Gente de Zona was founded in 2000 in the
Alamar neighborhood of Havana, consisting initially of Alexander Delgado and Michel Delgado. They initially performed at smaller events and parties in the Havana area, including Alamar,
Regla and
Guanabacoa. Two years later, they joined the
Asociación Hermanos Saíz, a government-sponsored Cuban cultural organization, and signed with the Empresa Comercializadora de la Música y los Espectáculos Antonio María Romeu (Commercial Business of Music and Performances Antonio María Romeu), which allowed them to perform across the country. This same year, they became one of the first members of the
Cuban Rap Agency, a government agency involved with promoting and commercializing rap on the island. In 2005, Michel Delgado departed from the group, while rapper Jacob Forever (Yosdany Jacob Carmenates) and DJ and producer Nando Pro joined. With newfound international recognition, the group subsequently released collaborations with
Pitbull,
Chino & Nacho,
Marc Anthony and
Juan Magán in the year that followed. Then-Miami mayor, Cuban American
Francis Suarez, criticized the choice of the group for the event, stating, "You have to understand that an artist who declares themselves in favor of communism or gives communism credibility is considered persona non grata. It's not about intolerance or censorship, it's about respect and recognizing the mortifying history of communism, especially in Cuba." Two years later, in February 2021, Gente de Zona, with other Cuban artists
Yotuel, Beatriz Luengo,
Descemer Bueno,
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky released "
Patria y Vida" paying tribute to the
San Isidro Movement and criticizing the Cuban government's repression of artistic expression in the country, shortages of essential items, and management of the country's currency. The song was Gente de Zona's first politically partisan song, with Delgado later saying, "It becomes a commitment that you have with your people, who have followed you and given you everything you have today. We never knew that your talent and a song could be the weapon to hit these people hard, this government." The song was subsequently banned in Cuba, and Gente de Zona stated that they were subsequently banned from performing concerts on the island. == Discography ==