Havana, Cuba: Hip Hop Está Vivo En Cuba Vol.1 is a collection of 15 original songs, recorded over 13 days during the 12th annual Cuban Hip-Hop Symposium. The symposium took place shortly after President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba, which eased travel restrictions and opened the door for this project and brought together artists, media creators, and youth educators from the United States & Cuba in a genuine collaboration of ideas at a historic moment in time. An eclectic mix of artists, sounds, and themes, the album gives Cuban Hip-Hop artists a global platform for expression and listeners an insight into their lives and Cuban Hip-Hop culture. The album is officially available on all digital platforms October 20th, 2017.
The album was recorded during the production of the accompanying short documentary “Hip Hop Está Vivo En Cuba,” which includes veteran Cuban Hip-Hop artists and some budding newcomers. The documentary captures the optimism of the Cuban Hip-Hop scene after President Obama’s visit and continues to document in the aftermath of President Trump’s announcement to reinstate restrictions on trade and travel. The brief moment in which policy was heading towards normalization, empowered the Cuban Hip-Hop community and enabled them to have a voice on a global stage. The film allows for dialogue between communities and reinforces the idea that Hip-Hop as a global movement can be a platform for the Cuban people. Filming for the documentary is finished and set to be released in 2018.

Diles recently spent two weeks with a production team (Centro Habana Studio: Alexzander Scott and Steve W. Thompson) in Havana, Cuba for the 12th annual Hip Hop Symposium hosted by Agencia Cubana de Rap. There were workshops, panel discussions, performances, studio sessions, and a documentary film directed by Emmy Award winning director Steve Thompson. Hip Hop Esta Vivo en Cuba coming soon….