Biography

English version above

Erik Iglesias Rodríguez inicia su carrera artística en Pinar del Rio, en el movimiento de la Trova que constituía en los años 2000, la columna vertebral de la vida musical de esa ciudad. En ese medio, presenta sus primeras composiciones como cantautor y en el 2010, integra la Asociación Hermanos Saiz.

Llegando a La Habana, se acerca a géneros musicales bailables como la timba y el funk trabajando con la agrupación Hoyo Colorao. Al mismo tiempo, da sus primeros pasos en escenarios profesionales como corista de grandes integrantes de la música alternativa cubana como Raúl Paz, David Torrens, Liuba María Hevia entre otros.

En el 2014, ingresa en Interactivo como cantante y compositor. Esa agrupación, dirigida por el pianista y compositor Roberto Carcassés, se caracteriza por hacer una fusión de Jazz-Funk-Timba y cuenta con numerosos músicos, pilares hoy en día del medio musical cubano.

A finales del mismo año, participa en la fundación de la banda Los Boys, que rápidamente llega a ser un imprescindible de la vida nocturna habanera. La banda se destaca por su repertorio funk y pop que mezcla covers y temas propios.

A fines del 2016, Erik se separa de Los Boys y decide emprender una carrera en solitario bajo el nombre artístico de Cimafunk. Dicho nombre hace referencia tanto a su herencia de cimarrón como a la esencia de su música que trata de escaparse de caminos conocidos jugando con grooves bailables. El mestizaje musical de Cimafunk tiene su primera concretización en el álbum “Terapia”.

Ese nuevo proyecto musical, compuesto y producido por Cimafunk, cuenta con la colaboración de músicos cubanos de prestigio como Roberto Carcassés (Piano), Ernesto Ermidas (Bass), Héctor Quintana (Guitara), Adel Gonzales (Percusiones), Brenda Navarrete (Percusiones y Canto), entre otros.

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Erik Iglesias Rodríguez started his artistic carrier in Pinar del Rio in the “Trova” movement which was the heart of musical life in Pinar del Rio in the 2000s. In these circles, he presented his first compositions and in 2010 he became a member of the Hermanos Saiz Association, which gathers and supports Cuban young artists.

Arriving in Havana, he came closer to more groovy kinds of music such as funk and timba and worked with the band Hoyo Colorao. Meanwhile, he was reaching professional stages as a chorister of relevant artists of Cuban’s alternative music, such as Raúl Paz, David Torrens or Liuba María Hevia.

In 2014, he joined Interactivo as singer and composer. The band directed by the famous pianist and composer Roberto Carcassés, makes a highly explosive fusion of jazz, timba and funk. The majority of its members are composers and producers as well as renowned musicians who are conducting their own musical projects in various representative trends of Cuban music: Nueva Trova, Son, Cuban Jazz, Hip hop.

By the end of the same year, Erik also participated in the foundations of the band “Los Boys”, which soon became a pilar of Havana nights’ life. The band emerged with a Funk and Pop set that mixed covers and original songs.

During the fall of 2016, Erik left Los Boys and to start his own “solo” career under the artistic name of Cimafunk. This name refers to its heritage as a ‘Cimarrón’, Africans who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of its music that aims at escaping well knowns paths by playing with rhythms.

His inspiration grows from an eclectic panel of black music: from James Brown’s, George Clinton’s and Prince’s Funk and the soul music of Al Green and Bill Withers to Cuban “Trova” of Beny Moré and Bola de Nieve and Juan Formell’s y Los Van Van’s “songo”.

His first solo album “Terapia”, entirely composed and produced by Cimafunk is enriched by numerous collaboration with renowned  Cuban musicians such as Roberto Carcassés (Piano), Ernesto Ermidas (Bass), Héctor Quintana (Guitar), Adel Gonzales (Percussions), Brenda Navarrete (Percussions and Voice), among others.