¡Escuche Las Krudas!
Raw, Feminist Rap Music From Havana, Cuba talia wooldridge
Les raperas queer de la Havane, las 1959 he announced his intent to dress, marriage, gender stereotypes, Krudas, utilisent le mouvement hip abolish sexism, racism and classism. and in the cultural arts (Smith and hop appuyé par l’État pour sensibiliser In 1960 he founded the Federación Padula; Guillard Limonta; Fer- les Cubains aux problèmes féministes de Mujeres Cubanas (The Federa- nandes 2006; Fleites-Lear). While et défier le patriarcat cubain qui ré- tion of Cuban Women, or the fmc) this is slowly changing, these sexist siste encore. Elles demandent au peu- to promote education and labour beliefs remain especially common in ple d’écouter (!escuchar!) leurs rythmes equality between the sexes. At the the music industry (Perry; Thomas, qui s’insurgent contre les rôles genrés closing of the Fifth National Plenary S.; Las Krudas 2008). et qui forgent une solidarité féminine of the fmc, Castro stated in his fa- Havana raperas (female rappers) à l’intérieur de la société post révolu- mous 1966 speech titled “Women’s Las Krudas challenge these ma- tionnaire.de Cuba Liberation: A ‘Revolution Within chista attitudes1 through their un- the Revolution’”: derground Cuban rap music and Las raperas Queer Havana, Las Kru- bring an alternative feminist-queer da, apoyadas por el estado cubano, For events now are demonstrat- presence to hip-hop’s tradition- usan el movimiento del hip-hop para ing the possibilities of women ally heteronormative and chauvin- crear conocimiento acerca de asuntos and the role that women can ist tradition (Perry 263). As Marc feministas y cambiar el patriarcado play in a revolutionary process David Perry has suggested, “Las cubano. A través de proponer a la in which society is liberating Krudas refuse to conform to pa- gente que escuchen sus ritmos, Las itself above all, from exploita- triarchal gendered prescriptions of Krudas disputan los roles de género y tion and from prejudices.… It Cuban women as passive male-gaze formulan solidaridad feminista en los seems to us that women must oriented objects” (374). Known as confines de la sociedad cubana. still fight and exert great efforts rap cubano, Cuban rap music is de- to attain the place that they scribed as constructively critiquing I’m going to do something you should really hold in society. “the deficiencies that exist in society, don’t expect from me (5) educating youth and opening spaces When I form my own chorus to improve the social order” (Olav- I don’t need you, machismo, Vilma Espin, a chemical engineer arria 1). “Afro-Cuban youth [began] I escape you, slavery, and then-wife of Raul Castro, head- building a movement around hip- And I wear the pants, ed the fmc and achieved the most hop—a revolution within the revo- And speak of the love of all the progressive education, labour, fam- lution” (Olavarria 1) during Cuba’s “babes” ily, and health care rights for women economic crisis in the mid-1990s You feel rejection, rejection! in all of the Americas, including ac- known as the Special Period between —Las Krudas “Liberación” cess to free abortion, affordable day- 1990-1998. It gained government (Liberation) Kandela 2008 care and the right to divorce (Smith support in 2002, complete with (trans. Kaushalya Bannerji) and Padula). Despite these progres- a state-funded rap agency known sive strides, however, patriarchal and as the Agencia Cubana de Rap. For When Fidel Castro articulated his macho attitudes still reside in the many Cuban raperas, rap music pro- revolutionary goals for Cuba in social fabric of Cuban life in work, vides a medium in which they are
74 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME Las Krudas performing. able to honestly reflect upon and role that they fought in the are explored through song, lyric and question women’s true position in Revolution … and today there performance analysis. Cuban society. are a lot of women who are lib- Las Krudas’ songs focus on erated from the house…. [But] History of Las Krudas themes of resistance, equality, and compared to the USA, Cuban body image, and promote feminine women are subjugated and op- Our thing is working against solidarity, tolerance, freedom, and pressed and live for the man: the posture of the entire world, the confidence to be true to one’s everything is with the man, be- specifically that of Cuban cul- marginalized and oppressed (Afro- cause of the man, and for the ture, Latin culture, Caribbean Cuban, female) identity. In this man. And we don’t like that, culture. [These cultures] are sense, these female musicians are but we realize that we’ve gained very rich, very flavorful but social activists who are fighting and something because before the [they are also] very machista, exerting “great efforts to attain the revolution it was worse. (Las very lesbophobica. Very mi- place that they should really hold Krudas 2007) sogynistic are these cultures. in society” and demonstrating “the So our project is to take all of [vital] role that women can play in Whether utilized for social activ- this negative stuff, put it on the a revolutionary process in which ism, creating awareness or for self- table, acknowledge that it exists society is liberating itself, above all, empowerment, rap music serves a and decide what we are going from exploitation and from preju- pivotal role in these raperas’ lives. to do to resolve this problem. dices” (Castro 5).2 Olivia Prendes, After an introduction to the trio, (Pasa qtd. in Saunders 1) a member of Las Krudas, acknowl- a brief history of their career, non- edges musical and musical activism will Las Krudas, whose name trans- follow. Afterward, the trio’s main lates into “the raw ones, referring there is a certain determination musical themes of oppression, re- to their raw lyrics, appearance of women that comes from the sistance, feminism and body image and adherence to vegetarianism”
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 1 75 (Perry 374), is made up of Olivia viewed in rap cubano’s hip-hop The Feminist Activism of Las Prendes (a.k.a. Pelusa mc) and sis- magazine, Movimiento, by Norma Krudas ters Odaymara Cuesta (a.k.a. Pasa Guillard-Limonta, an esteemed Kruda) and Odalys Cuesta (a.k.a. Cuban sociologist and co-founder What is feminism for me? It is Wanda Kruda). Olivia and Oday- of now-disbanded Cuban feminist a woman defending the reasons mara form a romantic couple. The group magin. The article includes to live and the necessity that we trio began rapping in late 1999 af- a discussion of the important have to be happy and respected ter initially performing for about themes that each song addresses in [every one] of the decisions two years as an independent, com- and that helped the trio gain na- we make in life…. [Y]ou don’t munity-based, stilt-walking, rum- tional exposure, including songs have to sit for twelve hours in a ba, street-theater group. Known as about menstruation and feminism. university to understand it; but
Las Krudas reject academic feminism as being elitist and encourage a grassroots approach, describing their message as being “for every woman, person, child, immigrant, queer person, depressed person [who is] fighting for freedom, diversity, justice, and peace.”
Tropazancos cubensi, the troupe This cd was followed by a second feeling yourself to be a woman “leave[s] children with important independent release out of Texas in and feeling the things that hap- messages such as take care of the 2007 titled Kandela (“fire”). pen to all us women and from earth, eat healthily, love your fam- Las Krudas have performed at nu- that stand up and say, yes I am ily and love your community” merous festivals all over the world, a feminist, that I am. (Pasa (Saunders 2007:1). Rodolfo Ren- including the Pop Montreal Festi- Krudas qtd. in Saunders 1) soli, the initial founder of Cuba’s val (2005), Las Mujeres de Hip-Hop annual rap festival, asked Tro- Cubano (Women in Cuban Hip- Las Krudas’ feminist identity is pazancos to perform at Alamar’s Hop) U.S. Tour, numerous lesbian visible through their community ac- Fourth Annual hip-hop Festival in and women’s concerts in San Fran- tivism in lesbian groups in Havana, 1999 (Las Krudas 2008). Here, the cisco, including the Dyke March with Omega Kilay and in the rap trio discovered the power of ampli- in Dolores Park, and an activist cubano movement. They reject aca- fying their message with a micro- concert in Puerto Rico (2007). The demic feminism as being elitist and phone and returned to perform the trio also toured with U.S. Afrobeat encourage a grassroots approach, following year as Las Krudas “with band, Antibalas, during the sum- describing their message as being microphones” (Las Krudas 2008). mer of 2007. Las Krudas speak at “for every woman, person, child, a number of academic and hip-hop immigrant, queer person, depressed After [their] performance in conferences, thereby maintaining person [who is] fighting for free- the 2000 hip-hop festival, the the important educational compo- dom, space, diversity, justice, and pioneering Cuban hip-hop nent of the trio’s street performance peace” (Las Krudas 2008). On their producer, Pablo Herrera, en- troupe and the underground rap business card, Las Krudas describe couraged them to produce a cubano movement. They are also themselves as “womyn for social cd and to pursue work within featured in numerous dissertations, change” and believe that “we need the nascent Hip-hop move- documentaries, and rap compila- more women in social processes, in ment. It was this moment that tions, including: documentaries, politics, in philosophy, in interac- [Las] Krudas realized it was in Venceremos (2004) and Inventos: tion—it’s like breaking the [patriar- hip-hop that they could make Cuban Hip-Hop (2005), as well as chal] power of society, understand- a feminist intervention in hege- cds Inventos: Mixtape (2006), and ing leaders, models in revolution … monic discourses surrounding all-female rap compilation Respues- not only in our homes” (Las Krudas women. (Saunders 1) ta (2008, Agencia Cubana de Rap). 2008). In 2003, Wanda Cuesta moved Las Krudas’ non-musical queer In 2002, the trio released their to Austin, Texas. Pasa and Olivia and feminist activism began in the demo cd, Krudas Cubensi, a pun joined her in December 2006, re- early 1990s when Odaymara (Pasa) on their name and the Spanish uniting the trio’s creative projects: co-founded Cuba’s first lgbt (les- word for “raw.” The cd was re- Las Krudas and Tropacanzos. bian-gay-bisexual-transgendered)
76 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME Raised fists at a Las Krudas performance. organization with the intention to male and male members of Cuba’s are women in underground Cuban host Cuba’s first Gay Pride Day. expanding hip-hop community” hip-hop for our life” (Las Krudas The organization’s efforts are docu- (Saunders 1). This is heard in their 2008). This is audible in the chorus mented in Sonja de Vries’ documen- lyrics and seen in their involvement of “Reinas Kilay” (“Kilay Queens,” tary filmGay Cuba (1995). In 2005, with Omega Kilay, an all-female 2007), a track performed by U.S. “Las Krudas were part of the found- rap collective that emerged because members and dedicated to Havana ing members of the group oremi, “women in conscious [Cuban] hip- members and other raperas: the first official, post-Revolution- hop need to be together” in an ef- ary, Havana-based, lesbian group” fort to overcome the overwhelming- We are the Queens that sym- (Saunders 1). This was an impor- ly machista chauvenism prevalent in bolize tant milestone because “it’s not hip-hop communities around the love and peace and nothing legal for [lesbians] to get together world (Las Krudas 2008). “Kilay” else, or to meet together privately. We serves as an acronym and represents never searching for more, don’t have the opportunity to have the five artistic groups that form culture and resistence exists, a lesbian organization in Cuba; the the collective: Krudas; Magyory in Omega Kilay. government doesn’t allow it” (Las and Danae from I’n’I; (dj) Leidis; (trans. by author) Krudas 2007). One way in which Nono and la Negra from Atomi- Las Krudas have garnered respect is kas; Yary. I’n’I and Atomicas are “Kilay” features the overarching through successfully participating still in Havana. The first Omega message prominent in the collective in underground rap cubano. Kilay concert was in 2005 and in- and, to a lesser degree, in Las Kru- Las Krudas “have been very suc- cluded a 30-to-45 minute set for das’ music. cessful in re-defining feminism for women performers at hip-hop con- Cuban women by challenging its certs, women’s poetry readings, and Las Krudas’ Important Musical, status as an unspeakabletaboo and workshops on the construction of Feminist Messages possibly anti-Revolutionary ideol- gender (Saunders 2007). Olivia de- ogy. They have also encouraged a scribes Omega Kilay as “more than Hip-hop is the music, the man- feminist consciousness among fe- a collective; it is a condition: we ner/style [manera], the speed,
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 1 77 Las Tropazancos Cubensi in Havana, Cuba.
which I need to give my femi- some lesbian and gay Cubans as be- Here, Las Krudas’ outlines the nist yell and oration, my mani- ing overly separatist and harsh. Such power (or empowerment) they de- festo Krudas. It’s the intensity, examples are heard in the chorus of rived from being hip-hop artists. A the force, it’s also the accumu- “Se Acaba Abuso” (“Stop the Abuse,” less-extreme sentiment is also heard lation of poetry with percus- 2007): “We are not equal, men and in “Pa ka Te Enteres” (“Just So You sion, with force, with the voice women, no…” (trans. by author), Know,” 2000): of the people together. (Las and more forcefully in “Yo Soy Mu- Krudas 2007) jer” (I am Woman), the opening Men, always looking for pow- English-Spanish track of the trio’s er. In Las Krudas’ opening song second album: Us women, no! from Cubensí (2000), “Vamo’ a Our duty is to be women…. vencer la dificultad” (“We are Going Fruit was meant to be picked I’m warning you, from now to Overcome the Difficulty”) they from the tree on, declare: “Feminine sex, always rel- Perfume was made simply to I’m going to fight producing egated/But the Krudas have broken please. poetry, the mold/We are going to overcome But I aint’ no fruit or your Giving you more of it!… the difficulty” (trans. by Joffe 2005: scent to be smelled I’m going to say, “You! You! 4). In this song, the trio also an- I’m my own woman, ain’t your You!” nounces their fight for social equal- bitch to be held. You’re going to hear me “Now! ity: “Together, women and men, Female mc not yours to be de- Now! Now!” all of the people, union, utopia, voured I’m tired of being the mummy, hip-hop Cuba, let’s go!” (trans. by Lady mc I hold all the power, My tongue is in the ceremony. author). all the power. chorus: In some cases, Las Krudas’ music (Olivia Prendes and Crazy So that you know, man, and lyrics have been interpreted by Ness) Women play in the game…
78 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME And don’t get stressed and parodying Cruz’s stereotypical belled! My crudeness is what your feminine sexuality. This act is usu- She felt, she rhymed, she con- mind wants, ally followed by the performance of fessed, she explained… songs that address the “patriarchal” “You should lose weight,” “I Always fighting to be included and “colonial” imagery of women, will not” - #$@*! like “Gorda” or “Resistiendo.” At the Hear? Fatty fatty fatty Papi …I do who I want – I exist beginning of “Gorda,” a female voice Hear? This is also for you naturally. yells: “Who is listening, now, con- Mami. (trans. in Umlauf 2007 [this ref scientiously?” The song addresses (trans. by author) missing]) the socially oppressive beauty norms and ostracism of obese people from Here Pasa invokes her comfort Las Krudas’ forceful message de- mainstream media and society: with her large, round body and an- mands respect and equality from nounces herself as the fat lady who men. They also address homosexual You wanted to exclude me for has rebelled through her obesity and relations, stating that they can be being fat. confessional rhymes. She reempha- with whom they want sexually, a Make me feel inferior…. sizes her proud body image and re- bold move in post-revolutionary fusal to fall into a trap of being an Cuba.3 Although the trio strongly Arrived the fatty, the fatty is anorexic, plastic Barbie-doll-victim denounces machismo and works me of colonization. to empower women, they continue Let them call me fat, round, Similar sentiments of the pretty, to perform alongside men so as not sphere thin, colonized body are heard in to exclude their colleagues in their Let them tell me fat, I am fat “Eres Bella” (“You are Beautiful”), push for gender equality. Sexy skinny ladies, always on deemed as the “most beautiful song tv, on the first album” (Las Krudas Las Krudas and Body Image It’s always the same 2008). Las Krudas dedicates this Silicones here and there, “per- song to the “blackest, poorest and The important element to Las Kru- fect torsos.” fattest women of the world” because das’ music is in their message, as So beautiful! “they are often the most marginal- delineated through their live, the- Anorexia in times of war ized and stigmatized” population atrical performances. One example Paulina (Rubio), Jennifer (Lo- (Saunders 1, para. 34). They criti- of this is their performance of “Re- pez), Beyonce…. So vex! cize the fake beauty women buy sistiendo” (“Resisting”) where Pasa Not enjoying food, going on into as a perpetuation of patriarchal frequently lifts up her shirt, expos- diets. colonialism and compare machismo ing her flabby belly while shouting Hormones for their breasts to racism as a form of slavery. Las into the microphone, “fat,” and And the girls, dying to be Bar- Krudas also empower Black women having the audience respond, “beau- bies, to be dolls…. by emphasizing natural, African[- tiful!” This unconventional action, When I pass by the gyms, fuller descended?] beauty: welcomed by a cheering, mixed-sex than the Camel [Cuban bus], audience, clearly dictates the strong Through the glass the super You are beautiful being you permeation of cultural gender roles strong and super machos Ebony in bloom, and stereotypes, as seen in media Breaking their necks, looking Black light, portrayals of women in and out of at what? You are beautiful being you the music industry, as well as the My beautiful body: Gigantic, The body is not your only vir- power in reclaiming the natural excess volume. tue… female body shape without shame. To those who consume colo- The lyrics of “Resistiendo” calls for nized bodies… We need women in public life, resistance of all oppressed people: I don’t hide if I’m going to eat. in philosophy, in politics we women, queers, immigrants, Latin I have a woman’s voice have been in the longest mythi- America—Las Krudas’ mandate. I’m at peace with myself cal sleep Pasa’s favourite song to perform, Comfortable with my body… creating real beings and in the “Gorda” (“Fat Woman”), tackles the Rolls of grease around my world men have gone on rising controversial issue of female body waist, up! image in mainstream media. Pasa I will not go through surgery [Women] Warriors of ebony has performed on stage in full cos- Nor will I stick myself in a the moment has arrived tume as legendary salsa icon, Celia waist reducer. We are breaking at one time Cruz, showing off her large curves Get her: The fat lady has re- and for always the chains that
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 1 79 oppress silence our spirits… out lesbians, Las Krudas has affected 1Machista, or macho, is used inter- (trans. by Saunders para. 33) both hip-hop’s traditional male- changeably throughout this essay dominated, heterosexual posturing, with machismo. Machismo is de- The concluding message is clear in Cuba and abroad, as well as chal- fined as a belief system purporting for any Spanish-speaker and it plants lenged Cuba’s historical macho lega- “that men are superior to women a very deep seed: Black women are cy.4 Las Krudas relocated to the U.S. and that women should be domi- not equally represented in philoso- as a means to further their career and nated socially, economically, physi- phy or politics, nor are women ac- feminist message. Olivia also con- cally, and sexually” (Fleites-Lear 51, knowledged for their life-giving cedes that women in the U.S. have fn.3) that “owes much to Spanish contribution to patriarchal society. more rights in regards to certain cul- colonial ideas about women who tural issues, like domestic violence, were classified in legal codes as “im- Conclusion that are still silenced in Cuba (Kru- beciles by nature,” as well as the das 2003). These are issues that Las teachings of the Roman Catholic As a result of Las Krudas’ work, there Krudas take very seriously and work Church promoting virginity and are more female artists participating hard to uncover and solve through sacrifice” (Fisher 3). in rap cubano “and they have been their rap music activism. 2The importance and relevance of able to foster a sense of community Las Krudas have also publicly this rapera-led feminist revolution is among women artists” (Saunders questioned traditional female gen- strengthened by the state closure of 2007: 1). During Pasa and Olivia’s der roles in Cuban society by pro- ngo feminist group magin (1995- last three years in Cuba (2003- vocatively supporting natural Black 7), a collective of professional wom- 2006), there was a marked increase beauty, female and gay rights, and en aimed at improving female im- in the number of women attending speaking out against all forms of op- age portrayal in media (Thomas, J.; Krudas’ shows (Saunders ). This pression, including beauty myths Fernandes 2005). The visibility and marks a positive development as, propagated by the music industry messages of some raperas allow for a initially, there Cuban women had (Las Krudas 2008). By empowering continuation of magin’s goals. many reservations about fully em- marginalized non-white, and queer 3Until the late 1990s, homosexual- bracing the trio’s feminist messages: women, and by rejecting the stereo- ity was viewed in Cuba as a product typical beauty and sexualized image of bourgeois decadence (similar to Sometimes women are more of other raperas and Cuban women, feminism) and a contradiction of responsive to us when we ask Las Krudas have created an aperture Che Guevara’s Revolutionary hom- “where are the women?” and in a typically male-dominated mu- bre nuevo who is tough, strong, na- they go women! (fists raised) sic genre, industry, and society. In tionalistic and heterosexual. From but when they’re with their so doing, these feminist raperas are the 1930s until 1989 Cuba’s Public boyfriends they remain still…. carrying forward the triumphs of Ostentation Law “allowed for, and Many women may think, previous Cuban women and rappers even encouraged, harassment of gay “Watch out these lesbians will into a new, feminist hip-hop revolu- Cubans who refused to stay closeted” eat us!” (Pasa in Krudas 2003) tion within the revolution. (Joffe 2005: 18). In 1989 the Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual (Na- This threat of lesbianism to Cu- Thank you to Glenda del Monte for tional Center for Sex Education, or ban women (and men) recalls a ho- her help with the translations in this Cenensex) was created to implement mophobic socialization pattern that article. “a national program of sex education predisposes heterosexual women to and devote time to research, educa- internalize patriarchal values and Talia Wooldridge completed her ma in tion and therapy” and in the 1990s gender ideology. By exposing these Ethnomusicology from York Universi- laws were finally passed prohibiting negative stereotypes and belief sys- ty in 2008 for her research on feminist restriction to homosexuals (Joffe 18). tems through their rap music, Las rap music from Cuba. She is published However, Cuban lesbians statethat Krudas hope to resolve such bigoted in the Greenwood Encyclopaedia “their existence is virtually “an of- problems. of Latin American Popular Music fense … [and that] women are still The courage that this raw trio for an entry on “Hip Hop” and was judged by their physical appearance, brings to the rap cubano move- the recipient of a Canadian Master’s by how ‘beautiful’ they are, and not ment is notable in that they surpass Scholarship through the Social Scienc- for their non-familial social contribu- the movement’s taboo topics of es and Humanities Research Council tions as workers and citizens” (Saun- racial and sexual inequality by tak- for 2007-8. In 2008, Talia completed ders 2007: 1, para. 27). ing the discussion one step further sidebar research on female rappers in 4Currently, underground rap cubano and bringing homophobia and les- Brazil and is currently writing and is decreasing in mainstream visibil- bophobia into the public arena. As composing in her spare time. ity in Cuba due to the increasing
80 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME popularity of its commercial, mi- Perry, Marc David. Los Raperos: Rap, Las Krudas. Cubensí. Independent. sogynistic music rival, reggaetón. Race and Social Transformation in Compact Disc, 2002. Contemporary Cuba. Unpublished Las Krudas. Kandela. Independent. References dissertation, University of Texas Compact Disc, 2005. at Austin, 2004. Las Krudas. Interview by author, Castro, Fidel. “Women’s Liberation: Saunders, Tanya L. This is Not the Toronto, 23 May 2008. ‘A Revolution Within the Revo- Feminism of Gloria Steinem! Kru- Las Krudas. Interview by author, lution.’” Memories: Second Con- das, Hip-hop and Cuban Revo- Toronto. 7 June 2007. gress, Cuban Women’s Federation/ lutionary Cultural Praxis. 2007. Respuesta. 2008. Various artists. Federación de Mujeres Cubanas. Online:
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 1 81