Albita
She's been called the Latin k.d. lang and the diva of South Beach, but such accolades leave Cuban-born music sensation Albita puzzled.
"I'm just a singer," she told AP. "I'm from the country -- a woman who tries to bring to the stage the way my people move, the way my people
dance, the way
my people talk."
Albita's musical roots are in Cuban country, specifically son (rhymes with "lone"), a folk style popular with sugar cane farmers. The
daughter of country
music performers, her early performing experiences on the show Palmas y Canas ("Palms and Cane") -- the Telemundo equivalent of
Hee Haw -- gave her a taste of fame.
Her current act is more stylish, to be sure, with costumes ranging from dapper tailored suits to sleek gowns, her hair dyed blond and slicked
back. Music
critics have raved about her trademark deep voice and "masculine style." Hmm, what could they mean?
Along with many celebrities, Hispanic Magazine describes Albita's fans as "young South Beach types, cigar-toting older Cubans and
their wives, chic lesbians, yuppie Cuban Americans, tourists, and plenty of Anglos."
Combining traditional Cuban rhythms with modern arrangements, fresh poetry, and a hipster's flair, on stage Albita is a study in smoldering
sensuality, with a potent voice and electric moves.
Her entry into the U.S. was no less dramatic. Her band flew from Columbia in 1993, claiming a recording session in Mexico. They never
showed,
instead walking across the border at El Paso and requesting political asylum.
Three months after she and her band fled Cuba -- where the government took a huge cut of their profits and controlled their music's content --
Albita was singing in Central Vasco on Miami's Calle Ocho in Little Havana. The club knocked down a wall to make room for the crowds.
When crossover king Emilio
Estefan and Gloria Estefan came to see her, that was the beginning of bigger fame.
Having since recorded two albums, including the Grammy-nominated Dicen Que ... ("They Say"), featuring her popular tune "El
Chico Chevere"
("The Cool Guy"), almost every weekend Albita and her band head for selected gigs around the world.
Albita performed the Cuban classic "Guantanamera" as President Clinton and first lady Hillary danced during their reelection
inauguration in Washington. Among her other famous fans are Madonna, who invited Albita to play at her birthday party.
But though she crosses over -- literally and musically -- and she's a darling of hip celebrities, don't expect a sellout. Albita's passion reflects a
heartfelt love of her cultural history.
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