Albita‚
"Son" an ordinary woman taking extraordinary steps
by Robin Davies
As
it is often said you can't rush a good thing. This is the case with Cuban
diva Albita's long awaited new CD "Son" on Times Square records.
It has been three years of struggling for the artist who was dropped from
her former label Epic for not producing popular Latin music and astronomical
record sales.
Instead she elected to follow her desire and continue exploring the rich
diverse historic music of Cuba. "Son" reflects this, it is a
collection of spirited melodies that move the listener in and out of times
past and present. Laced with traditional sultry ballads like "20
anos" to old popular
pregon and changui and traditional tunes "El Manicero," "Suca-suco,"
and melodies a new lilting gate.
A musician known for composing songs of her experiences in Cuba are evident
her original songs "Corazon Adentro," "Azuca‚ Pa Tu
Amargura," "El Duende," and "Ni tu Ni yo" mirroring
her debt as opulent lyricist and storyteller. In the past Albita has been
marketed as a "party girl" type but "Son" gives the
listener a new perspective of the real woman behind her music a distinctive
sophisticated artist.
Albita's journey of becoming an artist free to express herself musically
has been a path of extreme sacrifices over the years. Starting in the
eighties when her passion and first love music, lead to the decision to
defect to the United States leaving everyone and everything known and
loved behind -- family, friends and homeland.
Once here, Albita was embraced by the media with articles appearing in
Newsweek, Time and other national magazines. The jet-set, rich and famous
like Madonna, Quincy Jones and Gianni Versace chanted and howled praises
for their new found syncopated, platinum blonde, cigar smoking androgynous
dressed Latin Annie Lenox.
Albita was on top, but that soon changed her former record label Epic
their exectives decided Albita was to be marketed as a pop Latin musician.
Albita however, viewed herself as a traditionalist Cuban musician. This
difference of opinion would prove to be the creative divide that changed
the course of Albita's recording career. Epic terminated her recording
contract, three
years ago, sighting low record sales as their reason. Albita found herself
once again faced with the challenge of honoring her musical path and starting
over again. Recently, I had the chance to interview Albita about her new
CD "Son", what inspires her song writing, family history, and
her
career path.
Q: Albita, your new CD "Son"
is very different from your previous CD's you have tracks that are traditional
Cuban songs. But your new compositions are really tender ballads with
a debt we haven‚t seen before. Can you tell me what inspires you?
Albita: What inspires me is life.
Life is where all my inspiration comes from. The daily life we lead, the
things that happen around us, the people, it is all very poetic and inspirational.
Q: When did you start writing and
composing songs?
Albita: I started writing songs in
Cuba when I was a little girl. I was seven years old. My parents are singers
and writers in traditional son music. In Cuba, they say there is a place
you go to [within] when you write. Where the lyrics are very important
to creating a song. Giving it life and
inspiration. So since I was seven I have been writing this way.
Q: When you say that it makes me think
of the song on your new CD "Ni tu Ni yo." This songs has very
powerful lyrics. Was this the same process? And did you know this was
a good song?
Albita: When I write I don't always
think it‚s going to be a good song.[laughing] I write what I feel
and want to share it with a lot of people. The song "Ni tu Ni yo"
was inspired and based around the love that people feel for each other.
Today people worry so much about how the people
who love each other look, then about how the people that love each other
feel.
Q: Do you feel your writing more openly
here in the United States then
in Cuba?
Albita: There is no difference at
all writing here or in Cuba. Inspiration has nothing to do with where
you are at. It is what you feel. I started writing at such an early age,
that wherever I am there is inspiration. What I have tried to do is imitate
and live like my parents have. They have been the foundation of my inspiration
when writing. Writing from the heart from deep within.
Q: What was the first instrument you
played?
Albita: I started playing the clave
at 15 and I got my first guitar when I was 15 years old.
Q: I know that the clave is the backbone
of the son music?
Albita: No, the clave is the heart
of Cuban music. I asked this same question once to a famous musician in
Cuba. Because I too, wanted to know about the clave. He put a pair of
them in my hands, then played some music and told me to start playing.
I did, he told me that what counts is you have clave in your soul and
the rest [of the music] doesn‚t matter. The Clave to Cuban music
is as important as the fact that we eat beans! [laughing] I don't know
why we eat them but the clave is of the same importance.
Q: Prior to coming to the U.S. you
lived and worked in Columbia and enjoyed a great deal of success as a
musician. How did you get there from Cuba?
Albita: I had recorded a album in
Cuba. An empersario took it to Columbia. It became a huge hit in Columbia.
I was given a permit by the Cuban government to be there for awhile. I
had the chance to record and play my music.
Q: How long do you live there? And
what were some of the personal changes you experienced in Columbia?
Albita: I was working really hard
and lived for three years in Columbia. It was great because it was for
the betterment of my career. My dream was to play music. Being in Columbia
made this possible. My dream became a reality. A dream come true.
Q: While in Columbia this is when
you and your band decided claim political asylum to come live in the U.S.?
Albita: I didn't nessarary want to
come to the U.S., but I wanted to go somewhere where I could have security
and was safe. Because I knew the minute I made this decision the Cuban
government would be after me.
Q: Albita, it takes a lot of courage
to decide to leave everything behind family, friends, your country knowing
you will not be able to see them again and gambling on an unknown future.
Why did you do it?
Albita: I knew, I would be starting
a new life. Starting a brand new life. But I knew, I was bringing with
me a knowledge of the human and the artistic side of Cuba that you can't
leave behind. That will always be with me.
Q: I know that you and your band were
in Mexico at the time. That you all walked across the Mexico - Texas border.
Was there anyone waiting to meet you?
Albita: No one. No one was waiting
for us at the border. We crossed the border then flew to Miami. A radio
station was waiting for us, La Cubanisima to arrive. They knew that we
were coming there to do a live radio broadcast and where we would officially
ask for political asylum.
Q: After claiming political asylum
then what happened? I mean you have no family, no place to live, bank
account-you can't even call your mother to tell her where your at.
Albita: The Cuban community [in Miami]
is very large. Thank God! When I came here I had a place to stay. People
contacted my mother and told her I was fine. The community and friends
I have here helped me a great deal. The thing I was most fearful about
and appreciated the most was the fact that I could go to a radio station
and speak truthfully about the Cuban government.
But, at the same time I was very afraid of what would happen to me, my
family, the people I knew. And still to this day it is hard form me to
understand how easy it is for people to talk so freely about what they
think or what they want.
Q: You have recently had to start
anew after when you changed recording companies tell me about that?
Albita: It was just another step in
my life. Sometimes these changes are so violent and rough you don't have
the change to think about it.[laughing] You have to just keep working.
You know, it‚s just another step. I had to leave Cuba because it
was very hard for me to create my music. So I went to Columbia. I had
to cross the border and come here [United States] to make my music. That
was just another step in the making of my music. I hope there will be
a lot more of these steps to take.
Q: "Son" is artistic proof
that adversarial conditions can bring out the best in us. What in your
own words are you creatively hoping to express with this CD?
Albita: It is a dedication to son.
It‚s 10 songs of music I think will last forever. In a lot of ways
and senses it already is. Son has been incorporated into many of the genres
of music today. While making this CD I didn't want to have a specific
time or specific era connected to it. I wanted it to be totally open to
all. I wanted the CD to be listened to by grandparents and their grandchildren.
No limitations with what the music could mean. Because I have recored
old songs I added new arrangements that do not take away from the original
melody just enhance it.
Q:
In your own words how do you see yourself?
Albita: I am a common woman. I am
an ordinary woman that loves what I do. I love my country and I do have
a lot of faith and trust in it. I want to share its happiness and its
rich music. I hope that people understand that it is with an open heart
I play my music.
Robin
Davies is a free-lance writer based in the Bay Area.
©2000
by Robin Davies
©2000 by San Francisco/Bay Area Salsa & Latin Jazz
All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission.