Cubanito 20.02
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cubanito 20.02 | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Cuban Link |
| Origin | Havana, Cuba |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop, reggaeton |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Cubanito 20.02 is a three-piece Cuban reggaeton band.
Contents |
[edit] History
Cubanito 20.02, formed in 2002 as their name suggests, burst on the scene the following year with their first album, Soy Cubanito. They might have been mistaken for a hip hop trio, with their b-boy posturing in photos and on the album's title track (I'm a rapper first and foremost, whether you like it or not...). But Matame, which instantly became a huge radio hit in Havana, told another story. With its whooping refrain (Uh Laca Laca Lah!) and romping ragga beat, this was Cubanito's announcement that they had come here to party.
In fact, hip hop was where Cubanito's three members began. In the mid-1990s, Haniel Gonzalez Martinez, Javier Duran Webb, and José Angel Sastre Perez were listening to rap sounds coming from the U.S. They shortened their names to Flipper, El Doctor and White, and they got themselves some bandanas, baseball caps and extra-baggy jeans. Their first group was called Primera Base and they scored a direct hit with their performance at the Havana Rap Festival in 1995.
The formation of Cubanito 20.02, formed by ex-members of Primera Base, was one of the first major significations of the switch from hip hop to reggaeton in Havana. While many “pure” hip hop artists saw reggaeton as the enemy, it was flourishing in the Cuban capital. Cubanito 20.02 has been criticized by many hip hop artists in Cuba, such as in the parody of their song Matame released by the popular group Los Aldeanos group site. The tension between reggaeton and hip hop continues in Cuba, but it seems that the more commercialized reggaeton is growing at a quick pace. 1
The switch from “underground” hip hop with Primera Base to the sensual beats of reggaeton with Cubanito 20.02 was a controversial and criticized one because reggae was seen as having a "retarding effect" while "eroding traditional genres". With the new reggaeton sounds influenced by Jamaican ragga, Cubanito 20.02 became more commercialized and financially successful by appealing to the youth culture. Through Cuban communist government funding, Cubanito 20.02 was able to produce multiple hit albums and even go on tour in some European countries. On the other hand, government regulations can be seen in their lyrics, which do not contain the typical reggaeton blatant sexuality and emphasis on the female body and intercourse nor does the music evoke a certain politically, socially, and culturally liberating or freeing quality that is more prevalent with reggaeton from Cuba that is not sponsored by the government. For example, in their song “Pideme”, the song says “soy sincero cuando digo que te quiero” (I am sincere when I tell you that I love you) and “eres la flor en mi jardin” (You are the flower in my garden). Cubanito 20.02 don’t claim to tackle issues of race or violence, but attempt to evoke love, happiness, and dance to their listeners. The group only continues to gain more international fame and recognition. 1
We wanted to do something New-York-style, something danceable, but also something Cuban, recalls Flipper. We are a group from the barrio, from the streets. We were all friends, and we still are. We used to rap together when we were taking the bus.
We don't play any instruments, says White. We create everything together, the three of us. A melody here, a verse there. So far the formula has been working. Their second album Tócame released in 2006, rises to the challenge of keeping the party going.
[edit] Members
- Haniel Gonzalez Martinez aka MC Flipper
- Javier Duran Webb aka El Doctor
- José Angel Sastre Perez aka MC White
[edit] Discography
- 2003 : first album - Soy Cubanito
- 2006 : Second album – Tócame
[edit] See also
[edit] Resources
1 Baker, Geoffery. 2008. "The Politics of Dancing". In Reading Reggaeton. forthcoming in Duke University Press.
