Cuban artist El Taiger (real name: José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar) is in critical condition after being shot in the head.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning (Oct. 3) in Miami. “Yesterday just after 7 a.m., our officers responded to a call between 9th Avenue and 17th Street northwest, where they found a man inside a black vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound to the head,” Manuel Morales, Miami Police Chief, said in a press conference on Friday (Oct. 4).
“At that time, first aid was given and the individual was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital trauma center, where he went into surgery and is currently still in a very critical and serious condition. The investigation revealed that the individual in the car was José Manuel Carbajal Zaldíva, 37 years old, known as El Taiger,” he continued.
Morales did not share further information as the investigation is still in its first stage, but he added that “it’s a tragic incident that has shaken our community.”
El Taiger is known for his Cuban-rooted urban sound heard in songs such as “La Historia,” “El Papelito” and “Habla Matador.” His debut album, Taiger, was released in 2016 on Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Cosculluela’s label Rottboyz, and in 2017, he was featured on the Fate of the Furious movie soundtrack on producer Pinto “Wahin” and DJ Ricky Luna’s track “La Habana.” His most recent production, “Rulay,” in collaboration with Ecuadorian newcomer Niko G, came out this summer.
On social media, colleagues such as Gente de Zona and Jacob Forever have reacted to the tragedy. “Be strong, José Manuel, and may God put his hand on you so that you heal, recover, and are with us soon,” the former shared on Instagram. “I’m seeing a lot of news. I call him and he doesn’t answer. Just to think that it’s true, that you’re hurt in the hospital, breaks my heart,” the latter expressed.
“We always start the investigation assuming it’s a crime,” Morales noted. “There’s no person of interest at this time but detectives are working to reach the bottom of this case, and we are confident that it will be resolved sooner than later.”
