“Staying true to his Spanish language Folk-Funk-Rock hybrid has paid off.”
It’s a strange thing, watching audiences sing along with Alex without speaking his native Spanish. But they do. They “la-la-la” their way from chorus to chorus, caught up in his inescapable gravitational pull. His warm, elastic vocals float above a sound essentially from everywhere–an effortless mix of Funk, Soul, and pan-Latin textures–and no matter where you’re from, you can’t help it. You’re home.
He discovered music’s power to mesmerize and transport you at an early age. “I used to skip meals,” says Cuba, speaking of the long days he spent locked in his room as a child in Artemisa, Cuba, mastering the bass. “My mother would have to remind me that I was human, that I needed food. Music has always taken me away like that.” Today, his performances carry audiences away in the same fashion, from the Hollywood Bowl to Radio Music City Hall, where he’s shared the stage with artists as diverse as Sheryl Crow and Juan Luis Guerra, casting his spell as if genres weren’t a thing.
At the heart of his ability to charm anything that breathes is Alex’s mastery of a deeper, more important language. The dude speaks joy. And it doesn’t matter if it’s Tito Puente joy or Stevie Wonder joy; it’s contagious. It shines through songs he’s co-written with Nelly Furtado and Jason Mraz. It’s the north star of his compositions. Wherever his songs start their journey–in the land of lust, deep affection, or even melancholy–they know where they’re headed. Their path leads to a deep, shimmering gladness that everyone wishes was their native tongue.
It’s this undeniable exuberance, expressed with masterful musicianship, that has catapulted Alex to the highest levels of global critical acclaim. It’s what led this fiercely independent artist to 2 Juno awards, 4 Latin Grammys, and a 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. Just like his songs elicit “la-la-las” from audiences without a translator, they woo critics without a middleman. The magic he makes with melody and rhythm can’t be held back. Because in the end, whether in times of trouble or celebration, people everywhere want to go where Alex’s songs are going: to an unconditional sense of home, belonging, and bliss.