In Cuba, there are three groups of reggaetoneros:
1) the artists who have been given legal permission from the government and work with them to produce and release music
2) the timberos who do not want to lose their position in the music industry and are combining musical elements of timba with that of reggaetón
3) the artists who create music without support from the government and produce their music in their homes. Here, I will provide some background information on three artists/groups that fit into each of these categories.
Because reggaetón is not considered by Cubans as authentically rising from the country’s culture, some artists have been sanctioned by the government and are working towards “Cubanizing,” or including traditional Cuban elements. One of the most well-known Cuban groups, Gente de Zona, has played a large role in reggaetón with their music.
Artist Alexander and Michael Delgado founded Gente de Zona, meaning “people of the zone” in 2000. Alexander grew up in a small town, Alamar, near the country’s capital, Havana. Because there were not many people in the town, he gave the duo a name to associate themselves with his origins. In an interview, he explained that the arrival of reggaetón in the country gave them the opportunity to commercialize the name but still be known as neighborhood people. An important factor of the group is how they combine traditional Cuban music with their own style, attracting younger listeners. Eventually, Michel left, and Alexander joined Yosdany Jacob Jacomino, known as Jacob Forever, and Fernando Otero, known as Nando Pro. The group’s first album Pa’ La Gente De Mi Zona placed their first hit on national radio, making them known on television and local radio stations. After eight years working together, Jacob Forever and Nando Pro left and worked on their own program. Randy Martinez Malcome, along with eight other musicians joined. Working on international collaborations, Gente de Zona has continued to thrive.
In an interview with Billboard, Gente de Zona has said that they don’t create reggaetón as the public generally knows it. Instead, they describe their music as Cuban reggaetón because of their mixture of Cuban rhythms: son, guaracha, and timba, in their base. They stress the importance of this fusion.
Although there continues to be a barrier between Cuba and the U.S., causing artists to struggle with visibility in the U.S. market, highly respected artists Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Pitbull, have brought great respect and admiration from listeners in the U.S. to Cuba. Additionally, Gente de Zona has won great respect from European listeners.
In Cuba, musicians entering the Cuban reggaetón scene were not only reggaetoneros, but also the timberos. Although timba is an important genre in Cuba, younger audiences are drawn to reggaetón. Because timberos do not want to be lost to music history, many are collaborating with Cuban reggaetoneros. One well-known Cuban timbero group in this situation is David Calzado (the director) y su Charanga Habanera, especially known for their collaborations with Cuban reggaetoneros Gente de Zona and Eddie-K, another government-sanctioned group. While their name suggests that their music connects with traditional Cuban music, featuring violins and flutes, they move beyond this. During the beginning of their career, they would play cha cha, mambo, bolero, and guaracha. However, in order to reach youth audiences, they have combined these Cuban genres with funk and rap-like vocals and Cuban salsa to especially sing about life in Havana. Their international tours, going to South America, Mexico, the United State, Europe, Japan, and North America, and festivals in a few of these places, has given them the opportunity to be one of Cuba’s best-known groups.
Lastly, besides the musicians that have been sanctioned by the government, there are also the underground artists. With no formal training, these artists had feelings of anxiety, trying to work their way up in a country where timba still prevailed. A well-known underground performer is Elvis Manuel, who combined Puerto Rican perreo with hardcore controversial lyrics. Manuel inspired the joy that more underground artists have felt from combining their own music and culture with other musical cultures from outside of Cuba. Unfortunately, Manuel disappeared at age 19 escaping from Cuba to Florida on a raft and could not continue spreading his inspiration.