“I came here with a sense of roots already, which allowed me to right away focus on making a living, rather than focusing on coming to a new country,” he said.
A big break for Cuba came when he collaborated with Nelly Furtado for his catchy song Nadie Como Tu and wrote Furtado’s No. 1 Spanish hit Manos Al Aire. Cuba and Furtado also share a milestone; they are the first two Canadians to win Latin Grammys.
“I became the first Canadian to win a Latin Grammy and then Nelly [Furtado] became the second one 20 minutes later. It was funny,” he said.
The universal issues Cuba addresses in his most recent album, Ruido En El Sistema, are credited to his newfound Canadian identity. “I used to live on my own cloud of love, and this brand new album has seen me take a new turn. It has seen me talk about politics and peace and war, and all of that.”
The Jasper Folk and Blues Society is bringing Cuba and the trio he’s touring with to Jasper for a performance on Monday, March 18.
“He’s very much in demand and we’re excited to have him,” said Madison Lamb, the society’s executive director. “The society is aiming to have four presentations a year. The [Jasper Folk] Festival will be one of those.”
She has seen Cuba perform twice and can’t wait for his sound waves to hit town. Cuba’s trio produces such a full-bodied sound that “we sound bigger than we actually are on stage and it’s because all of us do more than on thing,” he said.
His musical diversity typically shatters audience expectations about his performance. They hear “Cuba, oh let’s go salsa, let’s go dancing,” he laughs. “We play so many different kinds of music in the same show that allow us to keep the audience not only entertained, but also guessing.”
Advance tickets for the March 18 performance are available at Coco’s Cafe and Tekarra Color Lab for $22, or at the door for $25. Tickets cost $20 for Jasper Folk and Blues Society members.
Cuba will take the audience on a “journey, experiencing many different types of music.” At the very least, he adds, come and marvel at his impressive, voluminous hairstyle.
“You have to make sure what you’re looking at has a stage presence. I’m proud of the hairstyle that I have.”
-with files from Nicole Veerman
