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Hip-Hop A Lo Cubano. by Mariela Pérez-Simons You are walking down El Malecón of Havana, the famous seaside promenade that’s always sizzling with life no matter the time of day or night. This is the same Malecón that has inspired dozen of writers, from Hemingway to García Marquez. The breeze carries the smell of the ocean, Caribbean food, and fresh street asphalt. You've been told about Cubans’ passion for music, about how you'd find a made-up band in just about every corner singing songs like "Dos Gardenias" and "El Cuarto de Tula." You keep walking, you see a group of people gathering in the distance, a band for sure, you think. As you get closer, you can't believe your ears. "What are they playing?" you ask yourself. "These aren't the sensual harmonies of Buena Vista Social Club! Is this...?" You can't even say it. "Is this hip-hop?" They’re not hiding any more. It’s no longer a secret—the Cuban hip-hop scene is in full bloom. On one hand, this music has all the elements of American rap: the scratching records and sampling, the rhyming at the sound of the beat, etc. And on the other hand, you find the traditional sounds of Cuban music: rumba, mambo, guaguancó, salsa and even jazz. Similar to American rap, urban Cuban lyrics are socially and politically conscious, full of street slang; but these singers add a different dimension to the mix— their African identity, often mentioning African deities and freely expressing their Afro-Cuban customs. The Paris-based band ,Orishas, was the first rap cubano ambassador in the world. In 2000, when the band members released their first album, A Lo Cubano, the public became aware that there’s more to Cuban music than Buena Vista Social Club, son and timba. But other lesser-known bands were experimenting with the genre long before Orishas’s success. Although the movement dates back to the 80’s, in 1995, Cuban raperos celebrated the first Cuban rap festival. Cuban hip-hop producer Pablo Herrera estimates that there are approximately 800 rap groups in Cuba these days. Some of the most popular are: Anónimo Consejo, Obsesión, Doble Filo, Cubanito 20.02, Telmary, Interactivo, Free Hole Negro, Candyman, Almas Rebeldes, Alto Voltaje, Explosión Suprema, Insurrecto, and Los Profetas. |
Orishas on El Malecón de la Habana. » Listen to CUBAN HIP-HOP on Batanga's HIP-HOP station » Subscribe to Club Batanga to watch videos and more! |
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