For those wanting to go south but unwilling to risk the travel headache, an upcoming concert by recent Grammy-award winner Alex Cuba may be just the thing.
Alex Cuba. Photo provided.
Born Alexis Puentes in a small city about an hour outside of Havana, Alex Cuba was raised by a music teacher father and grew up surrounded by harmony. In 1999, at the age of 25, Cuba immigrated to Canada and then settled in the northern town of Smithers, B.C. with his Canadian wife.
Despite the frosty locale of his adopted hometown, Cuba creates music that is rhythmically complex, emotional, joyful, and warm. One exuberant reviewer went as far as saying “Cuba’s music is like wrapping puppies, ice cream, and baby laughs in sunshine.”
An independent artist who records on his own label, Cuba has won multiple international awards and accolades, including the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for Mendó, in which he collaborates with some of Latin music’s biggest names. Like a true Canadian, he received the news while driving through a miserable snowstorm.
I had the honour of asking Alex Cuba some questions by e-mail. Here is what he had to say.
How did it feel winning the 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album, and what do you think it means for you and your career?
It is always amazing to get a nomination, but to win is simply unreal. I won that Grammy when I least expected it, with an album I recorded myself in my living room in Smithers, British Columbia. So just imagine how would that feel—from your living room to the Grammys. It shows me that, after so long, music still brings me the same sense of excitement and intrigue.
How has your music evolved since launching your solo career two decades ago?
It has been a journey of listening to my heart, overcoming the expectations of others, and creating a sound that goes beyond the norms and clichés of Latin and Cuban music. Over the course of eight albums, I now create music that is recognized by the wider industry, yet distinctly recognizable.
Who have been your greatest musical inspirations? Who are you listening to now?
While I don’t listen to a lot of music these days, I appreciate how much the artists I love have influenced and taught me. I listened to Cuban music growing up, most of it “live” in my hometown of Artemisa. I also listened to legendary Cuban recorded artists like Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanes. As a teenager, I started listening to international artists, such as pop star Michael Jackson and American jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius. When I first came to Canada in 1999, I discovered more amazing music, such as Blue Rodeo, Ray Charles, and Bill Withers.
You’ve collaborated with musicians such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Cimafunk, and Ron Sexsmith. Who would you like to collaborate with next?
As an independent artist, I am not asked to build a song around a profitable pairing. If I hear a voice in a song I am working on, that’s when I reach out. Collaborations happen when they want to—that way, they are not forced and remain beautiful forever.
What can audiences expect at your concert at the NAC next weekend?
My setlist will include tracks from my most recent album, Mendó, such as “Mundo Nuevo” and “Amor En La Distancia,” as well as older tracks like “Ciudad Hembra (La Habana)” and “Si Pero No.” Audiences will also hear the song “Sarah,” which is a tribute to my wife, and the song “Esta Situación,” which I performed at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Alex Cuba performs Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm in the NAC’s Babs Asper Theatre. Tickets are available online or at the NAC box office.
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