the residents, suddenly the skies cleared and wind stopped. Miamians came out, unaware that they were in the “eye of the storm”. Tragically, hundreds were taken by surprise, winds of over 128 MPH hammered mercilessly as the horror continued. By storm’s end, over a hundred lay dead or missing, and national publicity discouraged many from settling here.
Once again the city picked up the pieces. The University of Miami opened its doors on October 15,1926. The city grew and by October 28 1927 Pan-Am flew its first flight from Key West to Havana. Soon thereafter, the airline relocated to Miami and opened a landing field on NW 36th street and Le Jeune Road, with passenger flights to the Caribbean and Latin America. Another airline soon was in place, Pitcairn Airlines opened in 1928 and hired WWI flying ace, Eddie Rickenbacker to run the line, it soon was renamed Eastern Airlines. Eastern scheduled passenger flights to northern cities. The Tampa to Miami Highway (Tamiami Trail) opened in 1928, and Miami’s doors were officially flung open for business.
World War II brought its problems, U-boats took control of the Florida Straits, sinking tankers and supply ships. Miami became a military town and base. The Navy opened submarine detection schools and utilized blimps for recognizance. Hotels were turned into military hospitals, including the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, which remained a Veterans Hospital after the war until the new facility was built. Soon tourism returned and so did the seasonal lifestyle.
As Miami celebrated New Year in 1959, a few miles away in Cuba political turmoil would transform Miami forever. As Castro’s regime terrorized the Island, Miami became a beacon for Cuba’s oppressed. Doctors, lawyers, middle class professionals escaped the Island, most stripped of all possessions and allowed only $5.00 per family. Many took whatever jobs were available in a tourist economy. It was common to find out that a restaurant waiter was a doctor. Sadly, Cuban’s hope for a quick return to their Island was crushed on April 17,1961. The Bay of Pigs invasion volunteers were mostly comprised of young professionals which had escaped the Island. The US recruited, trained, and financed the freedom fighters, named Brigade 2506. On the morning of April 17th, the attack went on as planned, the beachhead was established and the troops awaited the promised US air support. It never arrived. The supply ships were sunk, and ammunition ran out, left stranded with 37 drowned and an additional 62 killed. The remaining 1,180 were captured. Later, in 1962, the Kennedy administration negotiated their exchange for 62 million dollars worth of food and supplies. In 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis furthered the possibility of any quick resolution for the Cuban people. The “Freedom Flights “ were established in 1965, and by the 1970 ‘s over 400,000 Cubans resided in Dade County.
The Gateways to the Americas were now wide open. Other oppressed groups found a haven in Miami. With the economic growth in trade and commerce Miami fluorished into what it is today. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors center reports that in 1995 Dade County had over 9.4 million visitors creating a tourist impact of over 3 billion dollars. The city of Miami’s International Trade Board reported Miami’s exports totaled over 19 billion, many going to Latin America.
There is no doubt that Miami’s history has been as unique as its people, few places in the world have had such a culturally enriching background. Miami’s melting pot simmers in the warmth of the sun, and our exotic aroma has been swept to far off lands by our tropical breeze. From a Tequesta Indian village by our sandy shores, to “sandcastles” kissing the sky, Miami has been transformed into a cosmopolitan city, host to international business, banking centers, performing arts, and unique cuisine. A multi-cultural community basking in the sun, dancing to the rhythm of our own special beat. Miami is the place where cultures love to meet.