This interview is conducted in English, but if you would prefer to read it Spanish click below:
Sean Fay: Hello, I am Sean Fay and you are listening to ‘jazz died??’ on 89.1 FM WNYU and online all the time on wnyu.org. I’m here with Cimafunk and how would you like to introduce yourself?
Cimafunk: Cimafunk, afro-cuban music, groove and party and health.
S. F.: Amazing. And who did you perform along with today on stage?
Cimafunk: Well, today was my tribe. The tribe I call my band is: Katy Cacao on the saxophone, Hilaria Cacao on the trombone. Machete on percussion. Big Happy, minor percussion and chorus, smooth groove. Dr. Zapa, musical and drum, Arthurito el “Wao” on the keyboards and Raffa in the bass and Mar, the new Instagram director from Spain, on the guitar.
S. F.: Amazing. And how do you like to prepare and get in the right mind state before you get on stage and perform?
Cimafunk: Most of all, breathing, breathing. That’s my resource. Especially now that it’s early show. Breathing puts me in the mindset and [activates the body].
S. F.: Do you have certain breath exercises that you like to do?
Cimafunk: Yeah, a couple of them. But I don’t know how to explain about it, but yeah. Repetition, repetition of rhythm and stuff.
S. F.: And is Newport a noteworthy destination for you to perform at and how so?
Cimafunk: Well, it looks like [it] because I played last year, so I played this year too. All the time it’s a party.
S. F.: Amazing. Yeah, I saw you last year and that was one of the reasons I really wanted to interview you. And would you say any specific cities have influenced your sound and where are those cities?
Cimafunk: A lot but, for example, New Orleans, Atlanta, of course, New York, in the States, New York influenced me. Miami also influenced me because it’s the Cuban community they’re doing different Cuban music, New Cuban music. So yeah, it’s a lot of New Orleans, Miami and New York and Atlanta.
S. F.: Awesome. And are there any places on your bucket list that you need to perform at in your lifetime that you haven’t gotten to yet?
Cimafunk: Africa. Yeah, especially Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana. I’m excited to go.
S. F.: Awesome. And these next few questions are going to be related to a soundscape. So sort of the when you put on your headphones, what artists are you listening to first? Or what albums or what genres did you first grow up around?
Cimafunk: The ones that I grew up listening? Yeah, it’s a lot of Cuban music. A lot of afro-cuban music, Giras Gerais, ‘La Charanga Habenera’, ‘Los Van Van’. But also my uncle was a really, really a fan of American music. So I was sitting in a lot of Lionel Richie, Michael [Jackson], The Invincible album was the bread [and butter] of every day because I got the cassette. And Stevie Wonder also of course. And Bob Marley, a lot, for friends of my uncle that was studying in the school. Yeah, everything that happened to my head, even Madonna, I was listening Madonna when I was a kid because I got the cassette too. So I was putting [those in] the car every day.
S. F.: And how did you first get started performing music?
Cimafunk: In the church. I started in the church when I was a kid and then I keep performing reggaeton. When I leave church, I was in the street with the cast on everything, the hood. So the reggaeton was in the mold. So I start to perform for more people and more like a performance vibe with reggaeton.
S. F.: And how do you describe your current soundscape? Who are you listening to as of lately? What are your current influences?
Cimafunk: I’m bad because I keep listening the same music, man. All Marvin Gaye, all Sonny Boye Williamson, Al Green, the Reverend Al, the Ohio Players, Funkadelic, James Brown, from the states. And from Africa, a lot of Fela Kuti and the songs too, the family and I don’t remember the name. And Sean, Sean, Sean Kuti we were together in the near room now. I keep listening the same as years ago. I keep listening the same, all the time.
S. F.: Yeah, I mean, when you’re listening to the greats, they never get old.
Cimafunk: Yeah, they always got something to say. You [may] never get to understand it properly.
S. F.: And up next, if you had to name your own specific genre of music, what creative original name would you give it that isn’t out there yet?
Cimafunk: Cuban music, man. OK. There’s no other way to describe this. Cuban music.
S. F.: Yeah. And is there a movie that you find you can always rewatch?
Cimafunk: Get On Up. Yeah, James Brown, I love it. What Chad did there and with the producers and everybody, how they tell the story. It’s really empowering and really truthful and soulful.
S. F.: Awesome. And if you’re looking for food from like a cart or a stand, what type of cart or stand are you looking for first?
Cimafunk: Tacos. But especially in LA or in Mexico, otherwise I don’t. But it’s one of my favorite things to eat.
S. F.: Awesome. And if you go to like a New York deli or Bodega, what type of sandwich are you going for?
Cimafunk: None.
S. F.: No sandwich? Anything else? Any chips?
Cimafunk: No, never. No.
S.F.: Anti-bodega?
Cimafunk: Yeah, no, I just, I want it all sometimes, but I like some veggies or some soup. If it’s soup, I’ll take some soup.
S.F.: What type of soup?
Cimafunk: More chill soup would know all the cream and without all these things. I know myself like a chill soup.
S. F.: Nice. And do you have a favorite physical medium for music? You mentioned you had a lot of cassette tapes growing up, but do you prefer those tapes, vinyl or CDs?
Cimafunk: Everything. I’m listening- more of the music that I listen to is on streaming. But if I’m in the house, I got a lot of vinyl. I got a lot, a lot of, a lot of vinyls. So, if I’m in the house, I like to listen to the albums. You know, I love playlists, but when I’m at home, I prefer to listen to the whole album. If I listen to Teddy Pendergrass, I like to hear the whole album of Ohio, this thing is like, take me to that place to understand better the message.
S. F.: Awesome. And what is your favorite setting to enjoy? Like a place to be where there’s no music happening, but you love what you’re hearing.
Cimafunk: Oh, forest, countryside, my hometown. My hometown. Yeah.
S.F.: And where is your hometown?
Pinar del Río, Pinar del Río. Errebates[?], is the name of my neighborhood.
S. F.: Awesome. And do you have any advice for younger musicians?
Cimafunk: Do it. Don’t look at excuses. Don’t look there, do it. Because you got no excuse. Nobody going to believe you. Don’t complain. Just go forward, do it. And be humble. It’s not about you it’s about the sound. It’s the sound. Just be part of the sound. Don’t make the sound part of you. You be part of the sound. Play what you got to play. Don’t play more.
S. F.: That’s an awesome perspective. And walk me through your creative process. When you first want to record something, who are some of the first people you’re reaching out to, or the first ideas going through your head, how do you get started?
Cimafunk: I don’t know. Every time is different. Sometimes it’s the groove. Because I hear a groove that I like and I try to… it depends on the hour of the day too. But sometimes it’s the lyric. If I get like some idea. Most of the songs that I do is something that happens to me. Or something that I want to happen to me. So sometimes it’s a lyric, sometimes it’s a groove. But it’s always, it’s never like the same process.
S. F.: And my last question, do you believe jazz music is dead?
Cimafunk: Oh, never. Jazz is everywhere. Jazz is popular music. Jazz is Cuban music. It’s not elitist. It’s not for certain people that can understand things that other people can. That’s a story that we’ve been fooled. You know, jazz is from the hood. Jazz is from the street. So jazz is always there. It’s everywhere. Everywhere that you hear a mamba, everywhere that you hear people grooving. Or improvising. It’s jazz. Jazz is everywhere.
S. F.: And anything else do you have left to promote that you want to give a shout out to?
Cimafunk: Definitely. It’s a young band that we are, which is starting to produce their album. They call it Primera Linea. It’s a Cuban band from the school of one of the Koloa, Havana. So those kids have like 15 to 10 years and they are grooving. They’ve got too much grove. So we put in this album with them Shouti[?]. Probably it’s going to produce a song from Moshari[?]. I’m going to produce another song. There’s a lot of people getting together to produce the album of those kids. And yeah, they will perform, this afternoon, in the stage. So get ready because more funky Afro-Cubans are coming out.
S. F.: Amazing. I can always go for more funk. Well, it’s been amazing talking to you. And I realized a little later that podría hecho este entrevista en español. Otra ves quiero hacerlo contigo… Next year? Absolutely. It’s been great talking to you. Thank you.
This was recorded live at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival on Sunday, August 4th. Broadcast on 89.1 FM on Thursday, August 15th for ‘jazz died??’.
borderline baroque 