Ronaldo Rodríguez, founder of the Cuban alternative music group Ronkalunga, is an artist who defies labels and stays true to his roots.
From Baracoa to the United States, her voice and music serve as a bridge between tradition and the contemporary. In this interview with CiberCuba, she discusses art, identity, and cultural resistance.
1. You are an artist who is difficult to categorize within a genre of Cuban music. How should I introduce you? Who is Ronaldo Rodríguez?
Ronaldo Rodríguez is a rural man from Cayogüín, Baracoa, who learned to sing before he could say a word. According to my grandmother, he could hum and hit the notes of the melodies my mother sang to me to help me sleep.
My love for Cuban music began by listening to the radio station CMDX "La Voz del Toa", where they played songs like "A Baracoa me voy," "Kiribá," and "Como baila Marieta."
I listened to all kinds of genres, changüí, nengón, bolero. Then came that line "She likes gasoline" and this reguetón movement that defined my generation. Those were my influences as a kid.
When I arrived in Santiago de Cuba to study Industrial Engineering at the Universidad de Oriente, I discovered a whole other world of music that I had been unaware of: Pedro Luis Ferrer, Carlos Varela, Roly Berrío, Frank Delgado, Rubén Blades, Joaquín Sabina, Polo Montañez, Polito Ibáñez, Síntesis, X Alfonso, Danay Suárez, Los Aldeanos, Bárbaro el Urbano Vargas, Calle 13, and much more.
I draw from all those genres. My songs and musical arrangements are also a blend of them. I’m like a child playing with different styles and influences to see what madness comes out.
One of the greatest compliments your songs receive is in the way you use double meanings. How important is this cheeky legacy of traditional Cuban music to you?
It is very important. In Cuba, there is double meaning in music because that is how Cubans express themselves. It is like the call of the peanut vendor, the ice cream snack, or the terms used in a game of dominoes. All of this is part of our Cuban identity.
Some say that double meanings belong to intelligent and mischievous people. Everyone wants to be branches, leaves, and fruit, but they forget that a tree with strong roots will grow back even if it's cut down. I have chosen to be more like the roots, with my fusion but from the foundation.
3. Ronkalunga blends trova, son, guaracha... How do they manage to maintain a coherent identity within such a rich and diverse mix of styles?
I maintain my identity, first and foremost because of the uniqueness of my voice. I didn't study music, but I produce and arrange all my songs.
Additionally, I work with the help of very talented musicians. They are the ones who perform the melodies, rhythms, and ideas that I have in my mind. That's why my music resembles me.
4. In times when explicit language dominates the landscape of Cuban music, you choose lyrics that incorporate humor, poetry, and social critique. Do you feel there is an audience weary of the vulgar?
Yes, I feel there is an audience tired of the vulgar, tired of hearing the same hit copied by different artists every year. A song goes viral, everyone copies that melody, and some even plagiarize it directly.
I believe that except for Chocolate MC, with all his originality and controversy as an artist, the rest of the reparteros have become popular by plagiarizing a trending song that has gained worldwide recognition.
In recent years, there are major international stars who have popularized this style of singing with autotune, making it difficult to understand even half of what they say. Singing pornography, violence, and all this garbage is becoming normalized.
However, there are managers who have forced their artists to change direction, seeing that there are increasingly negative comments on social media regarding this harmful music. Nothing is permanent in this world, not even bad taste.
You began singing as a child, driven by genuine passion. What inspires you to continue in this competitive world, where the most talented groups don’t always succeed?
I love music. Singing is an extension of my being, something that has accompanied me since I was born. Only with love can I endure the frustration and the weight of wanting to share my art with the world, especially when people seem somewhat deaf amidst all the noise.
I am inspired by the support of my family and friends, who have put a piece of their hearts into helping me continue singing. They want to see me reach great heights, and for those who still believe in my voice, I will keep singing. Also, for those who shut the door on me and underestimated me.
Every day, someone writes to me, thankful because my music has brightened their lives, because they laugh and enjoy "El Carnicero," because "Sigo vivo" gives them the strength to overcome a crisis or depression, or because they found a song of freedom in "Aguacero." I am touching souls every day! I am already succeeding!
Integrating into the circuits of Cuban music in the United States can be a real challenge, but you don't seem to be in a hurry to achieve it. Is it ancestral patience or self-confidence?
It's determination and self-confidence. I have more willpower than other things. Patience is not my virtue, but life has forced me to cultivate it. I started from scratch in Santiago de Cuba and there I learned from those who know. I arrived in Havana and began from zero again, to Spain from scratch, and now here in the United States, starting over once more.
In each place, it took me about two years to see results. I had to make more soup than a Chinese person in a kitchen, and here I am, pushing forward with my unique style.
When people tell you that you are talented, but professional success seems out of reach, you begin to develop a strong and harmful relationship with frustration. This, along with your ego, can pull you into the abyss due to the obsession with success, as on social media everyone appears to be successful except for you.
But... what about being a good son, a good father, a good brother, a good friend, a good lover, a good human being? And what about seeking peace and serenity in our hearts?
A wise person once said that to achieve prosperity, we must first cultivate good character and generosity. I move with a long-term vision and measured steps, following my own principles along the path of virtue. For me, that is also what it means to be successful and happy.
7. What is it that you are not willing to give up just to fill stadiums?
To my identity, to being myself on the stage I step onto, whether it's a changüí or a performance. To my freedom to sing what I desire and not what a trend, a record label, or a government imposes upon me, which is why I am an independent artist.
I don't think I'm the kind of singer who fills stadiums. I'm not controversial, I don't offend other artists and influencers, I don't talk about or expose my private life, I don't use drugs. I'm a well-educated guajiro. I'm the most marketable thing the industry could sell.
I make music to heal, to heal myself, to bring people together. I sing about the sublime and the sordid aspects of life. I find it burdensome to write romantic and heartbreak songs. Someone like me doesn’t sell very well. In fact, I apologize if the reader lost interest after the first question.
8. The success of “El Carnicero” has sparked the interest of many Cubans in your music. Do you have any concerts planned in Florida? Is new music coming for the fans of Ronkalunga?
It's true that I've received many comments on my social media asking, "When in Miami?" And yes, I will be in Tampa on October 3rd and in Miami on October 5th. It's my first time performing there, and I must confess that I'm both nervous and excited.
A lot of new music is coming, a huge amount of new music. They're asking me to sing "The Milkman," "The Electrician," "The Chef" after "The Butcher", and I love the idea, but I won't stop doing what I was already doing before that song.
If my followers give me the opportunity and have a bit of trust in me, they will see that I have a lot to offer. I feel grateful for the love and support from Cubans, both on the island and abroad, who listen to me!
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