'Epicentro', new album with Gente de Zona, brings together Cuba's urban music

October 6, 2021

"Epicentro", a new album that brings together for the first time a dozen Cuban urban music artists, including the famous duo Gente de Zona, seeks to take the genre "to a more international sound" by mixing afrobeat with reggaeton and tropical pop, according to its producer, Cuban Dale Pututi.

"It's a super ambitious album, I had the opportunity to bring together the widest range of urban music artists and take them to an international sound," explained Alejandro Arce, artistically known as Dale Pututi, in an interview with Efe.

With 13 songs and accompanied by a video of the final track, "A mi manera", the album was presented this Friday at Neme Gastro Bar, a nightclub in Coral Gables, Miami.

In addition to Gente de Zona (made up of Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom), Jacob Forever, El Taiger, El Chacal, El Chulo, El Micha, Nesty, Baby Lores, Chris Tamayo, Kimiko and Jordy participate; Kendaya, Beangel and Jorge Jr Los 4.

"You're going to hear these artists in a different, international facet. The album is going to impress," affirms Dale Pututi, who also produced "Patria y Vida", an anthem for protests in Cuba that has just received two Latin Grammy nominations, Best Urban Song and Song of the Year.

"Epicentro", released by the record label Puntilla Music, based in Miami, has "varied" lyrics that talk about everyday life and romantic relationships, the producer commented.

"I tried to make international things and sounds and I think the result is what we wanted to achieve," Pututi said, also producer of Gente de Zona and who has collaborated with Aymée Nuviola, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Becky G, Jessy & Joy, El Chulo and Leoni Torres.

According to the producer from the city of Santa Clara (Cuba) who has lived in Miami for five years, the video, which is being presented for the first time today, was shot in Miami and features the participation of several artists.

"Generally it's filmed separately. Bringing them all together was fantastic," the producer noted.

"For Cuban music it is historic. It's the first time these artists come together on an album, the genre has been very divided," Laura Gutiérrez, market director of Puntilla Music, tells Efe.

"Gente de Zona is putting their face behind the project because they're interested in unity," she highlighted.

Created in Havana in 2011, Puntilla Music works with renowned international Latino artists such as Marc Anthony, Fonseca and Gente de Zona, according to its executives.

In its catalog it has Cuban artists of the caliber of Los Van Van and Leoni Torres, who is nominated for a Latin Grammy for her album "Alma cubana", of traditional Cuban music.

"We have achieved a big impact, more than expected," Gutiérrez confessed.