In the vibrant heart of salsa’s birthplace, Cuba, a new musical trend is captivating the youth. It’s not the salsa beats traditionally associated with the island but K-pop, South Korea’s global musical export. This cultural tide has reached Cuba’s communist shores, an island where once even Beatles’ music was prohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mikel Caballero, a 17-year-old Cuban K-pop enthusiast, finds a sense of liberation in this genre. “K-pop allows me to be myself, to free myself,” he declared. He, alongside his peers, dedicates numerous hours to mastering the intricate dance routines of K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink. The advent of mobile internet on the island just five years ago has significantly transformed Cuban society, still tightly controlled by its one-party government. Despite restrictions, Cubans have embraced modernity with social media, various apps, and even foreign festivities like Halloween, despite longstanding U.S. sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samyla Trujillo, a 14-year-old who has been a fervent K-pop fan for four years, expressed her admiration for BTS, “When I saw BTS… I told myself: \u2018I want to dance like them.\u2019” Her enthusiasm grew with Blackpink, inspiring her to emulate these female icons. Her home in Havana, where she lives with her grandmother, frequently turns into a dance studio where she and Caballero rehearse K-pop choreography. Trujillo, once a traditional Caribbean dancer, now aspires to be Cuba’s first K-pop star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Trujillo and Caballero dream of visiting Seoul one day, a sentiment echoed by Alejandro Achin, a 21-year-old who described K-pop as a refreshing change from the repetitive rhythms of salsa and Reggaeton that Cubans are accustomed to. Achin’s group won a K-pop competition in Havana, earning him the opportunity to perform in Seoul in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hohyun Joung, a teacher at a Korean cultural and language center in Havana, highlights the universal appeal of K-pop, which she believes resonates with the aspirations and concerns of youth globally. Her center is a testament to the growing Korean wave in Cuba, with an overwhelming number of students and limited space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ia Gonzalez, a 20-year-old student at the center, is learning Korean and delights in understanding the lyrics of her favorite K-pop songs. “Korean is not difficult,” she insists, attributing her learning success to her passion for the culture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"