<\/p>\n
To hear reparto in Havana, you don\u2019t have to go far.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s playing in every taxi, every caf\u00e9 lining La Habana Vieja, on Friday nights at Don Cangrejo and Saturday mornings at Mio y Tuyo. A homemade mix of reggaeton and traditional Cuban rhythms, it\u2019s the preeminent soundtrack of Cuba today \u2014 and it\u2019s continued surging from the island\u2019s barrios.<\/p>\n
More from Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/p>\n In Spanish, \u201creparto\u201d means \u00addifferent things. Usually, the word can mean \u201callocating\u201d or \u201cdividing and sharing.\u201d In Cuba, it\u2019s also a slang term that describes working-class neighborhoods on the outskirts of Havana \u2014 residential communities marked by hardship, crumbling buildings, and \u00adconstant shortages. It\u2019s in these districts, through artists like Wampi and Wildey, that reparto finds new meaning.<\/p>\n Reparto is rooted in timba, a classic Cuban sound that exploded in the Nineties and fuses Cuban son, salsa, funk, Afro-Cuban folkloric music, and jazz into an improvisational hybrid. Reparto builds on this intricacy by blending reggaeton beats with its signature clave rhythmic pattern.<\/p>\n \u201cReparto is the streets, the neighborhood, brought to musical form,\u201d says Wampi, whose real name is Dasiel Mustelier Oru\u00f1a. \u201cIt\u2019s music for people to have fun and dance.\u201d The 22\u2011year\u2011old has more than 200 million plays on YouTube and Spotify, with hits like \u201cPor Ustedes (Pornosotros 2)\u201d and \u201cTienes Que Nacer de Nuevo.\u201d These numbers are likely an underestimation, though. In a country with state\u2011sanctioned and spontaneous power outages almost daily, heavily limited internet, and platforms like Spotify fully restricted, reparto didn\u2019t take hold of Cuba through radio waves or record deals. The genre grew through messaging apps like Telegram and illicit networks like el paquete<\/em> \u2014 the packet\u00a0\u2014 a system where content is shared weekly via flash drives. Through USBs passed by hand, through cell phone speakers on crowded buses, through late-night parties backdropped by the sea, in the repartos, fiery and rampant, the genre made its name.<\/p>\n Outside his own home, a bright blue house in the remote borough of Arroyo Naranjo, Mustelier Oru\u00f1a\u2019s music seeps through windows, wafting out of neighboring living rooms and kitchens. \u201cWith all of the problems, the fula<\/em> situations that exist in Cuba, reparto is an escape for people from the streets. They can escape through a reparto track, it brings them joy and makes them feel represented,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Others note that reparto\u2019s richness comes from its roots in real life. The Afro-Cuban musician Cimafunk, whose real name is Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodr\u00edguez, has watched reparto take off while launching his own global career with funk and hip-hop sounds. Taking updated headshots on a balmy Havana Sunday, he stands chin-up in the center of a white, floor-to-ceiling backdrop, shirtless under a fur vest paired with satin bell bottoms, wide sunglasses, and a choker. On his dressing room table, there are six more pairs of sunglasses. Between photos, he chugs beer out of a plastic cup, changes outfits without closing the curtain, and answers questions.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about music,\u201d the three-time Grammy nominee and recent Coachella performer jokes. \u201cPut in the article: \u2018This is Cimafunk\u2019s personal opinion. Any contradictions, that\u2019s your problem.\u2019 Just like that.\u201d He keeps going \u201cReparto is an attitude and a way of life. That\u2019s why people say, \u2018You\u2019re a repartero,<\/em>\u2019 \u2018You\u2019re a repartera<\/em>\u2019 \u2014 it\u2019s a lifestyle. I think in Cuba, practically everyone is a repartero<\/em>. The people in the streets are constantly creating, because they\u2019re constantly living.\u201d<\/p>\n ONE OF MUSTELIER Oru\u00f1a\u2019s biggest hits \u201cPor Ustedes (Pornosotros 2)\u201d samples \u201cMambo Influenciado,\u201d a track by the legendary Cuban band Irakere that showcases the interplay between Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation. On past tracks, Mustelier Oru\u00f1a has collaborated with former boxer and fellow reparto artist Wildeys Garc\u00eda Cascaret, known simply as Wildey. Cascaret credits the Cuban group Gente de Zona for the style, but says it truly formed when artists like Elvis Manuel and Chocolate MC laced their lyrics with Cuban slang, reflecting \u201chow people talk in the repartos.\u201d<\/p>\n From competitive boxer to chart-topping musician, Cascaret\u00a0 came from the streets and achieved fame fast, like reparto itself. He\u2019s become one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary Cuban urban music, with unrestrained lyrics and vocals that continue resonating with audiences across the island and beyond. \u201cWhen I was 15, I started singing as a hobby, I made a super banger, and that\u2019s how it went. I\u2019ve been a person with a lot of luck in this world of music,\u201d he says, slouching into a plastic chair and clutching a pink vape.<\/p>\n During his boxing career, in his free time he formed the group Ire Oma with fellow repartero Harryson. The music video for their hit single \u201cP6P9\u201d \u2014 named after two Cuban buses \u2014 reached over a million views, catapulting their musical careers. Although the group separated around a year later, Wildey found success in his solo career, gaining international recognition for his songs \u201cTengo Money\u201d and \u201cNormalmente.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything that happens in the neighborhoods is reparto,\u201d he says. Reparto music embodies their experiences, struggles, and aspirations. The sound is characterized by raunchy, self-referential lyrics sprinkled with hyperspecific jargon and layered entendres.<\/p>\n Some reparto critics, however,\u00a0 take issue with the genre\u2019s explicit nature. When Irakere won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1980 with their self-titled album, they faced similar backlash. The band\u2019s drummer, Enrique Pl\u00e1 Garc\u00eda, notes that it\u2019s all part of the vibe: \u201cIn terms of style, so that the groove hits, sometimes it has to be lightly vulgar, and not everyone is gonna like that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n His advice? \u201cTry to find the equilibrium between the streets and academia. Never turn your back to either, but find the balance.\u201d Rodr\u00edguez offers a different solution: \u201cIt would be good if women would do the same thing too. We need more women making reparto. That\u2019s what\u2019s missing in this genre \u2014 more reparteras<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s bad is when there\u2019s aggression, when there\u2019s possession, when there\u2019s machismo,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez\u00a0 says. \u201cTalking about sexuality is necessary. What\u2019s bad is the aggression that comes with that, when you say, \u2018You\u2019re a she-devil<\/em>, you\u2019re a slut<\/em>, you\u2019re a bitch<\/em>,\u2019 you know?\u2026. When it gains popularity, you have to be careful because a lot of people will listen to it. Little kids will listen to it, little girls will listen, so they\u2019ll grow up thinking that that\u2019s what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n Rodr\u00edguez supports artists like Mustelier Oru\u00f1a, who writes sexual lyrics that avoid misogyny.\u00a0 \u201cTo me, that\u2019s the most intelligent thing to do \u2014 to start cleaning up the texts, to not speak badly about women, to not speak badly about anyone,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says. \u201cThere\u2019s no necessity for that. What he\u2019s doing, in order to bring it to the world, is perfect, and people feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n Distinguished from others by his years of classical training studying saxophone at Cuba\u2019s National School of Music, Mustelier Oru\u00f1a stands among a new generation of artists pushing the genre forward.\u00a0 His album, titled El Rey de Habana<\/em>, signifies his shift away from what\u2019s typically recognized as reparto, fusing R&B, Brazilian funk, Jersey club, Afrobeats, and reggaeton. \u201cThis album means that, reparto is not just a style, it\u2019s not just a rhythmic cell. Reparto is not just the clave and bombo with a bunch of old people. For me, it goes a lot further than that, because in reality, the base of reparto is Afro-Cuban,\u201d he says, as his mom, with a silent smile, places a juice box within reach.<\/p>\n El Rey de Habana<\/em> features collaborations with Latin artists spanning generations, including classic Cuban band Los Van Van, Haitian DJ Micha\u00ebl Brun, and Cuban singer Leoni Torres. Mustelier Oru\u00f1a\u2019s second collaboration with Rodr\u00edguez, released in August as a single titled \u201cQue Bola,\u201d strips their usually jargon-heavy lyrics to just one phrase. Likely the most common saying in Cuba, \u201casere, que bol\u00e1\u201d is essentially the Cuban way of saying, \u201cbro, what\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an experiment so people around the world learn Cuban slang through the music,\u201d Mustelier Oru\u00f1a says. His departure from identifying characteristics of reparto in favor of simplified beats and lyrics may help broaden his audience and boost success abroad.<\/p>\n Despite the criticism, economic struggle, and internet restrictions artists face back home, reparto has been gaining international traction. With tours abroad becoming increasingly common, the genre\u2019s reach now extends to the Cuban diaspora. At the end of 2024, repartero Bebeshito made history by filling Miami\u2019s Pitbull Stadium with nearly 20,000 fans. Nine-year-old Valentina Alfonso Puente, a Cuban American fan, almost fainted with excitement: \u201cI\u2019m literally shaking. I\u2019ve been dying to see him. He\u2019s my favorite singer.\u201d<\/p>\n In true Cuban fashion, the concert starts four hours late. The venue fills with thousands of red and blue lights. Fans don glowing bracelets and stomp in unison, shaking the ground and chanting in an engulfing display of Cuban-American pride. Bebeshito pauses and the audience sings his lyrics back, their voices resonating even louder than the singers\u2019 vocals. On the way, an Uber driver complained about traffic, completely unaware of what was unfolding around the corner.<\/p>\n Just as the word encompasses different meanings, reparto\u2019s story is nuanced. It\u2019s a sound born in areas wracked by poverty, yet it pulses with an irrepressible joy. It\u2019s a reminder that reinvention is as much a part of Cuban culture as rhythm itself.<\/p>\n This story is part of our Nuevos Futuros series celebrating Latin music and Latin heritage. Read more here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Best of Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for RollingStone’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To hear reparto in Havana, you don\u2019t have to go far. It\u2019s playing in every taxi, every caf\u00e9 lining La Habana Vieja, on Friday nights at Don Cangrejo and Saturday mornings at Mio y Tuyo. A homemade mix of reggaeton and traditional Cuban rhythms, it\u2019s the preeminent soundtrack of Cuba today \u2014 and it\u2019s continued […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2049114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[379083,380266,380264,380263,380265,380267],"class_list":["post-2049113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-cuba","tag-dasiel-mustelier-oruna","tag-erik-alejandro-iglesias-rodriguez","tag-la-habana-vieja","tag-mustelier-oruna","tag-reparto"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/How-Reparto-Became-the-Heartbeat-of-Cuba.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2049113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2049114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2049113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2049113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2049113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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