Entertainment Features

Alex Cuba: King of Canada's Latin Music

Alex Cuba: King of Canada's Latin Music

 

By David DeRocco

Alex Cuba is one of Canada’s most talented singer/songwriter/guitarists, but he’s also become quite the collector – Juno Awards, Grammy Awards, and a rabid fan base that stretches from the Great White North to the heart of Latin America. Cuba is often classified as “world music,” but what he accomplishes with his voice and guitar is often out of this world; Cuba combines sugar-case sweet melodies and riff-laden guitar tracks to create a Latin musical landscape of his own design.

As a collaborator, Cuba has helped bring Latin sensibilities into the music of artists from Nelly Furtado to Ron Sexsmith. But where he truly shines is on his own albums, including 2017’s Lo Único Constante, The new set of songs finds Cuba exploring his roots, blending elements of the “filin” movement (derived from the English word “feeling”) with Cuba trova and American jazz and soul. It’s the latest in a string of richly diverse-Latin infused albums released by Cuba since his solo debut in 2004. And despite often looking back with the critical eye of a perfectionist, Cuba is happy with the art he’s created.

“It usually takes me about a month before I really start thinking about it,” said Cuba, who returns to The Sanctuary in Ridgeway April 21st. “I guess I need a little time to let things go. Musicians always listen with the scissors in your hand. But I prepare myself to go to the studio. I try out new demos. When I go to the studio it’s pretty much a straight shot. I am blessed with confidence and now, to this day, with seven albums to my n ame, I don’t doubt anything. I’m proud of what I’ve done.”

The fact he’s been awarded for album of the year, songwriter of the year and video of the year speaks to the consistency of his production. However, as an artist Cuba is most proud of one particular award.

“I think the most meaningful award to me is the Latin Grammy I won two years ago,” said Cuba. “Because it won in the category Best Singer/Songwriter. That’s pretty meaningful to me.”

Despite rising to prominence for his vocal and guitar talents, Cuba says the songwriter awards have special meaning because of the effort it takes to craft a truly compelling pop song.

“I think it takes a lot to build a very powerful pop songs,” said Cuba, who started his career as part of The Puentes Brothers. “I find it not so much a challenge, but it takes more attention. You need to understand things at that level. You’re always trying to roll with the times, to be hip, be current, be updates. People underestimate how difficult it can be to write. I heard someone say that the most stupid song a writer writes usually turns out to be the most famous one. Like “Who Let The Dogs Out.” The goal is to write something that’s much more meaningful but still a great song.”

What brings fans out to his shows is great performance, and Cuba is a triple threat as a vocalist, a guitarist and a showman. If you haven’t seen Cuba live and are considering buying a ticket, the Cuban-Canadian superstar says people should expect nothing less than to be taken on a transformative musical journey – one that bridges his adoptive home with the country that inspires his music.

“The best I can say is, what we’ve been doing across the country and across the nation, people walk away pretty much with the feeling that they’ve went on a trip and they came back right to where there were with their souls feeling very warm and cozy. The show is basically a journey. I take the audience back to where I come from. I show them my roots. And then I bring them back in a seamless way. If somebody who has never been exposed to Latin music comes to see me playing, what happens normally is that they enjoy it so much, but they think that all Latin music is like that. So I want to make sure that when we play those songs, that they know they are witnessing something unique and that comes from the soul, from somebody who is proud to be living in Canada and defending Latin music from this wonderful country.”