Social media are like a gigantic masked ball where it matters little whether or not you know how to dance, the center of the question seems to have become whether you are going to choose to wear a mask or not; and if you take it, what are you willing to do with it.
It is in this free, easy-to-use and poorly regulated context that masked attacks take place. And they are artists, influencers, politicians and public figures in a general sense, the object and objective of hundreds and even thousands of criticisms, offenses and questions of all kinds that in a non-virtual environment would, in many cases, be punished by law.
This reality seems to be what has motivated Cuban singers Yomil Hidalgo and Haila María Mompié to join together in a collaboration they released on the main digital platforms today under the title: “Tía Tata Cuenta Cuentos.”
The video clip, directed by Felo, was filmed in the streets of Havana, especially on the Paseo del Prado, where they are seen surrounded by people, many of whom spontaneously approached the artists in the middle of the recording.
The short begins with a young man who, as a parody, simulates one of the many YouTubers and/or influencers who are dedicated to monetizing digital platforms, commenting on the personal and work lives of the artists; but in this case, it is precisely the young man who, among criticism, announces the song about Yomil and Haila, ensuring that “they think they are pegaos and that this song is going to be the biggest thing, but no one is going to hear that in their home”. Many followers of the Cuban singers took what they understood as “a very direct hint” to the Cuban-American influencer Alexander Otaola with comments such as “when I respond to Otaola I will not say anything but there will be signs.”
Once on stage, La Diva del Pueblo and the member of the urban music group Yomil y El Dany are in charge of raising their voices: “no creas todo lo que te dicen por ahí… Mira que hablas de mí y yo sin tenerte en cuenta, mientras más te ignoro, más tú te calientas,” Yomil sings.
“Ya me has dedicado más de 100 directas, dime qué se siente que no dé respuesta… sigue hablando como un loco, que me entra por un oído y me sale por el otro,” Haila continues.
Both artists have been constantly criticized by Otaola in his usual space that many Cubans around the world follow via YouTube but, beyond the controversy, “Tía Tata Cuenta Cuentos” unites salsa rhythms with the mischief of the urban genre, achieving a mixture that promises make the singers’ followers dance.
Some Internet users took the opportunity to make memes with fragments of the video, while others celebrated the union of the singers, who are experiencing intense moments and, one could say, a resurgence in their musical careers.
Haila, one of the consecrated voices of the dance genre and the current Cuban romantic song, about a month ago participated in the Corazón Latino Festival, which took place in France. The former member of very important groups on the island such as Azúcar Negra and Bamboleo, she performed on that occasion in the company of Mercadonegro and other artists with a broad salsa proposal. In addition, this week she offered a special concert in celebration of the 504th anniversary of Havana, as reported by the singer herself on her social media profiles.
Meanwhile, Yomil released the album F5 a month ago, on a date that coincided with his birthday, and in this regard, he commented exclusively for Cuba Noticias 360 “it is a proposal that comes to refresh a little. I have a lot of music saved that I have to release. I spent a long time without releasing music and now this is a stage where what is coming is music.” He is currently touring Europe, making several Spanish, German, Italian, and French cities dance with the island’s urban music, and in December he will perform in Canada in concert with Alex Duvall.