Alexander Delgado. Popular and well-known Cuban reggaeton singer. Founder, director, and main composer of the renowned Cuban Music Group Gente de Zona. He was born in the Alamar municipality of Havana on August 21, 1979.
With numerous followers both inside and outside the territory, he has developed a very particular and Creole style in his musical creation. Professional Career His story began long before the year 2000 when he was involved in Cuban hip-hop and frequently attended the Alamar Rap Festival in Havana. Initially, he went to all the rap concerts and started doing sampling. It was precisely in the year 2000 that several rap artists, including Alexander, gathered in Alamar, a place in the capital known for being the birthplace of Cuban hip-hop.
The name of the group, Gente de Zona, then emerged as clear evidence of where they came from, as Alamar is divided into numbered zones. Alexander Delgado later found Michel, “el Caro,” and together they began performing at parties and official venues in Guanabacoa and Regla, and especially in Alamar, their territory.
In their early days as amateurs, they performed at various cultural centers such as those in Alamar, Guanabacoa, and Regla, but primarily at the one in their hometown, where they quickly gained a following and audience. As a result, they participated in the international rap festivals held annually in Cuba. Alexander was in charge of the animation for three consecutive years. Later, they became part of the Hermanos Saíz Association, and it wasn't until 2002 that they began their professional career with the Antonio María Romeu company, performing across the country.
In July 2005, Gente de Zona, originally consisting of Alexander and Michel, joined the catalog of La Agencia Cubana de Rap, bringing a more mature body of work within their genre, always blending it with our rhythms and considering market demands. In 2005, Michel left the group and Jacob Forever joined, coming from the group "Made in Cuba," along with Nando Pro, a well-known music producer and DJ. Together with Gente de Zona, he was part of the album
The best that sounds now vol II, with tracks like “She Likes Artists” and “The Animals,” which topped the popularity charts not only in Cuba but also in places like Miami and Europe, where they were recognized as ambassadors of Caribbean reggaeton. “I'm from Alamar, Nando is from Santa Fe, and we have been part of Cuban hip hop from the beginning. We dressed like other rappers but our sound was different. Our lyrics were more commercial.”
"Almost all of our songs come from the streets, from our personal experiences, but we didn't want our music to be confined to just one area. We wanted to convey our ideas and what we did musically to a broader audience, to all Cubans,” said the founder and director of Gente de Zona. In 2006, their major hits "Soñé" and "La Campaña," two superhits, emerged, gaining popularity in Cuba and among fans of Cuban music in general. In 2007, they performed as guest stars on the CD by David Calzado and his Charanga Habanera, “El cañón.” They won a "Premio Lucas" and continued to release megahits like "Le gustan los artistas" and "Pa' la calle." In the summer of 2008, they released their first exclusive worldwide CD with Planet Records, “Lo mejor que suena ahora.” The music video for the superhit "Yo te enseñé," directed by Santana, was nominated for the Premios Lucas.
After their success, in 2010, "Full" was released in the music market. It consists of 16 songs and was created in collaboration with various artists: Orishas, Dr. López, Sr. Rodríguez, Los Generales, El Micha, Los Alertas, La Real Familia, and Elvis Manuel. During the summer of 2011 and January 2012, the band embarked on two significant tours, performing in nearly forty cities to great artistic, critical, and public acclaim. In the summer of 2012, they conducted another important tour in Europe. In March 2013, Gente de Zona announced the separation of Alexander and Jacob Forever. Alexander continues under the name Gente de Zona alongside Randy, former singer of Charanga Habanera.
