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The French rapper Ferapth released the official music video for "Libertad", a bilingual hip-hop track in French and Spanish dedicated to the struggle for freedom in Cuba, inspired by his own experiences on the island.
The artist explained to CiberCuba the reasons that led him to create the song: "I am a French hip-hop artist, and I have traveled to Cuba several times, where I was able to closely experience the daily reality of the island through human experiences and personal connections."
"Following these experiences, 'Libertad' was born, a song and music video inspired by what I experienced there and my desire to bring visibility to this reality before the Francophone audience," Ferapth added.
The lyrics leave no room for ambiguity: they mix verses in both languages to depict the crisis facing Cuba, with explicit references to shortages— "the empty stores, medicines are scarce, each day passes under a pale sky"—and the collapse of tourism and the closure of hotels.
The chorus, sung in Spanish, encapsulates the central message of the song: "We scream for freedom, we scream for freedom, no more lies. The fire of hope illuminates us."
The song culminates with a repeated chant that leaves no room for interpretation: "Down with the dictatorship. Down with the Castro dictatorship."
The subtitle of the song, "Patria y Vida," is a direct reference to the Cuban protest anthem released in February 2021 by Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky, which became the musical symbol of the opposition to the regime and a cultural trigger for the protests on July 11, 2021.
That song won two Latin Grammys in November 2021: Song of the Year and Best Urban Song, and was included by Rolling Stone among the 50 best songs of that year.
The connection of "Patria y Vida" with France has precedents: in March 2021, the Cuban anthem was incorporated into the curriculum of a French school as study material in the thematic axis "Art and Power," which highlights the interest of the Francophone audience in the situation in Cuba.
Ferapth, available on platforms like Apple Music and Deezer, noted that the project was previously presented by Diario Las Américas in Miami through an interview and an article, and expressed openness to granting interviews to further promote it.
"Cuba awakens, my people, the people will not remain silent. Freedom for the island," sings Ferapth in one of the most direct passages of the song, encapsulating the spirit of a piece that aims to carry the voice of the Cuban people to the heart of the Francophone scene.
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