Orishas

Orishas is a hip-hop group whose members had emigrated from Cuba. They were first called the “Amenaza” meaning "menace" and appealed to the Cuban youth who were hungry for American pop culture which consisted of hip hop and rap. The Orishas delved into a realm of music in which they challenged “Castro’s ideal of a colorless society” and created a black identity that the younger generations could relate to. They tackled important and obvious issues that dark skinned Cubans faced everyday though the government refused to recognize. Their music describes social problems on the peripheries of Havana which were largely a result of the end of Soviet subsidies to Cuba in the early 1990s.

The group is very popular in Europe (especially France and Spain) and Latin America. Yotuel and Ruzzo, two Cubans who moved from Havana to Paris as part of an international studies program, joined Roldan and Flaco-Pro to form the band in 1999. Their work is influenced by the hip-hop movement as well as both Latin and Cuban rhythms. As of May 2008, they have produced a total of 3 studio albums and a greatest hits album.