Cimafunk

Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodríguez (born 1989), known professionally as Cimafunk, is a Grammy-nominated Cuban musician known for mixing funk and hip hop with Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. His most recent album, ''Pa' Tu Cuerpa, was released in 2024.

== Biography == Rodriguez sang in church as a child, and originally planned to become a doctor like several members of his family. He attended medical school in his hometown of Pinar del Río for two years, but moved to Havana in 2010 to pursue music. He worked as a session arranger and producer for Cuban musicians like Raúl Paz and Liuba María Hevia, and was also in the band Interactivo from 2014 to 2016. After leaving that band, he adopted the name Cimafunk, referencing the cimarróns, escaped slaves who formed self-sustaining communities in Cuba during the colonial era. His backing band featured a rotating cast of collaborators. Cimafunk endeavored to blend Afro-Cuban and African American music, with a focus on funk rhythms. The New Yorker has since compared him to James Brown.