It is a verse of a song that has become the anthem of these protests and that emerged from artists who for the first time dared to express their disagreement with the government. Yotuel was a trend-setter in the early 2000s for blending Afro-Cuban genres like rumba with hip hop like he did in his debut album A lo Cubano with the group Orishas.MEXICO CITY – The slogan “¡Patria y vida!” - “Homeland and life!” - is heard loudly during the demonstrations in Cuba. Yotuel is one of the pioneers of urbano – a movement of urban genres, like reggaeton, born in Latin America. Yotuel recently announced that he's producing a documentary, in partnership with Exile Content Studio and his wife, the Spanish musician Beatriz Luengo, on the regime's response to the song, especially since the summer's protests. "We call on the Cuban government to respect the fundamental role that art and artists play in society and immediately stop harassing artists for engaging in political and social critiques that are not in line with the government's rigid ideology." "There is no justification for persecuting artists for peacefully expressing their views," said the statement, whose signers include Meryl Streep, Khaled Hosseini, Orhan Pamuk, Elena Poniatowska, Isabel Allende and Zadie Smith. 8, hundreds of prominent figures from the worlds of art, literature and entertainment called on the Cuban government to "stop its unrelenting abuses against artists" in a statement that mentioned the role Patria y Vida played in the protests. Hundreds of Cubans detained in connection with the demonstrations are still being held as political prisoners, including dozens of artists.Ĭuban regime condemned for "harassing artists" Over the summer, the song – which the Cuban regime banned after it came out in February – became a rallying cry during largest anti-government protests in decades. On a stage full of candles – almost as though it was a vigil, Yotuel sang a live acoustic version of the song with fellow Afro-Cuban singers Descemer Bueno, Eliecer Márquez Duany and the duo Gente de Zona.ĭuring the ceremony, Márquez Duany, who goes by El Funky, dedicated the performance of Patria y Vida to all political prisoners in Cuba, especially Maykel Osorbo, one of the song's co-writers, who has been languishing in a maximum-security prison since May for helping create the protest anthem.Īlt.Latino Explaining 'Patria Y Vida,' The Song That's Defined The Uprising In Cuba Patria y Vida, or homeland and life, is a poke at Fidel Castro's slogan "Patria o Muerte," which means "homeland or death." The song, which also won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Song, beat out Bad Bunny's hit single Dákiti and J Balvin and Tainy's Agua. we were competing against songs that were much more popular than Patria y Vida and artists who are at their peak," the singer, whose full name is Yotuel Romero, said recently in an interview. When Cuban-born rapper Yotuel went on stage at this year's Latin Grammys, he couldn't believe he was getting one of the most coveted awards of the night: Song of the Year. 18, 2021, in Las Vegas.Ĭhris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Randy Malcom, from left, Alexander Delgado of Gente De Zona and Yotuel sing Patria y Vida at the Latin Grammy Awards on Nov.
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