An animation of the mambí colonel Elpidio Valdés moving to the rhythm of the Cuban ensemble has become one of the most shared videos of the week on TikTok, accumulating over 246,000 views since its release on May 18.
The 31-second clip, posted by the account @vertex_.entertainment, features the iconic character from Cuban animation dancing to the rhythm of "Un Tin," the latest hit from the reparto genre by Payaso x Ley and Rowell Urban.
In addition to the views, the video garnered 20,600 likes and —most notably— 5,511 shares, a figure that reflects the high level of emotional connection the Cuban community abroad has with the character.
The video description directly appeals to nostalgia: "Who else grew up watching this superstar? Share your favorite memory in the comments and pass it on to someone who knows him."
The song accompanying the animation was released on April 17, 2026, by Payaso x Ley and Rowell Urban, produced by Befocus Music and Ernesto Losa, and within just two weeks it surpassed 7 million views on YouTube, establishing itself as one of the anthems of the Cuban cast this year.
Elpidio Valdés is the most emblematic character of Cuban animation, created in 1970 by the cartoonist and filmmaker Juan Padrón (1947–2020). He represents a mambí colonel fighting against Spanish colonialism during the War of Independence and has left a lasting impact on several generations of Cubans both on the island and abroad. In 2023, he celebrated 50 years of existence in animated cinema.
Her appearance dancing reparto —an urban genre that emerged in the popular neighborhoods of Havana between 2006 and 2007— humorously condenses two worlds of Cuban identity: the historical past and the more viral musical present.
The phenomenon is part of a global explosion of Cuban "reparto" in 2026, mainly driven by "Dichávate" by Ya Ice Dilan, which surpassed 40 million views on YouTube and dominated TikTok since January. In this context, videos of Cubans dancing reparto in the most unusual places have proliferated, from gyms in the Canary Islands to grandmothers over 94 years old.
International figures such as Maluma, Ryan Castro, Greeicy, and football player Vinicius Jr. also joined the viral trend of "reparto" on TikTok this year, solidifying the genre as one of the most powerful musical movements of the moment.
The animation of Elpidio Valdés, published under the hashtags #RepartoCubano and #Miami, encapsulates the phenomenon: the Cuban community abroad reinterprets its historical icons through the lens of the most popular musical trends today, and the result is a video that within just a few weeks has already gathered more shares than many professional productions.
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