Carlos Varela

Singer-songwriter Carlos Varela has acquired the rather offbeat title of “Cuba’s Bob Dylan.”

That means that, like Dylan, he writes protest songs. But there are both similarities and differences.

Varela from a different era, as well as a different country. Varela was born in 1963, when Dylan was already making a name for himself  as the apparent  successor to America’s outspoken Depression era singer and songwriter, Woody Guthrie.

During the 1980s, Varela became part of “nueva trova,”  a musical genre which originally protested the conditions that prompted the Cuban Revolution. Now, his songs criticize the current Cuban status quo.

His “Una Palabra” (A Word), was included in the films “Powder Keg,” starring Clive Owen, and “Man on Fire,” with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.

Varela will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7,  at Ramekins Events Center, 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. Admission: $40. Information: (707) 933-0450, ramekins.com.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with food and drink available for purchase.