Why didn’t they let Boni and Kelly return to Cuba?

SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- Brothers Ebblis Mai (El Boni) and Kelly Valdivia became a musical phenomenon on the Island.

Ebblis Valdivia had debuted on television with the adventures Memories of a grandfatherbased on the book Shirtlessby Enrique Acevedo. In the series, the native of Sancti Spiritus played Roly, a young man who decided to go to the Sierra Maestra to join the Rebel Army.

Around that time, David Calzado contacted him and proposed that he join the Havana Bandwhere he gave life to a song that always accompanied him: “El Boni”, published more than twenty years ago on the album I am Cuban, I am popular.

Kelly Valdivia had studied folk dance at the “Samuel Feijóo” professional art school and would later train at the Higher Institute of Art as a dancer and teacher of folk dance.

As a singer he was part of Climax, The clanwhere he brought great flavor to songs like “Ese soy yo” and “Qué bien, qué bien.”

The brothers then decided to create the duo Boni & Kelly (BNK), which in 2005 released its popular album Fanatic.

The Cuban singer told actress María Karla Rivero that after recording an album with his brother in the Dominican Republic, they were invited to open a concert in Panama for a charity event that would include music stars such as Shakira, Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, David Bisbal, among others.

“During our stay in the Dominican Republic, our manager invited us to a very big event that was going to take place in Panama, the Alas Project, where they were going to raise funds for a charity foundation. And Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, and Juanes were there. Of course, we told them, ‘Yes, count on us,’ we’re going to Panama and do it,” she said.

However, a Cuban manager refused to let them attend.

However, they repeated the “no” and they decided not to lose the immense opportunity that it represented.

“Obviously, we were young and very impulsive, but we said, ‘You know what? Bye. We are not going to waste this opportunity in our lives,’” he said.

Boni and Kelly decided to travel to Panama, where they shared time with these famous artists.

Two days later, when they returned to Cuba, they were told, “No, don’t come in. You don’t even have permission to enter.”

After several years working in the Dominican Republic and then in Spain, they were able to return to the island.

There they performed concerts in student centers and night spots, invitations to TV shows, among other cultural events.

Kelly left for the United States and was later followed by Ebblis.

Cuban singers have managed to continue their artistic careers and have collaborated with important Latin artists, such as Puerto Rican salsa singer Victor Manuelle.

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