Gente de Zona

Gente de Zona was founded in 2000 in the Alamar neighborhood of Havana,^[1] consisting initially of Alexander Delgado and Michel Delgado. They initially performed at smaller events and parties in the Havana area, including Alamar, Regla and Guanabacoa. Two years later, they joined the Asociación Hermanos Saíz, a government-sponsored Cuban cultural organization, and signed with the Empresa Comercializadora de la Música y los Espectáculos Antonio María Romeu (Commercial Business of Music and Performances Antonio María Romeu), which allowed them to perform across the country. This same year, they became one of the first members of the Cuban Rap Agency, a government agency involved with promoting and commercializing rap on the island.^[2]

In 2005, Michel Delgado departed from the group, while rapper Jacob Forever (Yosdany Jacob Carmenates) and DJ and producer Nando Pro joined.^[2] The trio released the album Lo Mejor Que Suena Ahora in 2008. In March 2013, the members separated, with Jacob Forever embarking on a solo career supported by Nando Pro. Delgado continued the group under the Gente de Zona moniker after bringing on ex-Charanga Habanera singer Randy Malcom Martínez.^[2]

In their early years, the group's appeal was mostly limited to Cuba, with some fans in Europe, until the release of Enrique Iglesias's "Bailando" in 2014. Although work on the song began in 2009, it was several years before fellow Cuban musician and songwriter Descemer Bueno went to Cuba and recruited Gente de Zona to be part of the song.^[3] With newfound international recognition, the group subsequently released collaborations with Pitbull, Chino & Nacho, Marc Anthony and Juan Magán in the year that followed.^[2]

In 2019, Gente de Zona was initially announced as part of a Pitbull-organized New Year's Eve concert lineup Miami, but was later withdrawn due to concerns from the local community that the group was too close with the Cuban government.^[4] Then-Miami mayor, Cuban American Francis Suarez, criticized the choice of the group for the event, stating, "You have to understand that an artist who declares themselves in favor of communism or gives communism credibility is considered persona non grata. It's not about intolerance or censorship, it's about respect and recognizing the mortifying history of communism, especially in Cuba."^[5]

Two years later, in February 2021, Gente de Zona, with other Cuban artists Yotuel, Beatriz Luengo, Descemer Bueno, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky released "Patria y Vida" paying tribute to the San Isidro Movement and criticizing the Cuban government's repression of artistic expression in the country, shortages of essential items, and management of the country's currency.^[6] The song was Gente de Zona's first politically partisan song, with Delgado later saying, "It becomes a commitment that you have with your people, who have followed you and given you everything you have today. We never knew that your talent and a song could be the weapon to hit these people hard, this government."^[7] The song was subsequently banned in Cuba, and Gente de Zona stated that they were subsequently been banned from performing concerts on the island.^[8]