Stay Tranquilo - What Our Grandparents Taught Us About Never Giving Up

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

In this special episode recorded live at Cuba Nostalgia in Miami, the Stay Tranquilo crew sits down with Orlando Mendez and Vic Garcia to reflect on the powerful stories of their Cuban grandparents—escaping communism, rebuilding from nothing, and laying the foundation for the lives we live today.From life-risking journeys across the ocean to the vibrant family traditions that define Cuban-American culture, this episode honors the grit, soul, and legacy passed down through generations.We talk identity, heritage, music, food, and what it truly means to carry the spirit of Cuba—even if we’ve never stepped foot on the island.🟠 If you still have your grandparents—call them today. Tell them you love them.📍 Filmed at Cuba Nostalgia, Miami, FL🎙 Featuring: Orlando Mendez, Vic Garcia, & the Stay Tranquilo team🎵 Music, family, culture, and Cuban flavor in every word#CubanHeritage #StayTranquilo #OrlandoMendez #CubaNostalgia #MiamiPodcast #LatinoVoices #CubanAmerican #VicGarcia #Grandparents #Cuba Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We all have those stories and I think it shows that like all those stories of the hardships. I think it's made all of us more driven and more like. Amen to that. I always say like the hard work and the drive and the dedication we all put into it. It is a testimony to our grandparents and parents really grinding to get like they had no other choice. It started from scratch, you know, with, you know, already existing identity in your life and income and all that. And then, you know, you start over here, brand new life. And it's like, we're going to figure it out.

And I think that's a testament to Cubans, you know, like we figure shit out. You know, I mean, you know, I think Hispanics in general because of that same common denominator, like, yeah, escaping communism and then creating a new life in these countries, you know, in the Americas or wherever it may be. But it is a testament as to like who we are and to your point, like our identity. It's in our blood. Like the work ethic that we've seen our grandparents to build, you know, good life for their family. And then that's instilled in our parents, and then that's passed down to us. And I think we, as like third generation Cubans now, like, we never will lose that. What is going on?

We got Orlando Mendez. We got Vic Garcia. We got stay tranquil. We're all here at the Cuba nostalgia at the fairgrounds in Miami, Florida. We are in the heart of Cuba, basically, right now, you could say. You got the buildings. You got the food. You got the construction noises.

Yeah, everything, bro. This is unbelievable. Like the decor and the amount of work they put in to make this feel like you're somewhere else. It's like it's wild. I mean, God knows it's the closest I've felt to Cuba. Yeah, that's what I was going to say. It's the closest I felt to Cuba and we're here. It's the closest I've been, though.

None of us have been to Cuba, right? I know I have. I have never been. You've never been. Yeah, it's one of those things for me that obviously I want to go, but growing up, my grandma was obviously anti-Cuba after leaving. Loved Cuba when she was there. but after she left, she's like, I'm never stepping foot back in there.

She's like, I can't support that. So it's like been like a battle for me where I'm like, I want to go back. Yeah. But I also understand why I shouldn't go back. But I feel like eventually I got to see it. It's just like the Cuba today is not the same Cuba, obviously, that our grandparents grew around. Yeah, 100%. I mean, I had the same kind of thing growing up with my abuelos.

Love the island they came from, but had so much hurt because of having leave, the friends they lost, the family they lost, that they didn't want us to go back and support a government that did that, you know. So now being older, my grandparents mostly being gone except for one, I do want to see the motherland. I want to see where I came from and make that a thing, you know, a whole circle moment. Yeah. What part of Cuba were your family from? My family was from Havana. Havana.

And I always say, it's even part of my bio and part of my story that I hope to one day bring my art to a free Cuba. So it's in my mind and I'm constantly dreaming about it. 100%. It's sad that most of our grandparents and that generation wasn't able to ever return back. And that dream of a free Cuba, they never got to see. So hopefully our generation one day gets to see it. Hopefully.

Right now, unfortunately, doesn't look like it's taking that direction. But God knows anything can happen in this world right now. But yeah, it sucks because you hear how nice they talked about Cuba and how beautiful an island it is and just like the culture and the life that they had there was one of one. And to be able to be stripped of that and then say,

hey, we got to go build a new life. And they did and they built a beautiful life out here. And I think that's like our generation is forever grateful for that. Right. You talk about, you know, immigration and everything that obviously is like the temperature around that. But just the fact that they were able to come here, build a new life out here and build a new opportunity for us. I mean, we live a good life now, and I always say to the sacrifice of our grandparents.

Absolutely. Absolutely. That's my, that's always my mission statement, bro. Yeah. Just try to spread that joy and the gratitude for just being here and be able to pursue a dream, a dream in music, a dream in art, a dream in media. Exactly. It's like we wouldn't be able to have this blessing and do what we do, not for that sacrifice. Absolutely.

Absolutely. So tell me, tell me whoever wants to go first, but tell me a little bit about like your grandmas. parents story into getting into the states like how much do you know about you know that whole world when they chose to make that decision to leave and how that whole process went for them yeah yes my grand my my abuelos were tobacco farmers back in cuba made for generations um and they lived in oging in the province of oging and and you know they were thriving before the castro regime came in and right basically took their livelihood and took the finca and said you got an option is you can stay here, but whatever you do, it's going to go to the state now,

or you can leave, but you're leaving with hardly anything, bro, with nothing. And, man, they made the hard choice to leave. They ended up in Spain for a little while, then Puerto Rico where my dad was born, and then eventually Miami. And, man, they just talked so, so, like you said, Dre, like so incredibly, they had such imagery and so many colors about the island. and the memories they had and the finca and the life they lived. And so that was just passed on to me, like a love for this place I've never been

just because of the way they talked about. It's like an adopted love, you know? Yeah. And so that was on my dad's side. My mom's side, I'll make a brief, but my grandfather came actually a little bit before Castro and he wanted to study at the University of Miami. And he studied at UM. He served in Korea.

He was an accountant here. Yeah. Wow. It was much more like Americanized on that side just because of. So I had two different upbringies, and my O'Ollo was from Havana. So, like, that was just really cool to see both sides there. Wow. Some city people and some country folk.

Wow. Yeah. That's beautiful. Yeah. How about you? Yeah, so very similar story. They came here with one day to the next. They had to give up their land.

And my family was also in the tobacco field as well. and they pretty much gave everything to these Castro people and had to make that hard decision to come over and with just the clothes on their back. I think maybe my grandfather came in later as well to just my grandma came first with my parents. My mom came probably like at five years old and my dad at 12.

So my mom, yeah, she has some memories in Cuba but most of her childhood memories are here in a free country. Yeah, she left at a younger age. But we live in the land of opportunity, and it's a blessing, and they had to figure it out quick. And what's sad is that they really left thinking it was only going to be a couple months, and it's turned into us 50-plus years of in the same situation. And they've made a life.

My father's family migrated to the Miami Beach area. Yeah. Big Jewish Cuban community there. Went to Beach High and did the whole the whole beach thing. And then my mom came. She ended up in Westchester area. And that was their new life.

And Miami, Cuba. They figured it out. Yeah. Yeah. And now we're here. Like you said, it's a blessing to be sitting here in a free country with no worries. And the government's not going to come after your property. Right.

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. 100%. They found an opportunity here and we're reaping the benefits of that opportunity. So my grandfather on my mom's side did the whole escaping Cuba situation. I got on a raft and floated across the ocean to get over here. And it was him and his two brothers that made that decision to escape.

My grandmother was able to get a visa so she was able to come into the state. but my grandfather and both his brothers got on a raft and not one of them knew how to swim. Oh, my. Wow. Bro. So talk about, like, really, like, you're at the brink of, like, this is our only option. Like, life or death, you know, like, I am going to float across. I don't know where the hell we're going to end up.

And it wasn't a boat. Like, it was something that they built to say, hey. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Like, this will float and it'll get us there. And they floated across without any idea of how to swim. That's crazy. And ended up in America.

So like a true actual miracle that, you know, my family even exists to say because if my grandfather doesn't make it across Cuba, I mean, I'm not here. My mom, obviously, my mom's not here. And here we are. No, I got chills. That's insane. It's insane. Can you imagine that, like, just that desperation of like, I'm going to throw myself to the sea?

Right. Even though I don't know how to swim, even though, like, just risking my life, you know, your life. I can't imagine. You know, but that just goes to show you how bad it was that. Exactly. They had no other choice. You had to do it. Life or death. And it was better that you risk your life than choosing to stay there and live. And still to this day, hundreds of people across the water, not knowing if they're going to make it. Exactly. It's crazy. It's crazy. And I always think about that because I'm like, shit, man. I don't know what was going on exactly because I obviously didn't live it. You hear the stories, but it's different when you experience it firsthand. Then, you know, you hear the generational stories. down. But yeah, and then he came here. Wow.

And moved to New York, you know, did the whole immigration there in New York with the, you know, where I forget what they, what they called it back, you know, back in the day. But did the whole getting, getting, becoming a legal resident and then started a life there, built a carpet store in Staten Island. Oh, way. Yeah. I don't know. You had New York, New York, New York Roots, yeah. New York Roots. Yep. My mom was born in New York. You know, my whole mom's side of the family lived in New York for, you know, 15 plus years or so. Wow.

And then my family moved down here when my mom was about, I want to say 14 or something like that. And then, you know, obviously we lived down here forever. And my grandparents and like my cousins, they all kind of bought houses like around the same area. So yeah, they built their life around each other. Yeah, my mom's family was all down the same block as well. Yeah. Yeah. I had my well of seven houses away from me.

It's in Westchester. But even like the stories like they came here and like they had like, like a little efficiency of like seven people living in a studio like apartment trying to like figure it out like the work they were putting in like my dad said at 10 years old he was or 12 years old he was before school he would go and deliver newspapers or the mill card it but we all have those stories and I think it shows that like all those stories of the hardships I think it's made all of us more driven and more like. Amen to that. I always say like the hard work and the drive and the dedication we all put into it is a testimony to our grandparents and parents really

grinding to get like they had no other choice. It started from scratch you know with you know already existing identity in your life and income and all that and then you know you start over here brand new life and it's like we're going to figure it out and I think that's a testament to Cubans you know like we figure shit out. Probably, you know, but I mean, you know, I think Hispanics in general because of that same common denominator, like, yeah, escaping communism and then creating a new life in these countries, you know, in the Americas or wherever it may be. But it is a testament as to like who we are and to your point, like our identity. It's in our blood. Like the work ethic that we've seen our grandparents to build, you know, good life for their family. And then that's instilled in our parents and then that's passed down to us. And I think we as like third generation Cubans now, like, we never will lose that. I hope, you know, our kids continue that, and it's just something that we get passed on from generation to generation.

100%. We are powerful because we're Cuban, I'd say. I'd say so, bro. I'd say it too, yeah. Yeah. And it's incredible that we have this passion and love for a place we've never been to. I know. That's so damn true.

And the reality is, all our parents and grandparents have spent way more time here in the U.S. than in Cuba now. Yeah. And when someone tells me what I am, I say I'm Cuban. Yeah. But the reality is we're American. It's true. With Cuban parents and grandparents. Yeah. It's funny. It's funny you say that because some people don't.

But it's weird because some people are like, yeah, I'm American. But I'm like, yeah, you're American because you were born in America. But like, where are you actually from? You know? And I think that you got to gravitate towards that. Like that's a part of your identity. If none of those things happen, you know, your grandparents don't escape or wherever they come from. Like, it's still a part of who you are.

Like, you have to embrace the fact that you may not have been born there, but your family's from there, and that's part of who you are. Of course, man. That's your blood. It's your blood. It's your blood. It's her blood. I mean, shit, this is in my blood for sure.

Oh, no. Bustello is definitely in our blood, man. To be here, now sitting here talking about our ancestry is amazing. It's a full circle moment. Amen to that. It's a dream, yeah. Yeah. So, like we said, we're third generation Cubans at this point.

And so what's like the most proudest concept or idea that that you have about being a human? Obviously, we talked about like the work ethic and comes from that. But like just being a Cuban, like what makes you proud about that? Man, I think it's how I'm trying to find the word, but how we live life with such vigor, man. You know, it's such, you know, I feel like we have a different color to us, you know? Yeah. I don't know how to explain it, but there's just like, it's a different color to life. It's a different pet, you know, in our step, bro.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So, like, whenever I'm here in Miami, I just feel it, the vibrancy. It's true. The vibrancy and the way we just want to, man, just grasp and take hold of the emotions of life, both high and low. Yeah, we do things big, man. We do things big. That's a damn sure.

And I always try to preach that. Yeah, for sure. What about you? I don't know. I'm proud to be Cuban. My other chain, I had the island of Cuba. That's sick. It's like this.

It's this dream. Do you say it's like an inspiration in your art at all? Yeah, I'm definitely inspired by the island of Cuba, the colors, the ocean, the what it was, the paradise. Like, Cuba was so advanced, so much more advanced than all these. It was Vegas with beautiful beaches. Like the best cars were in Cuba. The food, the drinks, the people, like, it's special. And obviously we live in Miami where there's Cubans everywhere.

It's part of our roots. I'm constantly walking Kayocho, so I feel it. And the music inspires me. It keeps me moving. Like, I was coming here and to pump me up. I was playing the Miami Sound Machine just to, like get into the spirit. It's in my roots.

It's in my blood. I'm constantly thinking about Cuba. You talked about your art and the inspiration, but obviously your music also is very inspired from it. Absolutely. Well, 100%. I mean, obviously, Motherland, the song was all inspired by my roots.

And this island, like you said, I've never been to, but I have a lot of feelings for. Yeah, for sure. And but not only that, man, even the music I make now, even if a song doesn't talk about Cuba, I try to bring in that flavor of of that Caribbean

that Caribbean spice man I try to bring it in even the sounds that I'm trying to incorporate my whole mission statement is to infuse country music with my roots with that Caribbean flare

and that's all I'm trying to do man is just trying to you know chase my passion of country music but do it with with a flare of where I come from and you're doing it and I think that's what's going to separate you from maybe these other country guys

like there's some Latin spice to it. And I think the first time I witnessed your song was the Motherland song and the it really hit home. Like I didn't know you, but I listened to the song and I, Andre probably felt the same way, but I listened to it and I wanted to cry. It like made me, it moved me in a special way because yes, you're telling your story and your family story, but there's hundreds and hundreds of people that have very similar stories. Yeah. And you know it's been magical. And it's part of us. It connects us. 100% bro you know it's been magical about that song which i never thought of when i was writing it

i was just trying to do it you know pay homage to my to my ullo's but is that the song has touched the cuban community but also transcended the human community and it's been like i've had which is the biggest blessing in my life people who are not cuban people who are korean americans and puerican americans and columbian americans all these all these people come up to me and say that's not specifically my story but that's the sentiment of my story. You know, that's my background, too, is at some point somebody made a sacrifice for me to be here. Exactly.

You know, yeah, I mean, you think of the concept of motherland, right? We all have, I mean, we all have the same common motherland, but you look at the United States as a whole and just anywhere, right? Everyone's got a different motherland, right? Like, your life originated probably not from the place that you currently reside, right? Maybe you were born there, but your grandparents weren't born there or your great grandparents weren't born there. And now all of a sudden, you have emotional connection to that motherland. that is your, it's your, it's your heartbeat, basically.

Like, it is who you are at the end of the day. And to your point, like that song, it's interesting, right? Because you could be from anywhere, but the motherland is wherever that motherland is to you, which I think is cool. So what's your, I guess, favorite Cuban tradition? Like, what's something that, you know, to this day, you know, it's something that's been passed on from generation to generation, but something that you love. Hmm.

Well, Domino's is one of them. Oh, 100%. Love the game. There's nothing better than being around the domino table. It's hard to pull me off of a domino table. Sitting around, sitting around and playing dominoes. A couple of things that are like social, social elements of who we are. Domino's, smoking a cigar, you know, the gatherings that we have.

There's so many social elements. That's my favorite part about Cuban culture is how tight we are with our families. You know, and how much we love. You know, how much we love to get together, man. The tight-knit family structure, and there's some cultures that don't have that. That doesn't exist. And I'm like, what do you mean? You don't go over your Tia's house or your Awella's house or your, you know, your cousins, your Primo's house once a month or twice a month and just, bro, sit around a domino table and talk shit, bro.

You're going to talk everything. You're going about how bad the dolphins are or, you know, the cheesembourg going on in the family. Like, it is a place to just let everything. and anything else. Yeah. Yeah. There's definitely a lot of cheeseseman going down at family gatherings for sure. But yeah, the beauty of family and your roots and coming together.

Obviously, you're eating good, having a good time, enjoying life, enjoying the freedom, the music. Like, it's a beautiful, it's beautiful. Our grandparents look down at those moments and think, like, this is exactly why I did it. My grandma. Oh, my God. She made it all the way to 100, but she was at my, her great. grandchildren's like events like we actually one of like the last memory was here my my niece which would be her great-granddaughter was like dancing on a stage and she had to be here like

like those roots and the importance of family is is all uh it comes from that generation which is one of the greatest generations absolutely i agree the you know the family gatherings like how close-knit we are and that we all have each other's back. Yeah, I think that's like, it doesn't matter what happens. It doesn't matter what's going on. At the end of the day, you know your family is going to have your back. And I think that's pretty universal, but it's like, I don't know what it is. It's different.

Yeah. I think about like my relationship with my grandma, you know, especially towards the tail end of her life. Yeah. You know, her and I got really close. And it was because she had to move in with us. So I got to spend a lot of time with her. And, you know, it was over coffee.

and she would do everything and anything to have a conversation with me. So she knew I love sports, right? So she's there reading her Miami Herald in the morning, right? And sitting there with me having a coffee in the morning, and we're talking about the Marlins. And she loved to talk sports with me. Like that was like, she knows I like sports. She was going to do her due diligence of like what's going on.

I'm like, for the other one. And then we would talk about whatever, you know, or, oh, yeah, come a little dolphin. Yeah. What's going to there? You know? And it's like, dude, like, she's doing that because she knows how passionate I was about it. And it was like our moment, you know?

And it's funny, I get, I got, when my grandma passed away, right? I'll never forget. This is actually fucking crazy story. And people might think I'm crazy for this, but this is actually insane. So my grandmother passed away, you know, a few years ago, right? And I'm in the same exact spot where we would have morning coffee every morning together, right? and I'm there I'm cooking up the machine

cooking up the coffee and there's maybe like two weeks after she passed away there's one light on in the house and it's right there where we sat like right on the little kitchen counter right there it starts flickering yeah and I'm like

that was weird whatever so I'm just there keep going about it starts flickering again and all of a sudden bro I get this chill down my spine I got chills right now and I'm not even joking my hair's fucking

90 degrees straight to the sky. And it was like my grandma being like, I'm here. Wow. And I know you're making your coffee. Like this is like our moment. And I was, bro, like to this day, it's still. She probably taught you how to make the coffee to me.

100%. She taught me how to make it up, you know, make it. Like that was like our thing, especially on the tail end of our life. And she was there in that moment, experiencing that. And I'm like, shit. Like, you're not here, but you're here. Oh, no, they're here. They're here.

Always here. And we have this chime in the, in the backyard that my girlfriend gave to my grandma. And every time I hear it in the backyard, it just, it just reminds me. That's beautiful. It's special, like, that emotional connection that we have with our family. And I think it's, like, one of the most powerful things about who we are. That's amazing. Yeah.

I think this would be a good moment to say, like, whoever's watching, if you do still have your grandparents, pick up the phone, tell them you love them. Don't think they're going to be here forever and really, like, hang out, make it a point to go out there. And even if it's just a little call to tell them you love them. Yeah. Pick up that phone and tell them you love them. They will appreciate it.

At some point, yeah, they live for that. It keeps them going. It keeps fueling them. And at the end, the family is what they're living for. Amen to that, bro. Amen to that. So one last thing before we kind of wrap it up here, I got to ask you, favorite Cuban dish. Ooh, bro.

It's tough. It's tough. I don't know about that one. You got yours? It's dependent on the day. No, I guess. There's different options. I know.

I hadn't had a bistempanizado in a long time the other day. I had one with white rice and beans is incredible. Yeah. A croquetta at any time. It could be good. It's a versatility of the Cuban food, right? Because you got your little pastries, right? And like that's in its category of itself.

Then you got like, you know, the dishes. And then that's, you can go sandwich or you can go, you know, dish. I was just about saying sandwiches, it's like, because the sandwiches alone, I'm like, I can have a panco lecone. I can have a good Cuban. Vaca frita I like as well. The palomia could always hit the spot. I was back to say a vaca frida goes crazy.

What's your go-to for sides? Let's say you do the vaca frita or you do the palomia. But like what are your sides? I go moro and maduro. Yeah. Congri and maduro. I think I go white rice with black beans. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Simple. Maybe some french fries if I got an option. The morro's solid, but there's something about like the softness with the white rice, with that extra little. liquid that you get from the black meat and then you chop it top chop it all up i'm a big yucca guy oh you guys i'm not into the yucca fried or boiled it doesn't matter bro like that shit my grandma used to make some yucca bro that and then i roboi oh i mean dude it's oh no it's there's so many dishes you're starving dog.

And it reminds you a family and getting together like we were talking about. Yeah. It's a beautiful moment. Amen to that. There's a little panco-on-lachon station here. Oh, yeah, yeah. I could crush a panco on lechon. That was a little Johnny Cuba.

A little Johnny Cuba and a little Orlando, you know, this is beautiful. This is really a gathering of so many incredible brands and names coming together for a beautiful weekend. So come out. Shout out to Peter for putting. putting this together. You gotta see this thing, man. It's 20 plus years, and it's been around eight years since he's been doing it, and they've done an amazing job.

Like, how you already kind of feel like you're in the thick of Cuba, which is awesome.