Alexander Delgado. A popular and well-known Cuban reggaeton singer. Founder, director, and lead composer of the famous Cuban Music Group Gente de Zona. He was born in the municipality of Alamar, in Havana City, on August 21, 1979.
With numerous followers both inside and outside the territory, he has managed to create a very unique and Caribbean style in his musical creation. Professional Career His story began long before the year 2000 when he was involved with Cuban hip-hop and was a regular at the Alamar Rap Festival in Havana. At first, he attended all the rap concerts and started doing sampling. In the year 2000, several rap artists, including Alexander, gathered in Alamar, a place in the capital known for being the birthplace of Cuban hip-hop.
The name of the group, Gente de Zona, thus became a clear indication of where they came from, as Alamar is divided into numbered zones. Alexander Delgado later found Michel, “el Caro,” and together they began playing at parties and official venues in Guanabacoa and Regla, and especially in Alamar, their territory.
In their beginnings as amateurs, they performed at various Cultural Houses such as those in Alamar, Guanabacoa, and Regla, but mainly in their hometown, where they quickly won over the audience and gained followers. They participated in the international rap festivals held annually in Cuba. Alexander was in charge of the animation for three consecutive years. Later, they became part of the Hermanos Saíz Association, and it wasn't until 2002 that they began their professional career with the Antonio María Romeu company, performing throughout the country.
In July 2005, Gente de Zona, still comprised of Alexander and Michel, joined the catalog of La Agencia Cubana de Rap, already showcasing a more mature work within their genre, always blending it with our rhythms and considering market demands. In 2005, Michel left the group and was replaced by Jacob Forever, who came from the group "Made in Cuba," along with Nando Pro, a renowned music producer and DJ. Together with Gente de Zona, he contributed to the album
The best that’s playing now, Vol II, featuring tracks like “She Likes Artists” and “The Animals,” which topped the charts not just in Cuba but also in places like Miami and Europe, where they were recognized as flag bearers of Caribbean reggaeton. “I’m from Alamar, Nando is from Santa Fe, and we’ve been part of Cuban hip hop from the beginning. We dressed like other rappers, but we didn’t sound like them. Our lyrics were more commercial.”
"Almost all our songs come from the streets, from our personal experiences, but we didn’t want our music to be confined to just one area. We wanted to share our ideas and what we were doing musically with a broader audience, with all Cubans,” said the founder and director of Gente de Zona on one occasion. In 2006, the major hits “Soñé” and “La Campaña” were released, becoming superhits in Cuba and for all fans of Cuban music. In 2007, they performed as a guest star on the CD of David Calzado and his Charanga Habanera, “El cañón.” They won a “Premio Lucas,” and continued with megahits like "Le gustan los artistas" and "Pa’ la calle." In the summer of 2008, they released their first world-exclusive CD with Planet Records, “Lo mejor que suena ahora.” The music video for the superhit "Yo te enseñé," directed by Santana, was nominated for the Premios Lucas.
After their success, in 2010, "Full" was released in the music market. It consists of 16 songs and was produced in collaboration with many artists: Orishas, Dr. López, Sr. Rodríguez, Los Generales, El Micha, Los Alertas, La Real Familia, and Elvis Manuel. In the summer of 2011 and January 2012, the band completed two significant tours, performing in nearly forty cities with great artistic success, receiving acclaim from both critics and the public. In the summer of 2012, they embarked on another major tour in Europe. In March 2013, Gente de Zona announced the separation of Alexander and Jacob Forever. Alexander continued under the name Gente de Zona alongside Randy, former singer of La Charanga Habanera.
