Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (1917-1986), a Santiaguero doing his Cuban thing, educating American television viewers in the 1950’s.
No need for him to mention San Lázaro or his feast day . . . this was pure Afro-Cuban stuff, channeled by a white man, an ode to an African deity who was disguised as a Catholic saint.
Nowadays, Desi would be raked over the coals for committing the sin of “cultural appropriation.” Santa mierda de los perros de San Lázaro!
Right, but don’t even dream of objecting to a person of color singing opera or dancing classical ballet.
Hah! And don’t forget that, for many North Americans, we are all “of color.”
Me and my sister would be rich if we had been given a dime every time someone said, “Wow, you don’t look Cuban!”