A Cuban woman has transformed Selena Quintanilla's most iconic chorus into an anthem for power outages. Instead of lamenting a lost love, she mourns the fact that her neighbor has a portable battery, leaving her in darkness.
Kirenia Guibert's video on Instagram sparked a wave of laughter, garnering thousands of likes and hundreds of comments in just a few days.
The parody twists "Como la Flor"—the 1992 Tejano cumbia famous for its "ay, cómo me duele" line heard across Latin America—by shifting the source of pain from heartbreak to the envy of not affording an EcoFlow, while her neighbor enjoys light, a fan, and a charged phone.
"I know, you've got an EcoFlow, that's why you don't complain anymore. I'm still here, in the dark, waiting for the electricity to come back. An EcoFlow, I want one, to be like you. I'll be like you, with light, now I'm in the dark, but oh oh oh, it hurts me, pim, pim, pim, pim, oh oh oh, how it hurts," Guibert sings in the 48-second clip.
The video's brief and witty description delivers the final punchline: "Donations accepted."
Days later, Kirenia shared a second video showcasing behind-the-scenes footage of her parody's recording.
Though humor reigns on her social media, Kirenia also leads the Diapasión ensemble, made up of students from Manuel Saumell Elementary School of Music. Her talents extend beyond comedy to mastering the art of music.
This isn't the first time EcoFlow has been a punchline in Cuban online humor. Comedian Javier Berridy previously used the fictional name "EcoFlow Domínguez" in a satirical video about future names in Cuba, alongside "Apagonio Rodríguez" and "Kilowatt Martínez." Additionally, a Cuban woman in Spain described in July how she helps her family financially: first with a generator, then fans, and eventually an EcoFlow.
What makes Guibert's parody stand out is its cultural precision: turning a song beloved throughout Latin America into a commentary on a crisis that the Cuban government seems unable—or unwilling—to solve. Cuba experienced eight total disconnections from the National Electric System in 2026, with no improvements in sight over the past week.
Understanding the Impact of Cuban Power Outages
How did Kirenia Guibert's parody gain popularity?
Kirenia Guibert's parody gained popularity by humorously addressing the frustration of power outages in Cuba through a familiar and beloved song, resonating with many who experience similar issues.
What cultural relevance does "Como la Flor" have in Latin America?
"Como la Flor" is a renowned Tejano cumbia by Selena Quintanilla, widely recognized across Latin America for its emotional lyrics about heartbreak, making it a culturally significant song.
Why is the EcoFlow a common element in Cuban humor?
The EcoFlow, as a portable battery, symbolizes a solution to Cuba's frequent power outages, thus becoming a humorous element in jokes and parodies about the country's energy crisis.