Cimafunk

Cimafunk is the recording and performing alter ego of composer, singer, and producer Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodríguez. As evidenced by Terapia, his 2017 debut long-player, his musical "mestizaje" (miscegenation) blends Cuban and Caribbean sounds with Afro-Latin rhythms from salsa, guaguancó, urban rhumba, nueva trova, timba, and Santería ritual music -- alongside modern funk, soul, pop, hip-hop, and EDM. His lyrics come directly from Havana's street culture. The first half of Rodríguez's stage name is derived from the Spanish word "cimarron," referring to Colonial-era runaway slaves who found refuge in Cuba's remote mountain communities. In 2021, Cimafunk issued his sophomore full-length, El Alimento, and was nominated for a Grammy. His third long-player, 2024's Pa' Tu Cuerpa, featured collaborations with top-shelf companions including Big Freedia, George Clinton, Trombone Shorty, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Monsieur Periné.