INTERVIEW – ALEX CUBA!
Welcome, Alex Cuba, to The Wire MEGAzine which has been on the music scene as 1 of Canada’s longest-running entertainment tabloids. I am honored to ask you a few questions today!
Cuban-Canadian Artist Alex Cuba takes his imagination across the world With a brand new album, Mendo.
The proudly independent two-time Juno Award Winning Cuban-Canadian eclectic, multi-instrumentalist and vocal artist continues to be honored by his musical peers. Though raised in Artemisa, an hour outside of Havana, Alex Cuba’s artistry is as far-flung as the place he has settled and lived for over fifteen years: Smithers, BC, 14 hours north of Vancouver.
DEB: Q. 1. Do you come from a musically infused family background?
ALEX: “Yes I do, most of my family from my father’s side play an instrument or sing or both, and of course, my own father is a guitar player and a music teacher who has taught generations in Cuba.“
DEB: Q. 2. At what age did you know for certain that music was going to be your path?
ALEX: “At age 14 when I picked up the electric bass something inside of me told me that it is true and infinite love.“
His music at once incorporates his roots and is a unique amalgam of styles, having collaborated with artists ranging from Jason Mraz to Ron Sexsmith and Nelly Furtado; and bringing together melodies, pop-soul hooks, and rock chords in songs that may seem to bear little resemblance to traditional Cuban form.
A forward-thinking, indie-minded artist, Alex has amassed a steadily growing following among critics and fans. With over 20 awards and nominations to his name, including 4 Latin Grammys and two Junos Awards, and three Grammy nominations.
Alex carries his Cuba within, incorporating subtle jazz influences, gained from his early years as a bass player in Cuba, and tasteful, sophisticated chords and lyrics expressing his poetry in an undeniably Cuban way. His growing body of work defines a unique musical place in the Latin diaspora.
DEB: Q. 3. Starting out, following in your father’s footsteps on guitar at such a young age of 6, now a multi-instrumentalist, which instrument is your favorite of all that you masterfully play and why?
ALEX: “I love both guitar and bass, but playing the bass on my albums and other artist albums, both upright and electric, still feels pretty special. I studied that instrument for many hours every day when I was a teenager.“
DEB: Q. 4. Your brilliant penned pieces reflect primarily Latin and African influences, but with a mix of funk, jazz and pop. Is there a different feel to writing Latin African songs versus funk, jazz, or pop?
ALEX: “It all feels the same to me since I don’t program what I want to write, songs just kind of happen for me.”
DEB: Q. 5. Contrary to popular belief, ‘making it’ in the art of music isn’t merely a game of luck. It requires talent, strategy, and determined effort based on your vision, goals, etc. If you can, take us on a musical stroll through your 8th studio album, Mendo, and share your unique songwriting process and how this album came to be. As well, what song on this album do you enjoy performing the most, and why?
ALEX: “The songwriting process for this album wasn’t too different from the other ones, I go on collecting ideas that I record on voice memos on my phone. Some are more advanced than others. Then comes the time to get serious about them and finish whatever jumps at me with sparkle from those voice memos, but once in a while something very magical happens and that is what happened on one of the songs on Mendó – it came to me in a dream and woke me up in the middle of the night, and it was like if someone was dictating it in my ear. That left such a profound and mysterious impression on me to the point that I think that that is the one I enjoy performing the most because it does feel like a gift.”
DEB: Q. 6. When you first picked up the guitar back in 1980, did you ever imagine that your career would have unfolded the way it has and that your hits would impact the world as they have?
ALEX: “I had no clue and I didn’t imagine that I was going to be a singer either, music at that moment was just fun because I believe it was a calling and so to follow that felt right.”
DEB: Q. 7. What was the best advice given to you about the ins and outs of the music industry back over 4 decades ago?
ALEX: “Musicians and artists didn’t treat the music business as an industry back there in Cuba, things were very different there and still are, no one ever talked to me about a so-called “music industry.”
Building on the 2017 Grammy-nominated release Lo Unico Constante with its back-to roots introspection, his latest collection of songs was released in September 2019 on the full-length album “Sublime”, featuring six songs with Latin American singers and songwriters. Alex joined with Toronto-based engineer, John Bailey to record in Gibson’s BC at The Farm Studio. The decision to record all the instruments came to Alex Cuba years ago when making demos for new songs and wanting to share that undeniable personal sound.
Alex’s most recent album, Mendo, was recorded from his home during the pandemic, is a self-produced, independently performed, and stylistically diverse project that features numerous collaborations with artists Antonio Carmona, Cimafunk, Lila Downs, Gian Marco, Raul Midón & Gilberto Santa Rosa. Proudly sporting over 20 awards and nominations under his belt, including 4 Latin Grammys and two Junos Awards, and four Grammy nominations, to which on Sunday, April 3rd, 2022, Alex was awarded his first Grammy from those four nominations, in the “Best Latin Pop Album” category. However, Alex was unable to attend the ceremony this year due to touring but is looking forward to receiving his very first Grammy Award in the near future. His outfit from his performance at the 2020 Latin Grammy Awards is currently featured alongside numerous music icons in The Grammy Museum. “This is a surreal moment for me. I got to hear I won a Grammy while driving in the middle of a snowstorm between shows here in Canada. I am grateful beyond words to life and to my family. Music has won today, with no marketing strategies or fashion trends. I hope that this album recorded at home in the middle of the pandemic inspires independent artists in Latin America to believe and follow their dreams.” – Alex Cuba
“Bringing his distinctive folk, funk, and rock hybrid to life, the four-time Latin Grammy winner presents Mendó, a testament to the respect other artists have for Alex. On this set, Cuba collaborates with renowned artists including Antonio Carmona, Cimafunk, Lila Downs, Gian Marco, Raul Midón, and Gilberto Santa Rosa” – Billboard
“A while back I had to ask myself ‘Is it me or do I actually like everything Alex Cuba releases?’ So far, the answer is: Very much! …The four-time Latin Grammy winner’s brilliant discography has evolved from Afro-Cuban music to world music, rock en español, salsa, alternative Latin and Latin crossover blends of pop, soul, and jazz. And it just gets better… Irresistible, superbly minimalistic yet profoundly full …a sensory upload of sublime playing, creative arrangements, and melodic delight.” –Felix Contreras, NPR
Mendó means “substance of the soul, is a powerful project filled with international collaborations. From the healing voice of Grammy Award-winning Lila Downs on “Mundo Nuevo”, to his colorful collaboration with world-renowned flamenco artist and Eurovision winner, Antonio Carmona, and commissioning a 13-piece horn band from his native country of Cuba, Alex’s vibrant new album reaches all the way around the world while ironically being stuck at home. Using his art as his refusal to be trapped by the circumstances surrounding him, Alex shares with listeners his “Mendó”, the substance of his soul, on his most powerful project to date.
“When I began to imagine this album, I knew I didn’t want it to be small in any way. Neither did I want it to be known forever as the album that was born out of the pandemic. I was convinced that it definitely was the moment to aim at creating something very special, unique and vibrant, fuelled by the very deep emotions that this time has brought out of all of us.” – Alex Cuba
On this project, Cuba was “dedicated to virtually reaching as far and wide as possible”, and reach he did. From Northern British Columbia to Spain, Peru, Puerto Rico, and beyond, Cuba’s unlimited musical imagination saw him create vibrant, full-bodied songs in a wide variety of musical stylings. From flamenco to tropical cumbia, to jazz, the assortment of genres on Mendó showcases an artist with deep musical knowledge and immense musical talent. It will come as no surprise that Cuba is credited with playing all of the instruments on the album – something he almost always does.
His music at once incorporates his roots and is a unique amalgam of styles, having collaborated with artists ranging from Jason Mraz to Ron Sexsmith and Nelly Furtado; and bringing together melodies, pop-soul hooks, and rock chords in songs that may seem to bear little resemblance to traditional Cuban form.
Mendó is filled with beautiful, inspired, imaginative musical works – full and energetic – from the soul of a musician so immensely creative that when the world is locked down, he can find within himself the sounds of the world.
DEB: Q. 8. After a 2-year hiatus thanks to the Global Covid-19 Pandemic, what is it finally like to get back out on tour, especially inside your hometown near Vancouver BC, and to see your fans’ non-masked familiar faces in the crowd?
ALEX: “It was scary for many reasons, the biggest one was that I thought I had lost it, I thought I got old and out of shape, and so I had a bit of a hard time finding the desire and the strength to go back on tour. I wanted to stay home and produce music, but I guess after a few shows it did come back and it feels amazing, it feels like me.”
DEB: Q. 9. Well into a decade & a half of the 21st century, your addictive sound is like capturing an infinite measure, both a creative workbook & an authoritative musical reference. Your stage presence is profoundly moving and a pertinent one filled with perfected measurements of rhythm, that strongly continues to play a crucial role in defining the sound of jazz fusion pop culture, changing not only Canadian music history but the world of music in general. What does success mean to you? As well, what is next on the horizon for Alex Cuba?
ALEX: “Success is the very fact that I have been making music my whole life and it still feels like the first day, I’m not tired of it, I’m not sick of it, I want more and so that feels to me that I somehow chose well in my life. I chose (without consciously choosing) to follow my heart and that will always be a success.
Next, is a lot of new music I now have which will mark quite the evolution in my sound. I have been working on incorporating electronic sounds into my organic music for a while and finally found a way that creates a beautiful hybrid – it’s almost futuristic and maintains my musical identity, so I’m excited about that as well as the many shows coming my way.”
Congrats Alex Cuba! Have a fantastic tour! Cheers to many more magical musical moments!
To stay in tune with Alex Cuba, connect on his in-depth social platforms below” https://mendo.alexcuba.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AlexCubaMusic
https://www.instagram.com/iamalexcuba/
https://www.youtube.com/user/123alexcuba
Cuba’s soulful new project, “Mendó”, reminds listeners that creativity has no limits. Mendó also holds a current JUNO AWARD Nomination for Global Music Album of the Year.