Orishas (band)
Orishas | |
---|---|
Yotuel Romero | |
Past members | Flaco-Pro, Ruzzo Medina, Roldán González |
Website | orishasthebest.com (archived) |
Orishas are a Cuban hip hop group from Havana, Cuba, founded in 1999. The group was first called "Amenaza",[1] "threat" or "menace" in Spanish, and appealed to the Cuban youth. The choice of this name for the hip hop group is a way of creating a direct link between this band and the African diaspora. The group is based in France where they made a deal with a record company, although they visit Cuba frequently. In 1999 Fidel Castro threw a party for them and had a meeting with all the musicians.[2] It was the first time the Cuban government showed support for hip hop music. The group was and still is popular in Europe (especially France, Italy, Spain and Portugal) and Latin America. Yotuel Romero and Ruzzo Medina, who moved from Havana to Paris as part of an international studies program, joined Roldán González and Flaco-Pro to form the band in 1999. Their work is influenced by the hip hop movement as well as Cuban and other Latin rhythms. As of October 2009[update], they had produced a total of five studio albums and a greatest hits album; their latest album is Gourmet (released May 25, 2018). In 2009 they participated in the concert Paz Sin Fronteras II in Plaza de la Revolución, Havana, Cuba. Orishas reunited to record new material in 2016.
The name "Orishas" refers to the set of deities worshipped in African-based religions in
Career
History
Los Orishas began as Cuban rap group Amenaza in the early 1990s. Led by Joel Pando, Amenaza became the first rap group to address the issue of racial identity in Cuban society.[6] In 1998, the members of Amenaza traveled to Paris to perform and accepted a record deal with a European label.[6] The transition to Europe was critical in their musical career, as many rap groups in Cuba lacked the resources for professional recordings. In fact, of the hundreds of rappers in Cuba, Orishas is the only group that has achieved international acclaim As of 2006[update].[6] Their first album, A Lo Cubano, was released in Spain in May 1999 under the Orishas moniker. In the summer of 1999, Orishas began a two-year tour across Europe and the United States, which brought them international notice. In December 2000, Orishas returned to Cuba to perform two concerts, attracting tens-of-thousands of young Cubans.[7]
As one of Cuba's pioneer rap groups, Orishas garnered fame both at home and abroad. In 2006 they guested on the Track "14Me" recorded in Cuba by occasional
Discography
Studio albums
- A Lo Cubano (2000)
- Emigrante (2002)
- El Kilo (2005)
- Cosita Buena (2008)
- Gourmet(2018)
Compilations
- Antidiotico (2007)
Singles
- "Atrevido" (A Lo Cubano)
- "Orishas Llegó" (A Lo Cubano)
- "Testimonio" (Emigrante)
- "Mujer" (Emigrante)
- "Guajiro" (Emigrante)
- "Represent" (A Lo Cubano)
- "Cuba Isla Bella" (Gourmet)
- "Everyday" (Gourmet)
- "Bembé" (Gourmet)
- "Sastre de tu amor" (Gourmet)
Film soundtracks
- The Fast and the Furious - song Atrevido (not featured on the CD release of The Fast and the Furious Soundtrack)
- El Benny - song Soy Campesino
- Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights - song Represent Cuba
- The Fast and the Furious - song Atrevido
- Antikiller - songs Represent and Madre
- Bad Boys 2- song Atrevido (not featured on the CD release of the Bad Boys 2 Soundtrack)
- Along Came Polly - song Represent
Band members
Current As of 2024[update]
- Yotuel (Yotuel Omar Romero Manzanares) - (1999–present)
- Roldán (Roldán González Rivero) - (1999–2021)
- Ruzzo (Hiram Riverí Medina) - (1999–2021)
References
- ^ Amenaza: Cuban rap
- ^ Stephen Foehr, Dancing with Fidel, pg. 39
- ^ "Portal Orixás Afrodescendente" http://orixas.com.br/portal3/
- ^ Baker, Geoffrey. 2006. "La Habana que no conoces: Cuban rap and the social construction of urban space." Ethnomusicology Forum 15, no. 2: 215-46
- ^ :: Orishas The Best :: COSITA BUENA in Stores Now!!!
- ^ a b c Wunderlich, Annelise. "Cuban Hip-hop: Making Space for New Voices of Dissent." The Vinyl Ain’t Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture. Ed. Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, 168.
- ^ "Orishas Biography". EMI Music Canada. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
- ^ a b Music
- ^ Wunderlich, Annelise. "Cuban Hip-hop: Making Space for New Voices of Dissent." The Vinyl Ain’t Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture. Ed. Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, 168-169.
External links
- new band with former members of Orishas
- (in Spanish) Unofficial Site (archived)
- "Orishas". Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2005.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - NPR's CD review El Kilo
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