The Japanese violinist KOH (@muscle_violin), based in Tokyo, published a reel on Instagram in which he performs "Chan Chan," as part of his project "One Iconic Song from Every Country."
The release, dedicated to Cuba as the 45th country in the series, was published this Monday and triggered an emotional response among the Cuban community on social media.
"Chan Chan" is a song by Compay Segundo (Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz) that gained worldwide fame when the musician joined the Buena Vista Social Club project.
Before starting to play, KOH greeted in Spanish with "What's up, Cuba! Greetings to my people," a gesture that did not go unnoticed among the Cuban fans filling the comments section.
The Japanese musician, who combines his passion for the violin with bodybuilding under the motto "The violin and muscle have no borders," has over 421,000 followers on Instagram.
The reaction from the Cuban diaspora was immediate and filled with emotion. One user, originally from eastern Cuba, said: "I am Cuban from Mayarí, the place mentioned in the song. Thank you for sharing it."
Another comment summed up the collective sentiment: "You play the violin with such passion. Thank you for playing something from my homeland that I haven't seen in 50 years." A third was more succinct but equally revealing: "I am Cuban and I am crying!"
The cultural debate was not lacking. A follower argued that “Chan Chan” is a very beautiful song, “but the most iconic song of Cuba is undoubtedly 'Guantanamera'.”
«Chan Chan» was composed by Compay Segundo, inspired by his time living in Siboney, Santiago de Cuba. The lyrics mention four real places in the province of Holguín: Alto Cedro, Marcané, Cueto, and Mayarí.
The composer himself described its origin poetically: "I did not compose Chan Chan; I dreamt it. I dream of music. Sometimes I wake up with a melody in my head, I hear the instruments, everything very clearly."
The piece opens the Buena Vista Social Club album, recorded at the EGREM Studios in Havana in March 1996 and released in September 1997.
The album, produced by Ry Cooder and Juan de Marcos González, won a Grammy in 1998, sold nearly 1.9 million copies in the United States, and was ranked among the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone.
In December 2025, UNESCO declared Cuban son an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and in June of that same year, the musical based on the album won five Tony Awards on Broadway, confirming the global relevance of this genre and its most emblematic songs.
The KOH project continues its journey around the world, but the Cuban delivery has already made an impact: "We are Cuban and we are grateful that you want to play our music," wrote another follower.
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