Why Old Mambi? Look, boy, I ' m the reincarnation of an old mambi [ id est: a guerrilla Cuban independence soldier who fought against Spain ]. As machete, I use the lyrics of my songs. They fight for freedom just like my mambi forefathers did.
And why do you perform hip hop? It ' s rather underground rap, as we use to name it around here. It is not broadcast on TV, but it is the true rap, coming from the street. And if someone must perform, it is me, because hip hop allows me to say what I feel and I feel accomplished when I say what I think by rapping like a machine gun.
When did you start your career? How many records do you have already? I started it around 2008, and I already have four albums with more than ten songs each: That ' s me, Crude Realities, As in the 90 ' s and Call for Fighting. I ' m about to finish the fifth one, which I will entitle Another Dawn. I have not finished it due to lack of budget.
How do you produce your recordings or albums? I make my recordings with private producers, buddy, in small independent studios with DJs that play the music from their computers, but all the lyrics are mine.
Does the radio promote you? Have you ever participated in events outside your province? Well, one of my songs was played on the radio: " In your silence lies mine." I wrote it for a female friend of mine, but the radio station did not release my name. They mentioned another author. What amazing! I have shared the stage at the Caribbean House in Santiago de Cuba with Eskecher, a native from there, and in Bayamo with The Invader. They are both pretty good at what they do.
And what about your performances at the Hermanos Saíz Association? Do they let you sing freely? They always let me in and sing. It is the only institution that has opened the doors for me and I haven’ t had problems because of that, but always before the performance, they make me clear that harsh topics are forbidden. I should abstain from going deeper in my criticism against the government or the society, and I can’ t speak loud and clear, because I will immediately remove from the stage and get in trouble. I have already been marked by a serious problem in my life, but instead of getting me away from the stage, it made me feel more than ever that I must keep on doing what I do.
What problem was that? About five years ago, the police stopped me with a bang during a performance very late at night. I was handcuffed and taken to the Ministry of Interior Headquarters to face criminal charges. Three days later, I left the dungeon accused of Disobedience. I appeared in court and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and a 200-pesos fine. All this because certain individual did not like my lyrics, which only provided the truth of my people and my crowd. That ' s why I have a criminal record.
Have they taken any other action against you? To begin with, I will tell you that I can’ t find a steady work anywhere to help my family. Every now and then, they make inquiries in my neighborhood or at my mother’ s workplace. Everyone is asked about me, but nobody asks me anything. I graduated in both computer science and gastronomy, but in vain, because there is no job for me in this country. It seems that I am no longer a person in this society.
Many cases like this arouse admiration for the courage of having nothing but
85