In 2016, Afro-Cuban funkster and cultural ambassador Cimafunk began his solo career. Cimafunk— an ode to his Cimarones heritage rooted deep in the 16th century lore of enslaved Africans escaping their Spanish captors – was joined by an elite group of fellow Cuban musicians to record his 2017 debut album, Terapia (meaning “therapy”), which became widespread in his homebase of Havana as a revolution of a new Afro-Cuban music genre exuding all of the robust and festive hallmarks of rhumba, bolera, James Brown, Fela Kuti and more. While most of Cimafunk’s zest is propelled by irresistible, upbeat, funk anthems, it can also seduce with the occasional ballad. Witness in person what The New Yorker describes as Cimafunk’s “uncanny ability to control the energy in the room” at this Duke Performances appearance, which could very well live up to the meaning of cimarrón — “wild” and “untamed.” 

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