Symphony of the Damned. Infrapolitics of the Cuban rock community virtual community in the context of the Cuban crisis (2020-2024)

Abstract

This article describes some of the infrapolitical practices and discourses of the metal community in the Facebook group Mundo Rock Cubano within the context of the multidimensional Cuban crisis (2020-2024). In a context marked by historical censorship and state regulation of cultural otherness, the article explores the subtle, everyday, and non-confrontational ways in which this virtual community negotiates its symbolic space and reaffirms its cultural identity in the digital environment. The research is based on a qualitative methodology that combines digital ethnography with non-directive interviews conducted with active members of the group. This approach allows for capturing the communicative dynamics and strategies of symbolic resistance that manifest infrapolitics as a mode of cultural resistance. Thus, everyday practices are identified that are expressed through discourses, symbols, codes, and narratives that creatively and discreetly challenge official cultural restrictions and policies. Furthermore, it examines how digital platforms, particularly Facebook, enable spaces for culturally marginalized communities to meet and express themselves, fostering the circulation of ideas and the construction of alternative identities in authoritarian contexts. Ultimately, it provides a deeper understanding of cultural resistance in digital spaces and contributes to studies on infrapolitics in contexts of high political and cultural regulation.