Cimafunk is the alter ego of Cuban-born singer, composer and producer Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodriguez, who is known for mixing funk and hip hop with Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. The first part of his stage name Cimafunk refers to the cimarrón, Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped enslavement. The second part refers to the music that gives the Afro-Cuban rock star the freedom to innovate with rhythm, groove and party music. On his acclaimed album
El Alimento from 2021 Cimafunk collaborated with well-known names such as George Clinton, Lupe Fiasco and CeeLo Green. Chucho Valdés, legend of Afro-Cuban jazz, sang his praises and in Cuba itself, Cimafunk is also embraced by millennials who draw hope from the way he honors his African and Latino roots as well as American showmanship. His latest album,
Pa' Tu Cuerpa, was released last year.
