Cuba: Coocuyo Remix (2025)

[bunniefuu]

[blade sound][logo]

[insect buzz][cocuyo]

[metal hit][logo]

[natural ambience]

[kids' voices][bouncing ball]

Hey, sh**t!

sh**t pass!

You're doing nothing.

sh**t!

sh**t!

sh**t, pass!

[natural ambience][kids'

voices in the distance]

[birds chirping][dogs barking]

[natural ambience]

[natural ambience][pigeons]

[pigeon cooing][pigeon pecking]

[natural ambience][footsteps]

Hey I'll be late for work.

And this one?

She went up and down.

She still hasn't eaten?

No. Let's give her some food.

[cellphone ringtone]

What happened to you?

[distant thunder]

It's off!

No signal.

[stronger thunder]

Did you see this one from the Biennale?

It looks great on their window.

I like it a lot!

The sky looks terrible.

[thunder][heavy rain]

[rain][hand percussion]

Ladies and gentlemen, before we start...

yes people, with you,

the apostles of music.

[footsteps on metal stairs]

Salsa, bachata, merengue,

house, reggaeton and more.

This is the nightclub

from Santa Clara, Cuba.

Papito.

[children shouting][skates scraping]

[children shouting][skates passing close]

[traffic][box on wheels dragged]

Did you see the big guy fall?

It was monstrous. Monstrous.

That guy was always on the ground.

And everyone just waiting.

"Uah, uah"...Floating in the air.

Total madman.

Always on the ground. Total madness.

But it was fun, yeah.

All the musicians played well

well, some of them.

Sure, sure and the girls too

were doing stuff with the DJ.

I don't know what he played.

Uah so funny.

[electric razor running]

The g*y guy is in trouble.

No, no, it's like...

It's like they say: "There's a man!"

What?

[suppressed laughter]

[traffic][car horn]

[sea][drums from phone]

[sea][drums from phone, louder]

[distant traffic]

[wooden cart passing]

[city noise and wind]

Purple socks.

I like them.

This stuff is horrible.

Truth is, you're a clown. You stay a clown.

A Techno clown.

You're the Techno clown.

That's what you became.

Close that thing back there.

You know what I should do?

I should.

Here you did something with a trans?

Hey! Now yes, let's go

unless you want me going

out at night like a nightmare.

Nice, right?

Now you're underground,

underground! Worse than the worst.

Imagine, I bought it in an

adult shop. Just something.

Listen.

[music from TV]

Well, back and forth, the

folks from Holgun called...

and they said: "Yes."

He's here, coming.

They say: take the bus, so take the bus.

I get on the bus.

Then I get off and take another bus.

We leave 18 hours of travel.

I didn't know if sitting like this...

or on my back...

or on my head.

No, not this one.

The thing is, the seats recline,

the one in front had his knees like this.

Back there it was freezing.

And up front: "Driver, couldn't you..."

turn down the air conditioning

"it's freezing in here."

Its low. There were penguins behind it.

Around Camagey we stopped,

because the bus in front of us

had crashed into a truck.

People came out of it.

No, it was where I got on the first time.

There was a truck there and the driver

started braking, but the bus lights

...didn't come on... and the bus...

Fufi.

Come here.

Stay here, easy.

Bro, what's the problem?

You're unfocused,

you need to behave better.

Because we have to go to Havana.

Have you seen Daniel's new app?

Put your finger in,

and it tells your death.

Theyre out of ideas.

Daniel always has crazy stuff on his phone.

It's nonsense.

How does this app work? You

put your finger on the screen,

it simulates a finger scan,

It tells you your death

and the year. Imagine.

Let me see if I get it.

You put your finger in. It

scans your print. Theoretically.

It makes a chart and says when you'll die.

Honestly, Daniel...

How you'll die.

Daniel gets lost in nonsense.

He spends his days with this nonsense.

[pigeons cooing]

Put some food out for Susanna.

Susanna won't come out,

you have to take her.

[natural ambience]

[natural ambience][car passing close]

[floor sweeping][distant

voices from window]

You don't help me at all?

Not even a little?

Something, if you stop that.

A hand with something.

How many pairs do you use?

Not one, two pairs of slippers.

You think I'll spend

the day picking them up?

Help me with something. Do you hear me?

Fine.

Eh. One day I'll disappear

and stop doing things.

You're always arguing, dear.

Man, no fights. Just help me a bit.

Always with your music, all day,

I need your help.

You think it's nonsense?

No, I'm the one who's nonsense.

Yes, it's so hot.

[barber spray bottle][city voices]

Not even the fan? No?

You cant? I dont know.

This one here, too.

We're all sweating.

Yes, it's driving me crazy.

[footsteps][city voices]

Ah. Feels like being in France already.

When's your friend arriving?

I dont know. Hes over there.

We wait. Hes coming from Havana.

Damn. We have to wait for him.

Rain stopped.

Don't know if I went, I don't remember.

Some music what do you say?

I remember that

Look when it starts, now we'll record it.

Come on, move or we'll miss it.

No stop.

We'll record it. This one's good.

Yes, but let's go record

it. Where do we record?

Eh audio, I don't know

Move, move.

[old car starting]

[distorted club music][crowd rising]

Good evening, everyone, radio

program of electronic music on air.,

every Thursday from 11:20 to 12:20 on

93.3 FM, Radio Taino, in the prog

[clearing throat]

Good evening, everyone, welcome to.

La Cura de la Semana

section, not section program.

Good evening, and welcome

to La Cura de la Semana

radio program of electronic music on air.

Thanks to Radio Taino and

to the program Cuba Tonight.

Today is edition 245,

about the national hits

of La Cura de la Semana.

We'll play music by Ryan,

and many DJs and producers.

From Havana and beyond.

So stay tuned, and if

you can, boost the signal.

[natural ambience]

Good morning, sir.

We stay? Go? Wait?

Damn. Shall we go eat?

You're eating eggs?

Sure.

Egg salad with olive oil?

A thick oil in the bottle hah.

Eh!

Turn that stuff off. I cant hear anything.

At the Biennale, they asked me

to play with a box of eggs.

This is the artist, the one who goes:

"You must play with a box of eggs."

What are the basicsWhat

are the conceptual bases of

12 Havana Biennials,

Twelve plus twelve how many?

Tell me how many? 24.

Look, count: one, two,

three there, 24 eggs.

12 Havana Biennials

plus 12 eggs. Same thing.

It's a work for 24 Havana Biennials.

24 Havana Biennials.

Look how I'm talking to you.

And what I'm telling you hah.

[hand clap]

He rented a room from a colleague.

He was working with us.

Bro, we had finished the party.

Leaving the venue after wrapping up.

We thought it was a drunk lying there.

I get closer, look... its him. Yes, him.

It was him lying on the

ground, in front of the club door.

And when I told my colleague:

Isnt he the guy at your place?

"Of course!"

He had just thrown up on the ground.

And messed his pants.

And the hat...

when we stopped him.

Ryan says: "Oh".

"What a nice mess."

He kept the hat by his pants.

We put the hat back on his head.

We dragged him away.

And put him in a car.

And the car driver

Great story for dinner time.

Good evening, brother. Good

evening. Can you tell me where nearby

a downhill street near the university

going downhill.

I think it's called Nestone,

something like that.

Nestone? No.

The one by the university is San Lzaro.

You don't know the one next to it?

Could it be Neptuno? It could be Neptuno.

Maybe Neptuno. Okay, can

you take me to the university

Neptuno two blocks ahead?

Okay, if its just you, its 5 CUC.

No, brother. Not 5. It's not that far.

Were in Vedado, man. A cab can be 5 CUC.

Ok. Can't you do less?

Like 3 pesos, 4 pesos?

Okay, 3 pesos is fine.

Okay, then let's go.

[natural ambience][old car door]

[car door closing]

Do we still wait?

Just waiting for one.

Will it take long?

5 minutes.

Interesting before dying,

the victim had taken a strong mixture

similar to the drug known as Venom.

It alters bone and muscle structure,

boosting physical

strength for a limited time.

It seems the mixture reduces

mental capacity in several ways

and damages memory centers in the brain.

Prolonged use could

damage them irreversibly.

Hes the team investigator.

[silence]

[dogs barking persistently]

Some controllers are good.

Yeah, I saw those pics. I

don't like those controllers.

Ive got a Denon 6000 and a

Numark. Total junk, forget it.

The dream it has to

be Traktor, right? Yeah!

It works with Traktor, Virtual

DJ, Serato. I don't like this one.

[natural ambience][tractor engine]

[silence]

Why English if I dont get it?

"Greetings, I'have I don't

know what, blah blah"

I still need to go connect to the internet.

Translate all this on Google.

Oh my God.

Tell me how to get to Twenty-third Street.

Up there.

[natural ambience]

Man, you're behaving badly.

We still have to go to

Havana, and I dont get it.

Something similar happened to me.

I went through something

like you did, with a girl.

Don't make me tell it.

Focus. Do you hear me now?

You need to focus.

In Havana you were ridiculous,

you behaved badly, you know?

Look at you now, down there.

Come out of there, man.

Arent you a French bulldog?

You've got glamour and style.

When will you wake up?

Stop it, man.

You know we have to go.

I need you to focus.

It can't happen again, because if we

lose this chance, youll never get a girl.

Shes the only French bulldog

Ive seen in all of Havana, okay?

Man, it's always the same story.

Hurry up, theyre waiting for me

in the studio! Yeah, 5 minutes, man.

[whistle][keys jingling]

[fridge opening and indoor ambience]

[fridge hum]

[hallway sounds]

[car traffic]

[car traffic][car stereo, heavy bass]

[heavy bass][car body vibrating]

[traffic][motorcycle passing]

[ambience][car engine with weak battery]

[traffic][car passing]

[old bus passing]

[natural ambience]

Come on, go gently. You're angry.

Easy now, breathe gently.

We're not in a rush.

Where are we going today?

To a club?

Shall we go to a club?

To hear a good DJ?

You dont want to? Not in the mood?

Wanna eat? Honestly, youre annoying.

Very annoying.

You look like a girl I know.

Ive never played reggaeton or salsa.

Well, salsa yes.

Ive never played reggaeton nor

Ive never played

Heavy metal, yes?

Okay. Neither reggaeton nor rock.

[natural ambience][beatbox]

Emili-i-i-i-i-to, come down.

Emilitooo!

Seems they're calling.

Come here.

Tell me!

[dog barking]

Let's go.

[old elevator closing]

[loud dog barking]

[distant traffic and city ambience]

[broom on floor]

See? You yell all day and

you just woke the baby.

Alright, I'll calm him, and

you finish cleaning, okay?

Fine. I can't stand seeing you

always there with your music.

Okay, okay, I'll clean. You can go.

[distant traffic][through window]

Arguing, arguing all day...

It's too much.

[ambience][music from headphones]

And this little pink umbrella?

Well, we have this umbrella.

Terrible.

But what matters is that

it protects from the sun.

Protects what, man?

And it's pink it has a magical aura.

It's an amulet against against

Against negativity.

So hot.

[nature ambience][wind]

You bought it. Where did you find it?

I found it my sister gave it to me

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

And this pink color...

it has a protective aura.

In the end though

Lean out and see if you see anyone.

Hah I look out just for fun.

[traffic][car passing]

[footsteps][phone scratching sound]

[dancers steps][music from radio]

[piped audio][ambience]

[natural ambience][bird chirping]

[whistle][keys jingling]

My dream is to work with my two

Pioneer CDJs maybe 900 Nexus, 2000.

A four-channel mixer,

a good one with effects.

Yes, that's my dream.

The classic Pioneer, the

HDJ-1000. Those are for me.

Work, work, work make money to buy them.

With that, I'm happy.

No turntables, no controllers,

no Traktor, just this:

two USBs, or my CD

binder, because I'm a fanatic

about playing with my CDs.

My binder, my discs there.

You like it this way? Yes, yes

For me, these are the real machines:

Pioneer, Numark, Denon, Rane.

All garbage. You buy them and they break

then you end up buying Pioneer anyway.

Forget the rest.

Everything else is trash.

Pioneer, Pioneer, Pioneer, Pioneer.

I've been calling you for

three hours and can't reach you.

The 27th of this month? Sure, sure, sure.

I think he tricked us

The phlegm but

My throat feels like I cant smoke,

and it wont go away. No idea why.

I'm taking pills. Taking pills

and smoking and all that.

I don't know why. No.

[house fan][cat purring]

[nature ambience][traffic]

[traffic][motorbike]

Listen man, I know you're

my friend. Help me, please.

Don't do your business

on me. Help me, please.

[nature ambience][bird wings flapping]

So many birds on the roof.

[nature ambience][pigeons]

Seems they've calmed down.

The three neighbors who play music...

all three playing Bailando.

You could hear the reverb

of Bailando. All Bailando.

Damn.

Forget it, I got used to living here.

I'm happy here.

But the neighbors at

first I didnt get them.

I was the only different

one in this building.

This is a building of

families, older people here.

[indoor ambience and sigh]

[barbershop ambience][fan humming]

[barbershop ambience][scissors cutting]

Street. Go down the street

Go down the street.

What?

Go straight.

Go straight. Straight? Down the street.

Straight, straight this one?

Yes, go straight.

I want it right, but you wont.

As you want. Give me your hand.

The other one

And your job? Turn!

Dont they say anything at work?

Work? Mine is independent.

Still you're working with the public.

Alright. When he sees it

I dont want tattoos here.

Crazy, crazy. Drives me nuts.

I have a tattoo on my chest

Put a dove here on the side?

Can do.

Here you are, already

ready. I need to fix this.

When do we go to Remedios?

Try treating me badlylightly.

Watch me show up. Ahi ahi ahi.

[tattoo machine]

Close it well.

[tattoo machine][traffic]

Light. Let me focus

mentally. Wait a moment.

Maria.

[tattoo machine][traffic]

[natural ambience][motorbike passing]

Lets see if this fixes it.

Full power.

He was telling me that.

Original or Chinese?

Original, but

In the end you broke it.

Too expensive to repair it.

I preferred doing it myself.

I tried the same way.

And you destroyed it.

Same thing happened to mine.

The software is fully synced with Traktor.

Same brand made to work together.

This is the virtual version,

and this is the physical one.

Its like a controller.

It automatically controls

all functions I assigned

to work with the software.

[city noise and passing bicitaxi]

[city noise and stick hitting the ground]

[old car engine from inside]

Nationwide, well play everything:

DJs and producers from all over.

Besides that, well mix music

from the 70s, 80s and 90s...

classic and pioneering tracks

that influenced electronic music.

[natural ambience][birds chirping]

That's where it is.

Ah, this one sounds

Sounds good.

[metal fan scraping]

You can hear a low frequency.

[mouth sound]

[city noise and metallic workshop sounds]

For example, what we do live

is turn samples into beats.

Oh, I get it. I set it

to 8, to 2, to 10, to 1.

Exactly.

This one never fits with infinity.

You need to look for 20 or 18.

[natural ambience][footsteps]

Let it go, let it go.

[ambience][old car starting again]

[house silence][distant

voices through window]

What kind of old man are you?

You're Ret*rded.

And you?

You're Ret*rded.

Like 4, 5 years old.

No, 4 or 5 years would be 45, right?

You're 50, right?

Being 45 doesnt mean

you have to be like that.

Ive matured.

Matured? No, you went from

immaturity straight to rot.

You went beyond.

Remember when I was 27 or 30?

Im not the same anymore.

Im more serious, more

More responsible.

Yes, more serious, hair cut,

more gray, but youre the same.

Now Im more responsible!

Ah, responsible like being 27, 28, but

27, 28? Well, then

you're 15 years late crazy.

A 15 year delay.

Now you're about 30. Better for me.

Incredible.

This is serious stuff.

[house silence]

The problem is, you confuse me. Is it wave?

And what are you doing, man?

Right now I'm watching a tutorial on

What's it called?

Melbourne Bounce. Whats

this? You know this style?

The one where, when the theme

changes, they go: Euh, euh uu.

It sounds like that

and you dont get it.

This style.

This style here

The track I played you by Major Lazer.

You hear they go

That style when it changes.

[music from computer, rising]

[city noise and passing motorbike]

What I love about working with DJs:

you invite one or two and more show up.

Its something creative.

Their followers too.

Yeah, people follow DJs...

theyre learning too.

They also need an

audience to try things, to

Its not the same as when youre at home

mixing, as when youre in front of people

you dont know.

You practice a bit more.

But I like when they come and say:

Ive got music on my USB.

Drop a track. I like when a jam.

[electronic sounds from console]

[urban ambience][peoples voices]

So I plug it in there?

Sure, man.

[wood creaking]

Whoever was in that place on my...

on my side, my corner,

and witnessed that moment...

If a director had filmed that scene,

that would have been

Resident Evil part four.

I swear.

The people you should

have seen their faces.

Faces with red eyes and this desperation.

I didnt get it.

The money it took to get into

this packed place at that moment

everyone was

dancing.

But they couldnt.

And that made the exasperation

grow.

And suddenly,

you were there and couldnt do anything.

It was actually pretty fun.

And anyone who tried to go

out right then was k*lled alive

people were turning into zombies,

into zombies.

[distorted music from doll][plastic moving]

Look, start with the whisky.

Add that one, Jameson, add

Red Label, add Chivas Regal.

Hey, hey, hey go all in.

[city noise and traffic]

[indoor ambience and rocking

chair with music from phone]

[garage ambience][fan]

[old metal fan]

[old car engine starting]

[silence]

This girl shows up, one of those

you dont want around all night.

She asks for a track. I say

no, Im in my set, but she insists

and when I say yes

she gets happy and starts hugging me,

but the cable gets caught

between the mixer faders,

and when I pull away, it rips.

[electronic sounds from controller]

[skater passing][wheels on asphalt]

[old ride spinning]

[natural ambience]

[city noise and squeaky sports equipment]

[city noise and distant voices

with basketball bouncing]

Saint here is Joyvan, the

DJ. The DJ, how are you?

Is everything ready for Saturday?

Ah, okay, but call me

anyway to confirm Saturday.

Saturday is at

the same place just bring the gear there.

Here at home but let me know,

please, when everythings set, okay?

Come on. Good.

Yeah. Eh!

Tell me eh.

Just eh!

It was in Cienfuegos when I saw one.

Its been a while since

the last time I saw a cocuyo.

You dont see them in the city.

Little sailor cocuyo.

I used to catch them

and put them in a bottle...

Five, six or seven cocuyos

and give them some sugar.

They said they ate sugar.

I dont know if they ate it, but in

the end they all died. Sure. Of course.

Tiny little thing.

Its like a c*ck when I was a

kid Id grab them with my hand, but

Like that one in Cienfuegos..

A c*ck with lights.

What does the cocuyo eat?..yes.

The first special bond

with music was at my house.

On the balcony where I

live, on the second floor.

It really was

I was playing music for my friends.

We were just listening to some music,

and it was

an incredible day.

A double cassette player and at one point

I switch tracks fast, and people go:

What happened, Ryan? What happened?

It was something special, because

I really felt I wanted to do this.

I want to be this to be a DJ.

I want to make people dance.

And I also want the music...

I want them to feel it like I feel it.

The moment I play music

at home, people hear

it outside, on the street.

Feel the same thing Im listening to.

Mixing these tracks together.

It was incredible, because the

guys said: "What are you doing?"

"No, nothing."

I switched...

I switched one track for another

from one cassette to the other.

It was incredible, because the reaction

and the connection with that action...

the reaction of my three friends...

was incredible.

[city noises][voices]

[passing cars]

[urban environment][metallic

clatter of cymbals]

[motorbike passing through traffic]

[urban traffic]

[urban traffic][footsteps]

[bus engine][background music begins]

[car engine][background music]

[sound of waves][background music]

[background music]

The cocuyo is a mystery.