Paul McCartney didn’t think twice. Ron Delsener, an old friend and promoter of The Beatles for years, invited him to a concert of topfunk in New York with a remarkable cover letter. “He has one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen,” Ron told Paul to show him the Cuban’s work.
The concert took place at the legendary Stephen Talkhouse club, in The Hamptons, New York, where a gallery of music stars has paraded. Paul arrived accompanied by his daughter Stella McCartney, an outstanding fashion designer. He sat discreetly in front of the stage and began to enjoy the concert until the end where he heard the songs Funk Aspirin, La papa, Relajao (unreleased), Patient and Cimafunk’s version of the anthem Sex Machine, by James Brown, one of the Cuban musical heroes.
From his seat Paul thanked the energy and poise of La Tribu together with their leader. Before leaving, the magic happened. Paul greeted the musicians and thanked them “for having such a dynamic show with such a good sound,” one of the show’s organizers told this editor.
After the experience Cimafunk and its musicians have not been able to fall from the sky. “Paul McCartney is a legend, one of the most important artists in history. He knows. He knows about the music, about the show, about the flow and the groovehaving their support and approval has been the greatest thing there is,” Cimafunk tells this editor.
“What I enjoy and enjoy more than anything in life is being on stage. Meeting Paul from the stage is the best. The place is small and it was tremendously hot, people losing their minds, dancing and sweating, and Paul was right there almost on stage, right next to Wao, our pianist”, he adds.
Cimafunk has recorded the hug that Paul gave him at the end of the concert. “I was able to hug him and thank him for his art and for coming to see me and La Tribu. I know we will see each other again soon. This summer has been very violent, the shows with tremendous energy, La Tribu playing better than ever and super touched fans, who give us the best of them in each show”, he comments.
A member of his team accompanies the singer-songwriter’s words with the details that were combined for the Beatle’s meeting with Cimafunk.
“Less than a year ago, Delsener went to a Cimafunk concert with La Tribu and was captivated by the result of the show. He then commented that it was one of the best shows he had seen in his life and wrote his impressions of what he saw that night on stage. Then the invitation to his friend Paul came up, ”he explains.
Delsener is one of the most influential producers in rock history. He is 86 years old and has been on the international circuit for more than 60 years. He currently works with the company Live Nation, specialized in organizing concerts around the world.
The concert took place as part of the tour The food, which is named after Cimafunk’s second album. During the tour the musician has gone up to well-known international stages and has won a new legion of followers for his cause. And everything indicates that among them already counts the name of Paul McCartney
Dr Zapà, the group’s musical director, had to cling to his feet to believe that he was playing for one of the greatest symbols in music history.
“Having Paul in a concert is the greatest thing that has happened in my career. We are talking about the Beatles, one of the toughest musicians of all time. I loved seeing how he enjoyed the concert with his family. Having his blessing was the greatest thing. It was a super big push for the band, to continue creating and pushing our music. An amazing experience,” he notes.
Cimafunk has been on the rise in a vertiginous way after the publication of his first album Therapy independently. His first songs as Patient became a phenomenon at cruising speed in Cuba and his shows did not stop bursting in Havana. His proposal attracted international attention and has had favorable reviews of his music in prestigious newspapers such as the American New York Times. During his still short but explosive career, he has played on legendary stages such as the Blue Note in New York and has collaborated with musicians of the caliber of George Clinton.
For higher merits The foodit was selected by Rolling Stones magazine in the third place of the best albums in Spanish of 2021. “The incandescent second album of Cimafunk, The foodunfolds as a series of intersections between the Afro-Cuban musical tradition and the American masters of funk, hip-hop, and rock & roll,” said the Rolling Stones.
