ABOUT THE EVENT

Alex Cuba is a Grammy/Juno winning singer-songwriter/producer/musician, born Alexis Puentes in Artemisa, Cuba. He was immersed in music at a very young age, joining his father’s (guitarist and teacher ValenJn Puentes) group of 24 guitarists. Alex went on to study electric and upright bass, touring and recording naJonally and internaJonally. His sound is the unique confluence of tradiJon and global influences in arJculate arrangements that convey emoJons through melody and lyric. Moving to Canada in 1999 he began his career as a singer songwriter based in Smithers, BC. In 2022, he won a Grammy for Best LaJn Pop for Mendó as producer, arJst and engineer, his proudest accomplishment to date as an independent arJst based in Smithers, BC, Canada. Alex’s first project in Canada in 2000 was Morumba Cubana, alongside his twin brother Adonis, as The Puentes Brothers. Alex went on to record his solo debut album Humo De Tobaco in which earned him a Juno award for World Music Album of the Year in 2006. Followed by Agua Del Pozo, which also earned him another Juno award for World Music Album of the Year in 2008. From there, Alex released his third album, a self-Jtled project Alex Cuba in 2009, and the next year Alex took home the award for Best New ArJst at the 2010 LaJn Grammy Awards, where it was also nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Album and was followed by a nominaJon for Best LaJn Pop Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Award in 2011 where Alex took home a BMI LaJn Award for his song-wriJng on Nelly Furtado’s #1 Spanish hit “Manos Al Aire”. In 2012, Alex released his fourth album Ruido En El Sistema, a year which Alex received his second Socan Hagood Hardy Award for outstanding achievement in Jazz and World Music. He also won his second LaJn Grammy Award – this Jme as a songwriter, alongside co-writer Yoel Henriquez received the award for Best Tropical Song for the Milly Quezada’s single, “Toma Mi Vida”feat. Juan Luis Guerra. In 2013, he again brought home a LaJn Grammy for the video “Eres Tu” from Ruido En El Sistema, a video produced enJrely in his hometown of Smithers. Alex Cuba’s 5th studio album, Healer, featured five duets with singer songwriters, four being Canadian, Ron Sexsmith, David Myles, Alejandra Ribera and Kuba Oms as well as New Yorker Anya Marina. The album won a LaJn Grammy for best Singer-songwriter and was nominated for a Grammy as best LaJn Pop in 2016. Lo Unico Constante, his 6th album, delved deeper into Alex’s song-wriJng roots, focusing on nylon string guitar and upright bass. Looking at the “filin” movement in Cuba of the forJes that fused jazz and trova, music that influenced his wriJng style to this day. The album was nominated for both a LaJn Grammy for Best Singer-Songwriter and Grammy for Best LaJn Pop. In 2019 Alex Cuba embarked on a completely self-produced collecJon of songs featuring 5 collaboraJons, this Jme with LaJn American singer songwriters, recorded in Gibsons BC with John “Beetle” Bailey and mixed at John’s Drive Shed studio in Ontario. The album received a LaJn Grammy NominaJon and performance at the televised Award Show in Miami November 2020. Alex recorded at home in 2021 and added recording engineer to his credits as musician, singer-songwriter, producer. The album, Mendó took home the 2022 Grammy for best LaJn Pop Album! It was Alex Cuba’s 4th nominaJon and first win. 2023 marks the first producJon for Alex Cuba of another arJst. Spanish arJst, Aarón Miguel’s album Sé, released May 19th with Alex credited as producer musician and record label. Alex’s own music, El Swing Que Yo Tengo, made public May 12th, his ninth studio album, with experimentaJon, he has creaJvely drawn from his bass playing teenage years with the opening Jtle track El Swing Que Yo Tengo. Followed by an upbeat hymn to reconciliaJon, "No Puede Ser", alongside a fabulously daring version of the legendary Cuban song "Pedacito de Mi Vida" and the musically extravagant and social message of "La BesJa". Alex then leaves us with the desire to love conJnuously on the ballad "Quiero Quedarme" while "Son Para Tu Boca" radiates the colour and flavour of the electronic cha-cha-cha, leading to the last song and journey to his Caribbean roots embracing mother Africa in a musical party "Agüita de Coco" the only duet on the album featuring Rwandan singer-songwriter Butera Knowless. His musical evoluJon for years was all about searching for the simplicity and soul in Cuban music – taking apart the complex arrangements, mixing it with North American influences, adopJng the melodic simplicity of pop music, looking to Cuban folk tradiJons for inspiraJon – he’s always exploring, always creaJng something fresh and new, and always, it seems, geong it just right.