Declaration of Solidarity with Luis "Güicho" Palacio Jaén - Keep families together!

We musicians, teachers, artists and citizens of Weimar declare our solidarity with Luis Palacio Jaén, called “Güicho” by his friends.

Luis Palacio Jaén is an integral part of the Weimar cultural landscape – happily married to a citizen of Weimar, stepfather of two adult children, and grandfather of a young child. Despite this, he will be deported to Cuba after the 28th of February 2022.

Luis Palacio Jaén, born 1948 in Cuba, is an outstanding, highly acclaimed musician, who has gained love and attention since his first visits to Germany in 2003 and Weimar in 2014. His deep connection to afro-cuban music and rhythmic traditions and his ability to communicate over language barriers means that he is a fundamental part of the Weimar art and music scenes.

As a volunteer, he has performed at the following events:

• KUNSTFEST WEIMAR 2017 und 2019
• the audiovisual Festival GENIUS LOCI, supporting the Fakultät Mediengestaltung der
• Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, 2019
• YIDDISH SUMMER WEIMAR 2019
• many concerts with students and graduates of the Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar
• Events in the Kulturbahnhof Erfurt und auf der BUGA ERFURT 2021
• Monthly events in the OTHER MUSIC ACADEMY (O.M.A.)
• Events from the club IBEROAMERICA e.V., since 2017

Güicho’s 50-year long career as a musician started on the streets of Santiago in Cuba. He began as a percussionist and dancer in the Orquestra Folklórico del Oriente, and via concerts with Eliades Ochoa (Buena Vista Social Club), Música moderna de Santiago de Cuba, Son de Santiago (as director) and other well known ensembles ended up one of the most important percussionists in Cuba. Güicho worked for many years as an expert and member of the national commission for the evaluation of traditional music (Comisión nacional de evaluación folklórica). He’s toured through Spain, Gran Canaria, Mexico, Algeria and Russia.

Palacio has lived in Weimar with his wife Ines since 2018, and has worked for free with a number of ensembles (Afrocuba, Colective Los Excéntricos, Cuarteto Amaranta, Mukhambira and Juston Suárez & Son All Stars). He regularly gives free lessons in percussion and contributes to the vibrant, multicultural landscape of the city Weimar.

Luis Güicho Palacio Jaén is now 74 years old and wants to spend his retirement with his wife, stepchildren, grandchildren and friends in his new home, the cultural city of Weimar. With our signatures, we stand in solidarity with Luis Güicho Palacio Jaén. We implore you to stand against his deportation and to allow this outstanding musician to stay in Weimar as an important part of the Thuringian cultural lands-cape and with his family as “Opa Güicho”