The federal government denied Clark College’s Jazz Ensemble permission to travel to Cuba hours before the group was scheduled to board an airplane.
The ensemble planned to visit Havana, Cuba, during spring break to attend presentations on Cuban jazz music and participate in musical exchanges with Cuban students from March 26 to 31.
Clark College received a letter March 25 from the Office of Foreign Assets Control denying the travel:
“After careful consideration, including consultation with the U.S. Department of State, OFAC has determined that your request for a specific license authorizing the Clark College Jazz Ensemble to travel to Havana, Cuba … would be inconsistent with U.S. Government policy. Accordingly, the request is hereby denied.”
While in Havana, the students would have learned and played with Cuban students from the Amadeo Roldan Music School and the Centro Cultural Fellini.
“The purpose of the trip to Havana, Cuba, is to provide these 21 students with the opportunity to learn about the history of Cuban jazz through two presentations from local experts,” Clark College’s spokeswoman Maureen Chan-Hefflin wrote in an email.
The Clark College ensemble’s curriculum includes exposing students to a wide variety of jazz-related subjects, including the history of Latin/Afro-Cuban jazz rhythm, according to the jazz program’s webpage.
Jazz Ensemble students have taken to the stage nationally and internationally, receiving critical acclaim at jazz festivals in the U.S. and Mexico.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify the timeline.
