The Cuban singer and songwriter Rita Donte published a reel on her Instagram account on Saturday that is already gaining traction among the diaspora.
These are verses that arrive as a prayer, along with a message for Cubans: “Light the candle, there isn’t much time left”.
Born in Havana and based in Mexico, Donte this time presented lyrics that leave no room for ambiguity. In just over half a minute, the artist portrays scarcity, repression, forced disappearances, and the structural decay of the Island, all condensed into direct and rhythmic images that blend her Afro-Cuban roots with the urgency of the moment.
"The people in turmoil, the beans that won’t soften, those at the top who won’t yield, those at the bottom who can’t take it anymore," says Donte in the opening verses, before listing what defines daily life under the regime: "Reggaeton, disappointment, disappearance, repression, the revolution."
The second part speaks directly to those in power: "They must beg for forgiveness, their justice and wall, the sentence of the multitude in the night of their fate. Summoned by death and the burden of wrongdoing, they will have no more benefit than to offer their surrender."
The artist is self-taught and her proposal blends jazz, bossa nova, bolero filin, and Afro-Cuban roots. In 2025, she released her debut album "Ritual" through Ansonia Records, produced by Gustavo Guerrero, an album of 11 songs that already included "Patria Querida."
This message represents a more direct and urgent expression of that connection to Cuba. At the same time, it is part of the tradition of diaspora musicians who have used their platforms to denounce the Cuban regime and call for freedom for the Island.
The final verse of this video resonates in the comments like a shared promise: "The dawn will break with the morning sun, Cuba with its rebellious spirit will be free and sovereign."
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