Cimafunk sings at the White House, invited by Black Heritage Month in the United States

February 26, 2024

Cuban singer Erik Iglesias Rodríguez, known as Cimafunk, performed this Sunday the song Faustino Congo, during a presentation at the White House for Black Heritage Month in the United States.

On his social networks the Cuban composer and record producer thanked being included by the executive mansion in its celebration of Black, Afro-Latin culture.

"It was a special moment to perform my song Faustino Congo. You'll hear it on the streets soon!", he wrote.

"Roots, lineage… always with me!", expressed the popular self-taught performer, born on April 7, 1989 in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Río, while also thanking all the legacy collected to be able to develop his art.

Cimafunk, a name that refers to his heritage of 'cimarrón', the runaway slaves who took refuge in the mountains and forests, reclaims his African origins and brings together different aesthetic heritages – funk, blues, rumba – that come from the same root but have taken different trajectories in this part of the world.

His song 'Me Voy', from his first album 'Terapia' (2017) catapulted him to the height of popularity in Cuba and his second album "El Alimento" (2021), co-produced with American Jack Splash, known for his work with Tyler the Creator, Ceelo Green, Alicia Keys, among others, earned him several recognitions.

That second phonographic production is ranked number three for best Spanish-language album of 2021 and number 23 for the best albums of the year by Rolling Stone.