Concert at Clinton Tavern, “No Hot Cargo”: March 3
This concert marks the 30th anniversary of the No Hot Cargo for Argentina protest in Saint John,NB.
It will be filmed and shown as part of celebrations March 13 in Saint John, where members of the Longshoremen’s Union, represented by Pat Riley, will receive the “Orden de Mayo” from the present government of Argentina, in recognition of their role in the protest.
9 p.m. NANCY WHITE with SUZY WILDE (keyboard), CLAUDIO SALDIVIA (guitar and charrango), and JUAN OPITZ (bombo and small percussion)
10 p.m. MARCELO PUENTE
THE BACK STORY. On July 3, 1979, when Argentina was engaged in its dirty war, the ship Entre Rios sailed from South America to Saint John, to pick up heavy water to be used in a CANDU nuclear reactor sold to Argentina by Canada. One of the things the Argentine junta had done, besides the torture and murder of thousands of people, was to crush the unions. The (Toronto) Committee for the Defense of Civil Rights in Argentina wanted to draw attention to this by stopping the loading of the heavy water and they hoped for co-operation for the union workers on the Saint John docks.
They got it,
The ship, luckily, arrived right on time. And the members of the Saint John Longshoremen set up a picket line and refused to load the cargo. The workers were docked pay and threatened with legal action. The governments of Canada and Argentina were sent a list of political prisoners, with demands for their release. After three days passed, seven were given their freedom, and several days later, five more.
Nancy White was inspired by this story to write and record the song “No Hot Cargo for Argentina”, and will sing it at the Toronto concert. “It’s kind of an encouraging word for those who work long and hard in solidarity movements and don’t always see tangible results,” she says. “In this case, it happened. And it happened because of workers in the Maritimes who felt a bond with their colleagues who were being so grievously oppressed in another country, and because of Argentines and Canadians in Toronto who were willing to fight for justice.”
THE EVENT: A MUSIC AND SOLIDARITY EVENING MAR.3 AT THE CLINTON TAVERN
WHO’S PLAYING: 9 p.m. NANCY WHITE with SUZY WILDE (keyboard), CLAUDIO SALDIVIA (guitar and charrango), and JUAN OPITZ (bombo and small percussion)
10 p.m. MARCELO PUENTE
DOORS: 8 p.m.
COVER CHARGE: $5
INSPIRING SPEECHES: a few short ones
HOSTS: ENRIQUE TABAK, PAULINA MACIULIS
The Clinton Tavern is at 693 Bloor Street West, one block east of Christie Station.
