Yotuel Omar Manzanarez Romero is a Cuban singer, songwriter, actor, model, and music producer born on October 6, 1976, in Havana, Cuba.
His beginnings in the music world started at 18 when he joined Hiram Riverí (Ruzzo) and Joel Pando (El Pionero) to form the group Amenaza, a pioneering band in Cuban hip-hop that salvaged and fused the Cuban oral tradition with rap, thus laying the foundations for what would later become the group Orishas. The group performed in the 90s at several prominent venues, such as Café Cantante, a gathering at the gardens of the Teatro Mella, Casa de la Música, and the Casa de la Cultura in Centro Habana, among others.
In 1997, they were awarded First Prize at the semi-clandestine Cuban Rap Festival in Alamar. By then, they were already being played on the radio and television of the island. Later, thanks to an exchange program from a French solidarity association with the Cuban people, the members of Amenaza traveled to France, where they eventually settled to continue their musical project, which included Roldán González Rivero, who sang traditional Cuban music with the group Rico Son. Under the name Orishas, the new group signed with the record label EMI, and in 1999 they released their first studio album, A Lo Cubano, with which they became famous worldwide, becoming the leading figures of Cuban hip hop. In 2002, Emigrante was released, followed by El Kilo in 2005, Antidiotico in 2007, and Cosita Buena in 2008. After 10 years during which each member took separate paths, they reunited to release Gourmet in 2018.
With Orishas, Yotuel performed on stages all over the world and sold over 750,000 copies in Europe.
In 2003, "Time" magazine included Orishas among the 10 most important bands outside the U.S
Emigrantes received a nomination for the Grammy Awards in the category of Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album and won the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap Album
In 2005, El Kilo was nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards for Best Urban Music Album and for the Grammy Awards in the category of Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
In 2008, the song Pal Norte, by the Puerto Rican group Calle 13, won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Song. They were also nominated for Antidiotico for Best Urban Music Album and the song Hay Un Son for Best Video.
Additionally, Orishas' music received awards in Spain, where they achieved several gold and platinum sales records.
The theme "A lo cubano" is one of the most commonly used backdrops in series, contests, and movies where a character from the island is introduced.
Additionally, her music has been featured in various soundtracks such as Kubaner Küssen Besser Germany 2002, Fast and Furious II, 2003, Bad Boys II, 2003, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights 2004, Perfecto Amor Equivocado Cuba-Spain 2004, and El Benny Cuba 2006
On December 12, 2009, Orishas held their final concert as a group in Zurich, Switzerland. After that, each member of the group went their separate ways to work on solo albums.
As an actor, Yotuel has participated in series and movies such as the popular Un paso Adelante, where he met his partner, the Spanish actress, dancer, songwriter, and singer Beatriz Luengo. Additionally, in Cuban cinema, we saw him in "Color Habana," "Perfecto amor equivocado," and "El Baile de San Juan."
As a solo artist, Yotuel has collaborated with singers such as Ricky Martin, with whom he joined on the single Una mordidita from the Puerto Rican's album A quien quiera escuchar (2015). The song, with over 1.2 billion views on YouTube, won the Premio Lo Nuestro for Video of the Year.
In January 2021, together with Beatriz Luego, he released the music video for his single "Rebelde" on his YouTube channel in collaboration with the popular Spanish singer and influencer Omar Montes.
In January 2020, together with Orishas and Beatriz Luengo, he released Ojalá pase, where Luengo contributes by singing exactly the chorus of the song Ojalá, by Silvio Rodríguez. This sparked a major controversy with Silvio, and the song was ultimately removed from all platforms.
In 2021, Yotuel made headlines again for using the same lyrics to create the song Patria y Vida, joining his voice in collaboration with Gente de Zona, Decemer Bueno, and the rappers Maykel Osorbo and Funky, two of the most visible faces of the San Isidro Movement and the fight against repression on the island. Additionally, the music video features Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, another member of the MSI.
With this song, which has garnered over 4 million views, the musicians have made history by creating an anthem of freedom that resonates with all Cubans both on and off the island. This has significantly angered the Cuban regime, leading to an increase in repression against any citizens who publicly sing or write any of its verses.
Yotuel himself was the target of insults from the Cuban government, which called him a "Jinetero" due to his relationship with Spanish singer Beatriz Luengo.
In February, together with other Cuban artists and personalities, he spoke before the European Parliament to discuss the situation in Cuba, as well as with members of Joe Biden's administration concerning the impact the song has had.
In January, he announced that he was working on a track with the Spanish singer-songwriter and composer Rozalén titled "Propuesta indecente."
Yotuel resides in Miami with his wife Beatriz Luengo, with whom he is expecting their second child, a girl who will be born in 2021. He also has a third child from a previous relationship. It is common to see him sharing family snapshots, often accompanied by his mother, to whom the Cuban artist is very close.
