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Alex Cuba

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Alex Cuba
Alex Cuba performing at the 2015 Burlington's Sound of Music Festival
Alex Cuba performing at the 2015 Burlington's Sound of Music Festival
Background information
Birth nameAlexis Puentes
Born (1974-03-29) March 29, 1974 (age 50)
OriginArtemisa, Cuba
GenresAfro-Cuban jazz, pop
OccupationMusician
LabelsShell, Caracol
Websitealexcuba.com

Alexis Puentes (born 1974),[1] better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won two Juno Awards for World Music Album of the Year: in 2006 for Humo de Tabaco, and in 2008 for his second album, Agua del Pozo. In 2010 he won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist. His 2015 album, Healer, earned him a Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. His 2021 album Mendó won the 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.[2]

Biography

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Puentes was born on March 29, 1974[3] in Cuba, spending his childhood in Artemisa. The son of guitar player and music teacher Valentin Puentes, he started playing guitar at the age of six.[1] As an adult, he shifted into jazz fusion styles. He immigrated to Canada in 1999 after marrying a Canadian in Cuba. He and his twin brother Adonis first settled in Victoria, British Columbia, and worked as a duo called the Puentes Brothers, receiving a Juno Award nomination for Best Global Album at the Juno Awards of 2001.[4] They parted ways as a band to launch solo careers in 2004. In 2003, Puentes moved to Smithers, British Columbia, the hometown of his wife, Sarah, whose father is politician Bill Goodacre.[1][5] They have three children: Daniel, Rose and Owen Puentes.[5]

Collaborators on his debut, Humo De Tabaco, include Ron Sexsmith and Corinne Bailey Rae. "Lo Mismo Que Yo", a duet with Sexsmith, became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 52.[6][7]

In 2009, he co-wrote and recorded a duet with fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado. "Mi Plan" turned out to be the title track for her fourth studio album of the same name. Puentes co-wrote more than half of the songs on Furtado's album.[5]

His music reflects primarily Latin and African influences, but with a mix of funk, jazz and pop.[1]

He received a Latin Grammy on November 21, 2013.

In 2016, he performed as part of the national Canada Day celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

His 2021 album Mendó won the 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album; it was his fourth nomination for the award and his first Grammy win.[2]

In 2022, he received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University.[8]

He gave a Tiny Desk Concert with his band in 2023.[9]

Discography

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  • The Puentes Brothers:
    • 2001: Morumba Cubana
  • Solo:
    • 2004: Humo de Tabaco
    • 2007: Agua del Pozo
    • 2009: Alex Cuba
    • 2012: Static in the System – "Ruido en el sistema"
    • 2015: Healer
    • 2017: "Lo Único Constante"
    • 2019: "Sublime"
    • 2021: "Mendó"
    • 2023: "El Swing Que Yo Tengo"

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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The Grammy Award is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement on the music industry. Cuba has received four nominations.[10][11]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2011 Alex Cuba Best Latin Pop Album Nominated
2016 Healer Best Latin Pop Album Nominated
2018 Lo Único Constante Best Latin Pop Album Nominated
2022 Mendó Best Latin Pop Album Won[2]

Latin Grammy Awards

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A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Alex Cuba has received four awards out of five nominations.[12]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Alex Cuba Best New Artist Won
Alex Cuba Best Male Pop Vocal Album Nominated
2012 "Toma Mi Vida" Best Tropical Song Won
2013 "Eres Tú" Best Short Form Music Video Won
2015 Healer Best Singer-Songwriter Album Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Terauds, John (March 22, 2007). "Cuban water drawn from a Canadian well". Toronto Star. p. H6.
  2. ^ a b c "Alex Cuba scores Grammy award for album recorded in his Smithers, B.C., home". CBC News. April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  3. ^ "Alex Cuba on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022.[user-generated source]
  4. ^ "Adonis Puentes and Voice of Cuba Orchestra bring their music to PEI" Archived July 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Journal Pioneer, June 30, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Dunlevy, T'Cha (November 26, 2009). "Smooth and soulful: Alex Cuba, who co-wrote more than half of Nelly Furtado's new Spanish-language album, brings his ever-expanding musical sound to L'Astral Archived November 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", The Gazette, p. C1.
  6. ^ Devlin, Mike (February 8, 2007). "From Cuba to Smithers with a jazz twist". Times-Colonist. p. D6.
  7. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 129. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. ^ "Renowned musician Alex Cuba will receive an honorary degree from Queen's University. | Department of Global Development Studies". www.queensu.ca. October 12, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. ^ https://www.npr.org/2023/10/04/1200582948/alex-cuba-tiny-desk-concert [bare URL]
  10. ^ "2016 Grammy Awards: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  11. ^ Lynch, Joe (November 28, 2017). "Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  12. ^ "La lista completa de nominados a los Latin Grammy 2015" (in Spanish). infobae. September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
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