Lis Cuesta: Championing Cuba's Urban Music Scene

Lis Cuesta Peraza, who is married to Cuba's leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and serves as the "events director" for the Ministry of Culture, has sparked surprise by participating in a theoretical discussion about the "reparto" musical genre. This event was organized by the magazine Temas and has drawn attention within official circles.

Beyond the shock among both insiders and outsiders, Cuesta's presence at this government-aligned debate highlights one of the Cuban regime's greatest contradictions: its sudden embrace of a musical genre it previously deemed vulgar and detrimental to national culture. Astonishingly, reparto is now considered cultural, and Cuesta, known for her distinct eloquence and style, contributed to the debate on "Reparto and Social Controversy," reflecting on this musical phenomenon.

"This genre, emerging from the neighborhoods, evolves from the best of our resistance culture but also mirrors a gap in musical offerings that young people and teenagers are eager to consume, especially those that encourage group connection and intense dance rhythms," she emphasized. Furthermore, according to Temas, Díaz-Canel's wife pointed out the originality of the phrases and expressions that reparto derives from Cuban culture, as well as the historical contradiction of cultural institutions that ignored this phenomenon for over a decade.

Critiquing her husband's government's "cultural policies," Cuesta also addressed the lack of programming and strategy to tackle the reparto phenomenon. She noted the paradox between its growing popularity on digital platforms and its organized expansion both nationally and internationally, contrasted with rhythmic validation and its role as an expression of social resistance.

The audience, attending on Thursday, January 30, at the Temas magazine headquarters, applauded the "unofficial first lady" for her profound wisdom in distinguishing the rhythmic and lyrical nuances of songs like "Bajanda" and "Guachineo," by the renowned Chocolate MC.

The Evolution of Reparto Music in Cuba

Not long ago, reggaeton and its offshoot, reparto, were demonized by cultural bodies in Cuba. Official platforms accused it of vulgarity, promoting "incorrect" values, and being a degeneration of Cuban music. Let's not forget that in 2012, state media like Granma published headlines such as "Vulgarity in Our Music: A Choice of the Cuban People?" and "Cuban Intellectuals Demand a Halt to Vulgarities and Sexism in Music."

During those years, there were threats of regulations against the broadcast of these genres on radio and television, and campaigns were launched to counter their influence on the youth. But how times have changed! Now that reparto has solidified itself as the soundtrack of Cuban youth, the government, in its desperate attempt to connect with an increasingly disillusioned populace, has decided that perhaps it's not so bad after all. And so, in 2024, we find Cuesta Peraza at a theoretical event on the genre, sitting alongside historians and musicologists, discussing its cultural significance. Because if you can't beat them, join the party. Or as Osmani García, another notable genre icon, would say: "open your mouth, swallow it all."

Lis Cuesta: From "Mango" to Dance Floor Diva

Lis Cuesta's transformation into a champion of reparto is an irony worth celebrating. If anyone embodies the aesthetics and spirit of this genre, it is her. Remember, the "unofficial first lady" has been a trending topic on social media for her carefree style and unfiltered language.

Her posts calling Díaz-Canel a "mango," her outbursts on social media, dancing for the "dictator of her heart," or her offbeat comments have made her a somewhat parodic figure in Cuba's political scene. And what about her moments on the dance floor? From videos of her dancing casino with her husband in New York to more recent ones where they both end up partying at official gatherings, it's clear Cuesta Peraza can "get down" with popular music.

And if in doubt, ask the elite who attended the private party in 2018 at Rancho Palco restaurant in the Siboney neighborhood of Havana, celebrating the wedding of the late commander Juan Almeida Bosque's daughter. The "unofficial first lady's" antics made history.

Seeing her at a theoretical event about reparto is not just anecdotal but confirms that Cuba's official culture is making unexpected turns, even if it means swallowing years of criticism.

The Regime's New Dance with Urban Music

Beyond Lis Cuesta's presence, this event illustrates the Cuban regime's strategic shift regarding urban music. Instead of censoring reparto, they now prefer to integrate it into official discourse and find ways to use it as a political tool. Díaz-Canel had already tried connecting with the people by playing drums or dancing a nengón in Guantánamo after Hurricane Oscar. Now, it's his wife participating in debates about reparto, legitimizing it within institutional cultural spaces.

But let's not be fooled: this acceptance is selective. While the government tries to appropriate the narrative of reparto, censorship and repression remain against certain urban artists who do not align with their discourse.

The Cultural Hypocrisy of "Continuity"

The case of reparto is just another example of the cultural hypocrisy of Díaz-Canel's "continuity." What they condemned yesterday, they celebrate today; what was once vulgar and undesirable is now the subject of academic debates. The opportunism with which they have adopted this music reveals a lack of coherence and a desperate attempt to stay relevant in a society paying less and less attention to them.

So, if the Cuban regime has decided to become "repartero," don't be surprised if at the next official event we see Díaz-Canel on stage, wildly dancing to "Pa la pinga," while his wife lets loose doing twerking with “Marca mandarina.”