Alexis Díaz-Pimienta dedicates emotional words to El Taiger: "Cuba in the blood. And everything else, of course."

The Cuban writer and improviser Alexis Díaz-Pimienta dedicated heartfelt farewell words to the Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal, better known as El Taiger, following his death in Miami.

In his tribute, Díaz-Pimienta, who is a defender of reggaeton in Cuban music, highlights the qualities that turned the artist into a popular icon. He mentions his talent, charisma, and the ability to transcend with his art beyond the urban genre.

"The Taiger: Popular wisdom. Talent. Youth. Stage presence. Contagious smile. Popularity. Cuba in the blood." This is how Díaz-Pimienta begins the tribute, comparing the shock caused by El Taiger's death to that of great figures in Cuban music such as Benny Moré, Polo Montañez, and Juan Formell.

The repentista emphasizes that, just like these giants of music, El Taiger managed to win the hearts of the Cuban people, becoming a cultural reference of the island.

Díaz-Pimienta highlights his mastery of meter and the use of literary resources in songs like "Habla, matador," which quickly became popular among Cuban youth. The phrase, turned into a greeting among the youth, reflects the impact of his music on everyday speech, something that few artists achieve.

“Speak, matador.” All said without saying anything. “Killing the play” as an erotic-festive metaphor, a subtle complicit wink that makes you smile and feel it as your own from a transgressive yet polite agreement, said Díaz-Pimienta.

It also emphasizes the violent nature of El Taiger's death and the collective sadness it has caused in the Cuban people.

Comparing him to the percussionist Chano Pozo, who also died violently in the United States, the writer points out that El Taiger's death has led to a genuine musical mourning, without any industry behind it, just a shared pain among millions of followers and fellow artists.

"There is no 'industry of pain'; there is a pain of industrial dimensions," writes Díaz-Pimienta, mentioning the dedications of other Cuban artists like Cándido Fabré, Alexis Valdés, Lenier, and Chucho Valdés, who have paid tribute to the reggaeton artist through music.

The message concludes with a reflection on the essence of the artist that Cubans, both on and off the island, are mourning.

"The Taiger. The Matador. La Tranka. A young Cuban musician immortalized in a solid yet blurry image. That of a son so orphaned that he sang to gain more parents. That of a father so lonely that he sang to gain more children. That of a Cuban so Cuban that all the Cubas today mourn and sing for him at the same time."