I first heard the name Cimafunk in the West End Latin club where I DJ on weekends. Requests began pouring in from the dance floor: ‘everyone is listening to this guy in Cuba!’ Rather jaded and (admittedly) distrustful as I am of newly returned ‘Cuba converts,’ I dismissed the requests, but took the name down neverthless. On Monday (my weekend), I checked the dude out: neither Reggaeton nor Salsa, there was a freshness I hadn’t heard from Cuba since Irakere. I immediately requested an interview.
There is very little written in English about Cimafunk, apart from one citation from Billboard magazine as one of the 10 new artists to look out for in 2019. Cubans describe Cimafunk as a ‘cimarrón’, a free being, a pilgrim in search of new musical miscegenation.
Cuban artists have always had a natural connection to African music. And Cima Funk continues this tradition, but also looks firmly into the future, fuelled by the power of pure Groove. His debut album Terápia and electric live shows have ambushed audiences from Havana and New York to Madrid and Paris. Since his world tour will likely be cancelled this year, and we’ll have to wait till next, I wanted to know more about this guy!
Jose Luis Seijas: So, before anything else…where does your name come from?
Cimafunk: The Cima part comes from Cimarrónes, who were the black rebels who escaped from slavery in Cuba. They went into hiding and created communities, away from the Spanish rulers, free men who created their own destiny, their own aesthetics. You would find people from different tribes and that, to my understanding, started to generate a new Afro-Cuban identity. I was always interested in that as my great-great-grandfather came from Nigeria so it was something very latent in my heritage. And the Funk, well I am just a mega fan of the whole Funk music movement, not just the music but the visual aspect too.
JLS: It’s refreshing to discover new Cuban dance music that is neither Timba nor Reggaeton, that is popular inside the island as well. How hard was it to get on break through in the industry?
CF: Well when everyone is going in one direction and you are going another direction you have an advantage of at least getting attention. People are always looking for something new and fresh. There was already some sounds similar to what I am doing, not exactly the same but in Cuba there is always a lot of music, all types. The hardest thing is always how you get organized, to create your promotional campaign and get the music heard, because when people actually get to listen to your music then they just have to like it, support and share it. That was the case with me anyway, there was some simplicity, because people liked it.
JLS: When I was researching about you, there was hardly any information about you in English but I found an article from Billboard 2018, mentioning you as one of the artists to watch out in 2019, not an easy achievement if we see the huge amount of new music made. Do you feel the weight of carrying new Cuban music to new territories?
CM: It was super cool to be part of that list but I don't feel any weight on my shoulders. My worries are to deliver on the daily basis, making sure I'm making the music I want to make and the accolades are always welcome but never trouble me. It shows that working hard pays off…I live and work in Cuba, that is my territory and my focus and I am getting international attention, so it shows that working from the island you can get your music heard abroad, so this is like an injection of self-esteem for us Cuban artists working in Cuba, so we can now get to places where before we thought we could not reach. So that for me is even more important than the recognition, the fact that in Cuba something juicy is cooking and I'm glad to be part of it!
JLS: Cuba is going trough a very deep crisis as we speak, similar to the "special period", which somehow saw one of the most fertile times for music creation in the island. How is your creative process under such circumstances?
CF: I come from the countryside, from a poor family who got educated and became professionals with surgeons and doctors and all that, but still from a humble background. I never really lacked anything, of course I would not have money to buy certain things but it was never a drama. What I do remember is happiness in my life. When I started professionally in music, I did not have a whole bunch of things that I have now but it was not an issue for me. I don't have a partner or kids so maybe that made things easier; I was able to focus on the creative process. One day I tried to write and I wrote. My music is what I live: fiesta, sex, food, happiness...because I try to live my life like that, enjoying the simple things. If you are healthy and you are not living in a war-zone; then there is no reason not to be positive. And yes, I think there is an explosion of creativity in Cuba; a lot of new alternative music, funk, rock. Society may have its ups and downs but music is a always a necessity in Cuba.
JLS: Being a Funk fanatic, who were your music influences?
CF: On the funk side, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic...Prince (a lot of him!) The Brothers Johnson. On the Cuban side, Irakere, NG La Banda, I always listened to what the Timba bands were doing. Interactivo was also a Cuban band that I was always listening to! Rey Fernandez was the fist alternative troubadour I heard making danceable music. And then obviously the more traditional Cuban artists such as Rolando Laserie, Bola de Nieve, and of course Benny More.
JLS: So what collaborations you would like to do now that new doors are opening for you?
CF: From Cuba I would really like to work with Chucho Valdez and Omara Portuodo (this interview was made before Cimafunk recorded the now released El Potaje featuring Omara Portuondo, Chucho Valdés, Pancho Amat & Orquesta Aragón). Outside Cuban the Kuti, Maceo Parker, Chocquibtown…there are a lot of people I would like to work with!
JLS: So your first album is out and doing really well, what are your immediate plans?
CF: Right now I'm doing the Terápia songs, which is an album that I i first produced in my own house with a little sound card and a couple of small speakers, so in terms of recording quality we are talking about less than 1%! I'm re-arranging some of those songs with a better quality and new songs too as I'm getting properly involved in producing the next album. Terápia is an album that not many people now but I like it a lot so I will keep playing those songs live so more people get to know them.
CimaFunk plays at the Jazz Cafe July 28th tickets here https://latinolife.co.uk/event/cimafunk
