Nokki Cabrera Evokes “Trap Salsa” Sounds While Honouring Her Cuban American Roots
by Julieta Miquelarena
Nokki Cabrera was born in Florida to immigrant parents who deserted Cuba for America in 1994 during Fidel Castro's rule. By 1992, Cuba's economy had declined by over 40% in under two years, with significant food shortages, widespread malnutrition, and a lack of essential goods.
Nokki's parents gave her and her brother a very different life from the one they had until then. From America, they cherished strongly raising their children close-knit to the Cuban values and culture they grew by, esteeming hard work and perseverance.
NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE CABRERAS': A REFUGEE FAMILY
As America assisted refugees from Cuba, Nokki's Cabrera parents were relocated to New Mexico, where Nokki attended middle school, learned English, and ultimately discovered her fondness for singing and performing.
Her family had moved back to Florida by the time she had attended Spoto High School where she honed her musical skills by becoming a first-chair flute player.
NOKKI'S MUSICAL INFLUENCE
Growing up in a Spanish-speaking household, the artist often listened to Latin-American artists such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, and Gloria Estefan.
She began singing as a child and has been interested in threading her diverse upbringing into her artistry and music style. Cabrera's name, Nokki, came from her mother's maiden name, embracing their heritage once more.
NOKKI’S STYLE
Nokki’s music combines Cuban Salsa, American Pop, and Southern Hip-Hop with Trap undertones. Her keen sense of fashion and ‘sweet’ personality appeal to fans of different backgrounds and ages as she claims her title as “The Princess of Trap Salsa.”
“TRAP SALSA”
Nokki Cabrera’s latest album “Trap Salsa,” consists of 6 tracks- ‘Trap Salsa,’ ‘La Vida,’ ‘Deseo,’ ‘B,eso,’ ‘Tanga,’ and ‘Que Te Amo’ that can be listened to on many of the platforms we know — like Spotify or Apple Music.
For Nokki Cabrera:
“Trap salsa is about love, optimism, living life to the fullest, seeing beauty in the [small] things, and never taking anything for granted.”
The Cuban artist, now based in Los Angeles, is followed by 42k followers on Instagram and 204k followers on Tik Tok — as she continues building the path of solid promise for a type of music that resurfaces from her roots into an ‘American type of alchemy.’
Follow Nokki Cabrera on Instagram / TikTok / Youtube
This story was originally published in November 2021 at DLAREZMAG
