Related videos:
The Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez praised the Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny during a controversial dinner held on Monday at a restaurant in Old Havana, which he attended with his family and the former leader of "Podemos" Pablo Iglesias.
A report by Diario Red indicates that the Mexican journalist Estefanía Veloz, who was also present at the dinner, asked the 79-year-old troubadour: "Silvio, what do you think about Bad Bunny?"
The troubadour praised several songs by the Puerto Rican artist, including "Hawái", highlighting its social message, Bad Bunny's impact on younger generations, and the scale of his performances.
"What happened to Hawaii is a song I like. (...) I think it's important to talk about that; it has a good message that other communities can relate to. Those are good songs," he stated.
"Additionally, he is a great artist; his shows are spectacular. The flags (at the super bowl) were significant," he added.
The contrast between the revolutionary troubadour —the leading figure of the Nueva Trova cubana and who has stated "I have never been disappointed" by the Cuban regime— and Bad Bunny, the most listened-to trap and reggaeton artist in the Spanish-speaking world, sparked a wide reaction on social media.
The dinner took place against the backdrop of the controversial visit of the Convoy Nuestra América, organized by Progressive International, which arrived in Cuba on March 21 with about 20 tons of humanitarian aid — food, medicine, and solar panels — and 650 delegates from 33 countries, including Jeremy Corbyn and Hasan Piker.
Díaz-Canel received the delegation at the Palace of Conventions, and then Pablo Iglesias stated that the crisis in Cuba "is certainly difficult, but not as it is being presented from the outside," generating strong criticism in Spain for downplaying the situation on the island from his privileged position.
Moreover, the visit of these figures from the international left has sparked strong criticism among Cubans both on and off the island, who highlight the stark contrast between the festive gatherings of the visitors, the luxury hotels where they stay, and the severe crisis the country is facing.
As noted by CiberCuba, 'the city is crumbling and they are singing': power outages of up to 20 hours, shortages of food and medicine, and collapses in Havana.
The episode adds to a series of recent controversies involving Rodríguez. On March 18, the troubadour and musician Michel Torres publicly demanded an "AKM" to confront a possible U.S. invasion, a statement that sparked a wave of reactions regarding armed propaganda in light of the lack of electricity and food in Cuba.
Four days after the AKM controversy, a Cuban artist accused him of being "a pawn of the dictatorship". In October 2025, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Rodríguez had stated: "I have never been disappointed" in the Cuban regime, a statement that ignited a wave of criticism over the privileges he enjoys while the population suffers through the worst crisis in decades.
Filed under: