Que Pasa: Tell us how Kid Afrika began. How did you get your first break?

Kid Afrika: I had some success in my home country and was well known on the Havana Hip Hop scene. I won first prize for popularity in the National Festival of Hip Hop in 1997 with my band Bajo Mundo and went on to become the first rapper to work with the 16 piece Salsa band Orchestra de la Caridad. We supported some of the Island's most talented and famous acts, but I suppose I consider my first real break to be the opportunity to travel and work outside the confines of Cuba.

Que Pasa: Where did the name Kid Afrika come from?

Kid Afrika: It is the name of a character in a book by author William Gibson. It was actually suggested to me by my producer Dan Parry who had always thought it sounded like a great name for a band. When we eventually met up and started working together and were looking for a name for the project, I liked the fact that it linked into the Afro-Cuban side of my culture but didn't categorise me too much. It sounds very global and international, which is the direction we wanted to take the music.. Obviously my 'Cubaness' plays a big part of my lyrics and influences, but I wanted to make an album that would appeal to everyone, not just to Latin music fans.

Que Pasa: After 13 years in the music industry, why do you think it is now that your career is really taking off?

Kid Afrika: Hard work, focus, dedication and sacrifice! I have a fantastic team of people behind me now from the producers I have been working with, the musicians in my band, the support that I have had from promoters and DJs to my wife, who looks after my design and website and generally keeps me organised. It is not just one thing but the combination of all these factors, with a little bit of luck thrown in as well!.

Que Pasa: You have a unique rapping style. What are your influences?

Kid Afrika: Busta Rhymes, Bone Thugs 'n Harmony and Big Punisher are artists that I admire very much. They have all had an influence on my music in some way.

Que Pasa: Originally from Havana, you are now based in London. What made you decide to leave Cuba and work on your music career in London?

Kid Afrika: London was always a dream for me and when I met my wife in Cuba and had the opportunity to come here, it felt like everything I had worked for was finally coming together. It was obviously very hard to leave my family behind as I was the only man in our house and carried the responsibility of providing for them, but the opportunities to develop that London presented made the sacrifice worth it. You have to be very focussed here and I know what I want and where I am aiming, I have been very lucky to have the love and support of my family, helping and encouraging me every step of the way.

Que Pasa: What is the Hip Hop scene like in Cuba?

Kid Afrika: Very competitive! There is a lot of raw talent and 'a hunger to be heard' and Hip Hop is a great vehicle to express your thoughts, frustrations, hopes and dreams. The whole pace and way of life in Cuba gives you lot of time to develop and explore your talents, but the frustrations, struggles and lack of opportunities that it also brings, needs to be voiced and Hip Hop seems to have become that voice.

Que Pasa: The Cuban government has always been actively opposed to Hip Hop or any non-Cuban music. How have so many Cuban rappers found it possible to break through?

Kid Afrika: The Orishas were the first band to properly break into the worldwide market. They were growing up in Havana at the same time as when I started rapping. We shared the same stage at many events and we were big rivals at that time. They were lucky enough to have the chance of travelling and taking Cuban Hip Hop to a much wider audience. I am very proud of what they have achieved and it has been of benefit to us all. The tragedy is that to make any kind of real breakthrough, you have to first leave the country that gave birth to you behind, in order be properly recognised and appreciated as an artist.

Que Pasa: There are so many Cuban rappers emerging right now. What makes you different from the rest?

Kid Afrika: My rapping style is completely different. I have very versatile flow which has allowed me to develop many different vibes whilst creating my own unique stamp. I also have a great energy on the stage. I love to perform and work very hard at making the audience feel what I am doing, I do every performance as if it were my last. Music is all about communication. It's no good making great music if nobody is listening. You need to grab their attention and make them remember you.

Que Pasa: What got you interested in Hip Hop in the first place?

Kid Afrika: I started writing poetry when I was young, so it seemed a like a natural progression.

Que Pasa: Your debut album is out now. What can the listener expect from it?

Kid Afrika: Salsa, Hip Hop, Reggaeton, Afro-Cuban, even some Dancehall and Ragga. There are some catchy pop songs, some down and dirty tracks, some songs to dance to and even to cry to. I know that this sounds like a cliché but there really is something for everyone.

Que Pasa: What is your favourite track from the album and why?

Kid Afrika: My favourite track is Machaka for a whole host of reasons. Firstly, it feels that we managed to capture the essence and flavour of Cuba in that song. It was also the first track that I recorded in London that really focussed on the direction of where I wanted my music to go. It was the first track to be signed as a single by the Spanish record label Blanco y Negro and, lastly, I just love performing it live. It is usually the song that I open with as it has such a raw, explosive energy about it. It grabs people's attention from the first note and has them up and dancing to the end. Madre is also very special to me. It is a song I wrote in dedication to my mother, the story of how I left Cuba without the opportunity to say goodbye and promising that one day I will return . . . In fact, this has since been realised when I had the opportunity to go to Havana earlier this year to make a video for a track I did with Sandy Lamb for A&G Records entitled Let's Go Crazy. All of my family and friends feature in the street party scene at the end of the video. It was the perfect celebration for my homecoming.

Que Pasa: You have performed in several clubs and festivals in London. Where do you plan to perform next?

Kid Afrika: I am really hoping to be able to take my live show to Europe. I have done several gigs there now and my next ambition is to be able to play at some of the bigger European festival. There seems to be a quite a lot of support for the Latin music scene in places like Italy, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia, and some of them attract really huge audiences.

Que Pasa: Which do you prefer: performing or recording?

Kid Afrika: They are so completely different disciplines that it is hard to compare. I love the creative writing and recording process but the huge high that you get doing live performances is pretty hard to beat. When I go out on stage, I am there to give the crowd my best. It is my job to connect with them. It can sometimes be very hard work but the rewards are immediate and massive. I obviously have the added language barrier to overcome, but that just made me find other ways to communicate with my audience. I have to make them feel the groove without necessarily understanding all that I am saying. But I have found that if you can make people dance, language knows no barriers.

Que Pasa: What do you think of the Latin music scene in London?

Kid Afrika: It is very focussed on Salsa and Reggaeton. Don't get me wrong as I love both, I am Cuban so Salsa is in my blood, but sometimes I do get frustrated that the Latin scene in London doesn't seem very interested in anything else. Also the dance clubs are full but the concert halls are empty. It is very hard and expensive for promoters to put on big, musician heavy Salsa bands, but for the music and dance to survive, we need to support live music and the huge wealth of talent there is out there. Otherwise it will die.

Que Pasa: Do you think it has an influence on your sound?

Kid Afrika: Not so much the Latin, but the London scene definately. How could it not with such an exciting fusion of cultures, influences and creativity.

Que Pasa: You recently took part in 50 Cent's video 'Hustlers Ambition'. How did that come about?

Kid Afrika: I am not sure why they decided to shoot the video in London. I think 50 Cent may have been over here performing at the time. I just got a call from the casting agency and of course jumped at the chance of an opportunity to see such a huge star in action. I'm a big fan of his and it was great fun to do. I even came home with the pair of G Unit trainers I was promoting in the clip, given to me by the director as a thank you for my enthusiasm.

Que Pasa: You have been featured on various compilations. How does it feel to have one fo your tracks featured on a compilation album?

Kid Afrika: It's a fantastic opportunity to get your music heard by a much wider audience than you could ever hope to with your own CD. It's also a huge thrill to see your name appearing next to some of the most successful Latin acts in the business. I never imagined to see my tracks alongside such legendary names as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Daddy Yankee, Candyman, Julio Voltio and Tego Calderone. I still get a buzz every time I look at them.

Que Pasa: Three of your songs feature on MTV's feature film soundtrack for the Staying Alive/Aids Awareness campaign called Transit. How did you get involved in it?

Kid Afrika: It was a complete accident! The film is set on location in LA, Nairobi, St Petersburg and Mexico City. Zound studios in London, who were composing the original soundtrack to the film, needed some Spanish translation and somebody suggested me. Before I knew it, I was in a taxi, they were listening to my music and I was straight into the studio writing and recording that same day. They hadn't planned to use a rapper at all, so that chance meeting took the music in a whole new direction for them,

Que Pasa: You have collaborated with various British and Cuban musicians. Who have they been?

Kid Afrika: I did a track on my new album with Cuban Salsero, George Peguero. I regularly guest live with London based Latin-Jazz-Funk band Motimba. I have recently been working on some tracks with the massively talented Hanavision Productionz team of Dreadlox Holmes and Heidi, whose great philosophy is that 'it's not about the genre but about the MUSIC''. I am also at the moment working on a project entitled Cuban SOS - Red Smoke Family, which plans to bring all of the best Cuban talents here in London together on one album.

Que Pasa: Who would you like to work with in the future?

Kid Afrika: With as many artists as I possibly can! I was given very good advice when I first arrived in London not to get tied down and to work on as many projects and collaborations as I could. There is an overwhelming talent of musicians and producers here in the UK and as an artist I want to keep learning, developing and moving forward.

Que Pasa: Are you planning to take your music to America?

Kid Afrika: I would love to take my music to the States. There is such a huge market there for Latino Hip Hop, which is now finally being recognised and catered for. Unfortunately under the current political climate, relations between Cuba and the USA government are still pretty hostile, so getting a visa is virtually impossible for Cuban citizens. Who knows? Perhaps that will change sometime in the future and I will get my opportunity...

You can check out Kid Afrika's music and buy his album at www.kidafrika.com

REVIEW

A ROCKING GOOD SALSA CHRISTMAS PARTY… IN THE CITY

Saturday 16 December 2006

Latin Square Havana, 43/45 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, London, EC1

You would have seen our adverts for Que Pasa's pre-Christmas salsa party In the City. The day finally came and we were pleased to see you all there. The venue this year was Latin Square Havana in Farringdon, London. This little piece of Cuba brings Latin flavour to an area known as newspaper central. Usually frequented by city types on Friday and Saturday nights, getting down to Latin sounds and RnB after a hard day's work, hardcore salsa lovers took over the basement for this night. DJ Ronnie Raul spun the best in Salsa, the music styles of the moment Reggaeton and Bachata, dancehall and of course the summer hit from Shakira ‘Hips Don’t Lie’. The audience packed the dance-floor, dancing expertly, with ears pleased by the sounds from the speakers.

The highlight of the evening came when Havana's very own rapper Kid Afrika performed. Used to much larger crowds, it was a gift to experience Kid Afrika live in such an intimate way. The audience surrounded the rapper, some dancing Salsa to his raps. He performed the popular Machaka and Yemaya, hot from the release of his debut album. Kid Afrika is an energetic performer, with a quality gained from much experience performing. He showed off the skills that have earned him the reputation as one of the best rappers to come from Cuban soil. After the performance, the music resumed, accompanied by more dancing. The night closed with Bachata music. The revellers shouted for an encore from the DJ but time was up. We made our way home, having thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Giorgina Nicoli Brought to you by “SALSA FACTORY PRODUCTIONS”