Cuban musician, El Taiger, dies at 37 after US shooting

Cubans light candles next to pictures of late reggaeton singer Jose Manuel Carbajal 'El Taiger' as they pay tribute in Havana on October 10, 2024. AFP

Cuban musician Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, known as “El Taiger,” died Thursday in the US city of Miami at 37, his family said, a week after he was shot in the head and hospitalised.

A popular “urbano” singer who mixed reggaeton with traditional Cuban music, he was known for songs such as “La Historia,” “Papelito,” and “Habla Matador.”

“We bid farewell to one of the most recognised figures of the urban genre, who did not renounce his Cuban identity and always expressed love for his country,” the Cuban Institute of Music said in a statement on Facebook.

Based in the United States for several years, Carbajal Zaldivar had been hospitalised in Miami since October 3 after local authorities found him unconscious inside a car. Miami police were investigating the shooting.

The musician’s family thanked his medical team and those “who offered prayers and tributes during his hospitalisation” in a statement released on social media.

“Turn up the volume of your music, dance, and celebrate his life,” the family added.

Legendary Cuban band Los Van Van mourned Carbajal Zaldivar in a post on Instagram.

“We are deeply saddened by your death but we are proud to have known you and on more than one occasion shared the stage,” the group wrote. “Rest in peace, tireless warrior.”

On Thursday night, in eastern Havana, scores of people gathered in a park in the Guanabacoa neighbourhood to bid farewell to El Taiger.

In front of an old church, they placed photos of the musician and lit candles while singing his songs and turning on the lights of their cell phones in tribute.

“We are sad, very sad, but we are celebrating as he wanted, he said he wanted parties, joy,” Yuli Mauro, 30, told AFP, dancing to the music alongside her son.

“We’ve already lit his candle so that he can reach heaven with light.”

PUNCH Online reports that mass shootings in schools and public spaces in the US have been a significant issue over the past few decades, sparking debates on gun control, mental health, and public safety.

The prevalence of gun violence remains a deeply polarising topic in American society.

AFP