That Catalonia is culturally distinct from Spain is nothing new. Neither is the idea of Catalonian secession. But the movement has reached a fever pitch, with Spanish economics and a wave of nationalism sweeping through the region to magnify what was already a tense relationship between Catalonia and the rest of Spain.

Humberto is a Cuban-born citizen of the United States who has been living a long time in Catalonia, where he has become involved in activism related to the independence movement. Although he’s been fairly public about it and isn’t secretive about his music, he’s asked that we not use his last name here, as he wants to minimize the possibility that his doing this interview would prompt Spanish authorities to come after him.

When he’s not out on the street at pro-independence demonstrations or running his tourism business, Humberto makes club music. He recently changed his stage name from Hussy Cowboy to Humbe to make pronunciation easier for Spanish audiences.