Beatriz Luengo

Yotuel Romero

Yotuel is a multi-Grammy Award-winner and one of the most relevant artists of his generation. He started Orishas in 1999, a band that fused the traditional sounds of Cuban music with hip-hop. They have been recognized by Billboard magazine as the seed of urban music in Latin America and by Time magazine as one of the most important bands in the world. They were among the first promoters of a sound that leads today’s charts. They were the first Latinos to headline some of the biggest music festivals in the world, such as Coachella (USA), Rock in Rio (Brazil) and Roskilde (Denmark). They collaborated with Calle 13 on the mythical song "Pal Norte," with which they won the Latin Grammy for Best Song of the Year after an unforgettable performance.

During the 22nd Latin GRAMMY Awards, he received 2 nominations in which he won Song of the Year and Best Urban Song for a track called "Patria y Vida.¨ The impact of winning was a miraculous surprise, and has brought joy and hope to the people of Cuba. “Patria y Vida,” or “Homeland and Life,” is the story about 6 Afro-Latino rappers who changed the history of their native country with a song. Yotuel always believed that music brings with it the power of social transformation. The song reflected a need that became a protest, it became a voice and a starting point for a collective. The strength of this song not only mobilized the island, but also had a global impact from Asia, to Europe, back through to the USA and Latin America, where people demonstrated in the streets, demanding freedom and human rights with this musical piece as a finale. It has also garnered mention from Barack Obama himself, who placed the song on his list of favorite music for 2021. President Joe Biden received the songwriters at the White House. In addition to appearing in headlines and reviews in all major newspapers and newscasts around the world, “Patria y Vida” has been mentioned more than 342 million times in the Tiktok hashtag used for human rights denunciations that go beyond Cuba's borders, since #patriayvida, speaking of the right to a dignified life in one’s home country, concerns the entire planet. “Patria y Vida” has become an emblematic theme of resilience. In places as far away as Iran and Ukraine, “Patria y Vida” has been heard as a slogan in a struggle that at this point has no nationalities.The song has been included for preservation in the U.S. Library of Congress, so that future generations will not forget that it is a cry for freedom that is vital to our survival today.

Katelina Eccleston

Katelina ‘Gata’ Eccleston is the pioneering historian and journalist behind the critically acclaimed platform Reggaeton Con La Gata. Gata’s pioneering work continues to accurately contextualize the colonial influence that has sought to suppress the founding roots and socio-political narratives that created Reggaeton. As an executive producer and host of Panamanian-Jamaican descent, her reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, NPR, The LA Times, Telemundo, Harper's Bazaar, Spotify, Netflix, and more.