José Luis Cortés video in time of coronavirus

March 31, 2020

José Luis Cortés has always been at the center of controversy since he revolutionized popular dance music during the 1990s with the accentuated force of a rhythmic proposal that left its mark on the timba scene.

Almost no one forgets the stir he caused with songs like "La bruja," for which he received a barrage of criticism that eventually faded away over time and remained only as an anecdote of a decade that, instead, saw how "El Tosco" demonstrated credentials as one of the most complete instrumentalists in the history of Cuban music.

The leader of NG La Banda has just premiered another song that has divided many people into two camps, especially on social networks. The song is called "Evita el coronavirus" and is another of many songs that have been written about the pandemic that is ravaging the world and threatening Cuba with force.

These days "El Tosco" takes care of himself like a prized rooster. He suffers from diseases like diabetes and hypertension that place him in the group of patients at highest risk. He, who has been aware of the spread of the disease, knows the danger, and that was another reason that led him to compose the song. The instrumentalist is at home and is taking advantage of the voluntary quarantine to write music and advance projects he had in the "freezer."

"I am taking great care of myself and I want my Cuban brothers and sisters to do the same. I am interested in my people being well informed and preserving their health. I am making music because music is the soul of peoples. We have our soul trapped behind bars because if we don't take care of ourselves we will go to the other world. I am taking advantage of this, which has to pass, because Cuba is a medical power and we will already find a way to face it," comments the musician.

The author of "Santa Palabra," "Échale limón" and "Picadillo de soya" has been aware of the controversy his new music video has sparked, especially on social networks. Some have called it untimely and in poor taste; others have simply seen in the song a message far from any offense that fits perfectly within the line of popular Cuban music.

Watch video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTLYgaejIO8