The Cuban singer Mayco D'Alma sparked a broad debate on social media after posting a snippet of an interview on Instagram in which he claims to have been happier in Cuba than in his current life in the United States, where he has been living since around 2023.
In the video, the artist answers candidly when asked where he was happiest: "In Cuba." His explanation doesn't focus on sentimental or family reasons but rather on a structural difference between the two economies: "There, I had no worries; practically, there were no bills, I earned money that... obviously, I didn't earn here."
Mayco D'Alma was careful to clarify that this is not an issue of absolute income. "In Cuba, there is another economy, you know? Another payment system," he explained, adding that what he earned on the island "was enough to do whatever he wanted," which contrasts with his current situation in the United States: "That's not the case where I am living now."
The singer also mentioned that in Cuba, he had a loyal audience and recognition within the island's musical culture, two elements that are part of his nostalgia for the country he left behind.
Mayco D'Alma is a versatile performer of salsa, romantic ballads, and urban music. He was part of the young talents that Pedrito Camacho brought into the group El Clan and has collaborated with figures such as El Chacal, Adalberto Álvarez, Bamboleo, and Jacob Forever. In 2015, he headlined a concert with Álvaro Torres at the Varadero Amphitheater, where he performed songs by the Salvadoran singer-songwriter.
After emigrating to Miami, the artist was moved to tears on the show El Clan de la Comedia while remembering his late mother, in an appearance that also revealed his most vulnerable side off the stage.
The statements made by Mayco D'Alma fall within a recurrent phenomenon among emigrated Cuban artists. The comedian Geonel Martín, known as Gustavito, confessed from Miami in December 2025 something very similar: "I go to Cuba and within 15 days I want to come back. I come here and within 15 days I want to go back."
This paradox —earning more in nominal terms but feeling greater economic pressure— is particularly pronounced for artists who, in Cuba, had captive audiences and minimal living expenses, but in Miami must compete in a saturated and expensive market. The exodus of Cuban dancers and musicians in search of better opportunities does not always translate into the expected well-being, and the accounts of those who have already emigrated increasingly reflect this duality.
Mayco D'Alma's statement does not serve as a defense of the Cuban political system, but rather as a reflection on how the island's economic model—featuring housing, healthcare, and other services subsidized by the state—creates a sense of stability that the U.S. market, with all its opportunities, does not always manage to replace.
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