Óscar Portuondo, artistically known as Bolito El Efi, passed away in Havana due to a traffic accident, according to information circulated on social media that quickly spread among the Cuban urban movement community.
The Facebook page Rancho Destino was one of the first to announce the news with the message: "Passed away in Havana, Cuba. Bolito el Efi, as he was known in the Cuban entertainment scene, rest in peace."
Bolito El Efi had lived in the United States for a long time and had recently returned to Cuba, according to a video he posted on his Instagram account weeks before his death.
She was a well-known figure in the Cuban entertainment scene, associated with the luxurious urban style that characterizes many of the genre's references both on the island and in the diaspora.
Within hours, artists and figures from the urban genre transformed digital platforms into a collective space for mourning. Among the first to react was the rapper Ja Rulay, who posted on Instagram: "Brother, I can't believe this. Rest in peace, brother Bolito."
Yandi Barnada was one of the most heartbroken. In his post, he revealed that the day before Bolito's death, they were coordinating his trip to Cuba to reunite: "The last hug we gave each other was something divine. Just yesterday we were finalizing everything for my arrival. Honestly, I am not prepared for this."
Payaso Por Ley also dedicated an emotional farewell: "Friend, it hurts me not to have been able to say goodbye to you. I will miss you dearly, more than I can express in words. Thank you for every moment, for your friendship, and for everything we shared. You will always hold a special place in my life and in my heart."
El Yonki shared a tribute video and wrote: "My condolences to his family and loved ones, may he rest in peace, you will be remembered with respect and affection."
Also, Yomil, Oniel Bebeshito, and many other Cuban reggaeton artists took to social media to bid farewell to the beloved artist.
The death of Bolito El Efi marks the third significant loss for the Cuban urban movement in less than six years.
In July 2020, El Dany passed away, a member of the iconic duo Yomil y El Dany, at the age of 31 due to a cardiovascular event at the Calixto García Hospital in Havana, under circumstances that Yomil reported as medical negligence.
In October 2024, El Taiger was shot and killed in Miami and died on October 10 of that year at Jackson Memorial Hospital, at the age of 37.
Now the passing of Bolito El Efi has once again shaken an artistic community that bids him farewell in an unexpected and premature manner, and in five years has lost three of its most beloved figures.
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