Alexander Delgado. A popular and well-known Cuban reggaeton singer. Founder, director, and main composer of the renowned Cuban music group Gente de Zona. He was born in the municipality of Alamar, in Havana, on August 21, 1979.
With numerous followers both inside and outside the territory, he has created a very unique and Creole style in his musical work. Professional Career His story began long before the year 2000 when he was involved in Cuban hip-hop and frequented 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 emerged as evidence of their origins, as Alamar is divided into numbered zones. Alexander Delgado later met 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 early days as amateurs, they performed in various cultural centers such as those in Alamar, Guanabacoa, and Regla, but mainly in their hometown center, where they quickly won over the audience and garnered followers. As a result, 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 Asociación Hermanos Saíz, and it wasn't until 2002 that they began their professional career with the Antonio María Romeu company, performing across the country.
In July 2005, Gente de Zona, still made up of Alexander and Michel, became part of the catalog of La Agencia Cubana de Rap, showcasing a more mature work within their genre, always blending it with our rhythms while considering market demands. In that same year, 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 was part of the album
The best that sounds now vol II, featuring tracks like “Le gustan los artistas” and “Los animales,” which topped the popularity charts not only in Cuba but also in places like Miami and Europe, where they were recognized as flagbearers 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 didn’t sound like them. Our lyrics were more commercial."
“Almost all of our songs come from the streets, from our personal experiences, but we didn’t want our music to be limited to just one area. We wanted to convey our ideas and what we were doing musically to a broader audience, to all Cubans,” said the founder and director of Gente de Zona on one occasion. In 2006, they achieved major success with “Soñè” and “La Campaña,” two superhits in Cuba and for all fans of Cuban music in general. In 2007, they performed as a guest star on the CD by David Calzado and his Charanga Habanera, “El cañón.” They won a “Premio Lucas” and continued with the megahits "Le gustan los artistas" and "Pa´ la calle." In the summer of 2008, their first worldwide exclusive CD with Planet Records, “Lo mejor que suena ahora,” was released. The music video for the superhit "Yo te enseñe," 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 created 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 undertook two significant tours, performing in nearly forty cities with great artistic, critical, and public acclaim. In the summer of 2012, they embarked on another important tour in Europe. In March 2013, Gente de Zona announced the separation of Alexander and Jacob Forever. Alexander continues under the name Gente de Zona alongside Randy, the former singer of Charanga Habanera.
