K-Pop takes socialist Cuba by storm

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — Socialist Cuba, birthplace of salsa and other rhythms that have conquered the world, is now capitulating to the invasion of South Korean pop music.

Thirteen thousand kilometers separate the Asian country from the communist-ruled island, as do a different language and different cultural traditions. But thanks to the rousing beats and elaborate choreography of K-Pop, all these barriers seem to disappear in a split second.

Korean pop music, K-Pop, has spread widely from Asian roots as boy bands like BTS and NCT and her female counterpart, Blackpink rival Taylor Swift, for downloads and Album sales worldwide.

In Cuba, however, where salsa is all the rage and internet speeds were minimal until recently, the technology has been slow to gain acceptance.

Far from Seoul on Saturday, dozens of teenagers in plaid shirts, private school skirts, baggy bomber pants and thick black eyeliner showed off their best moves while images of the genre's idols were projected on a large screen in a Havana dance club.

“K-pop has opened up a new world for me,” said 24-year-old Fransico Piedra, who, when he's not working with his father as a blacksmith, is meticulously crafting dance moves. Known by his stage name Ken, he aspires to one day become a professional K-pop choreographer. “It's a place where I can be myself and share the joy of laughing, singing and dancing with friends.”

Many of the teenagers hope to follow in the footsteps of two Cuban groups – Limitless and LTX – who traveled to South Korea before the pandemic to participate in the K-POP World Festival, an annual talent competition.

K-pop – a catch-all term for musical styles ranging from R&B to rock – first hit the island about a decade ago when Cubans fell in love with South Korean soap operas. As internet speeds improved and government controls were relaxed, more and more young Cubans went online and started streaming videos, like teenagers everywhere.

While Cuban children are fascinated by K-pop, an older generation of politicians has a frostier relationship with South Korea. The two countries only this year restored diplomatic relations, severed after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and have yet to exchange ambassadors. Meanwhile, Cuba remains a staunch ally of North Korea, which views K-pop as a dangerous form of propaganda from a capitalist enemy with whom it has been locked in a military stalemate since the 1950s.