"Orishas started with me and Ruzzo in a group called Amenaza," said Yotuel. "We were one of the first rap groups to get popular in Cuba, so we were invited to perform at a hip-hop festival in Paris. That's where we met Miko Niko and Roldán."
Miko Niko, a French producer who had been sampling Latin sounds, proposed the idea of forming a rap group that used live instrumentation and featured a traditional Cuban singer. Niko convinced Roldán, a Cuban vocalist and classical guitar player, to join the Orishas, despite the fact he had no previous experience or interest in hip-hop. Yotuel and Ruzzo begrudgingly decided to leave Cuba in order to pursue a career in Europe.
In 2000, the Orishas released their groundbreaking debut, A Lo Cubano. The album featured a hip-hop remix of Compay Segundo's classic "Chan Chan," called "537 C.U.B.A." Despite grumblings from purists like Cooder, who heard nothing but a bastardization, Segundo himself loved the Orishas' version. "For me it's the best interpretation," said Segundo, "because it's real without being nostalgic, it gives the song new life."
The debut album sold over 500,000 copies, sending the Orishas out on a hectic tour around the world. While A Lo Cubano focused on the experience of growing up in Cuba, the Orishas' 2002 follow-up Emigrante dealt with the difficulties of living as an immigrant outside their homeland.
"I miss Cuba, I miss my family, my neighborhood, my roots," said Yotuel. "I grew up in Cuba. I'm happy to finally live outside of Cuba because now I have another perspective. In Cuba there's only two television channels, three radio stations, and one perspective."
In general, the Orishas avoid polemic issues of politics and prefer to focus on social issues. When asked how he feels about Cuban-Americans' criticism that the Orishas have not been sufficiently anti-Castro, Yotuel responded: "We don't want to mix politics with music. I don't know anything about politics, but I have things to say about social issues, about life in the streets. When you're a Cuban, people just want to talk about Castro. If I was a Mexican rapper, no one would be asking me about [Mexican president Vicente Fox."
Spring Break
