Hip Hop Night at Barbaran

It’s hip hop night at Barbaran and it is hoppin’. For one CUC you can watch a lively hip hop show that gets everyone singing and jumping. The club was packed with hip hop fans and we were among them. The club is owned by the Cuban hip hop group Los Aldeanos. By owning the building, they are able to perform, otherwise they would be censored by the government. Some of the guest artists had been busted several times in the past for being too political in their lyrics. I couldn’t understand everything the singers were saying, but I could tell that their ideas are radical, moving and by the reactions of the audience, they are speaking for a large crowd. It is interesting to hear them and see this part of the culture that has grown so much over the years despite the government trying to stop it. Hip hop in Cuba has become one of the favorite genres of music and almost everyone has heard of and likes the artists. We even got to meet most of the artists because even though they are famous all over Cuba and internationally in some cases, they are very close to their fans and mingle with everyone after performing. It was great to meet them and be a part of that night and hopefully we will go back again.