Gente de Zona

Gente de Zona was founded in 2000 in Alamar, a suburb of Havana, by Alexander Delgado and Michel “El Caro” Delgado. Initially, the group focused on hip-hop. In 2005, Michel “El Caro” Delgado departed, and Alexander Delgado recruited two new members, Yosdany “Jacob Forever” Carmenates and Fernando “Nando Pro” Otero. Recognizing the commercial appeal of his lyrics, Alexander shifted the group’s musical direction towards reggaeton, integrating traditional Cuban genres such as son and mambo. This blending of styles helped them gain broad appeal within Cuba. Their single “Pa’ la Gente de Mi Zona” became a hit in 2005, followed by their self-released, eponymous debut album which produced several popular tracks. In 2007, they signed with Planet Records and released their sophomore album, Lo Mejor Que Suena Ahora.

Over the next few years, Gente de Zona continued to release music, with albums like A Full (2010) and Oro: Lo Nuevo y lo Mejor (2012) further solidifying their popularity in Cuba. Several of their singles topped the Cuban charts, with “El Animal” becoming a significant success. In 2011, the group expanded their brand by launching their own fragrance. A turning point occurred in 2012 when Jacob Carmenates and Nando Otero left to pursue individual projects, leaving Alexander Delgado as the sole original member. He subsequently recruited Randy Malcom Martinez from the timba band Charanga Habanera. This new lineup continued their genre-blending approach, working with a full band and collaborating with the orchestra Habana de Primera.

Gente de Zona’s international profile significantly rose through a series of collaborations. They worked with Pitbull on “Vacaciones” and with Dominican rapper El Cata on “Con la Ropa Puesta,” which achieved considerable success in Latin territories. Their breakthrough international hit came in 2014 with “Bailando,” a collaboration with Enrique Iglesias from his album Sex and Love, which reached number 12 on the U.S. Billboard chart and became the first Spanish language song to achieve 1 billion views on YouTube. Subsequent duets with Marc Anthony, including “La Gozadera” and “Traidora,” further elevated their global presence. Their 2016 album Visualízate featured collaborations with artists such as Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez, and earned multiple awards, including Latin Grammys and Billboard Latin Music Awards, for singles like “Bailando” and “La Gozadera.”