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By Adrian Chamberlain, Canwest News Service
What with co-writing most of pop star Nelly Furtado's new album, one might think Alex Cuba would be, well . . . rich.
Furtado's
Spanish-language album, titled Mi Plan, has done well. On the phone,
Cuba rattled off its chart-topping trajectory. It was No. 1 for five
straight weeks on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart. "And it hit No. 1
in Germany, in Italy, top five in Spain, No. 1 in Venezuela, Colombia,
Chile. You name it."
Successful indeed. So, has Cuba acquired a new Bentley and an Armani suit?
"I'm not a hip-hop artist," he said, laughing. "We've been very successful. Let's just put it that way."
Born
Alexis Puentes in Cuba, the Juno-winning singer-songwriter lived in
Victoria before moving to Smithers, B.C. He has just released his own
eponymous solo album, a genre-hopping effort that while rooted in the
music of his homeland, also dips into funk, rock and soul.
Perhaps
the biggest surprise is the song "If You Give Me Love." A
retro-sounding slice of pop-funk peppered with horn shots, it wouldn't
sound out of place on a Tower of Power record. It's the sole
English-language track on the disc, and the first song Cuba has ever
recorded in English.
The decision wasn't made lightly. Cuba, who
moved to Canada in 1995, said he wanted to get a better handle on the
language before writing and singing in English.
"Time has to go by before you can totally get poetry happening, you know," he said.
Most
of the album was recorded in Victoria with producer Joby Baker, who
also played drums and keyboards. Cuba said he loves working with Baker.
It's partly his speedy and efficient approach; he recalled Baker mixing
tunes as Cuba was playing them. As well, the pair are musical
soulmates, able to communicate, often with a mere exchange of glances.
"We share the same passion for music," Cuba said. "We have the same heroes. We feel music pretty much the same way."
Making
the album was especially challenging because of Cuba's chock-a-block
schedule. While it took only five weeks to record, this was broken into
three sessions scattered throughout 2009. Cuba said he found it tough
to regain his focus after leaving the project.
The recording
schedule was chopped up, partly because of Cuba's songwriting
collaboration with Furtado. The pair met through a mutual musician
friend.
Furtado enjoyed Cuba's contributions so much, she kept
asking him to do additional sessions. He ended up co-writing seven of
the nine songs on Mi Plan.
"My experience with her was beautiful," he said. "We realized right away the chemistry was natural between us."
Cuba
was particularly impressed to see Furtado's enthusiasm for
music-making. If the pair hit on a winning melody or song concept, she
was thrilled -- and didn't mind showing it.
"She'd be jumping up
and down. She's managed to stay with it all these years. To see someone
so excited by music and so driven by it, that is very inspiring."
Furtado and Cuba will continue to make beautiful music together in 2010.
"She wants to take me on the road to open for her when she starts touring next year. That'll be lovely to do a few shows, eh?"
Alex Cuba's Canadian tour dates include:
Victoria, Nov. 6
Nanaimo, Nov. 8
Vancouver, Nov. 10
Calgary, Nov. 14
Red Deer, Nov. 15
Saskatoon, Nov. 17
Regina, Nov. 18
Winnipeg, Nov. 19
Hamilton, Nov. 21
Windsor, Nov. 22
Ottawa, Nov. 26
Montreal, Nov. 27
Toronto, Nov. 30
St. Albert, Feb. 4
St. Catharines, April 7
Mississauga, April 9
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