Alexis Puentes (born 1974), 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 The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...

for Best New Artist. His 2015 album, ''Healer'', earned him a

Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album The Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artis ...

and a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. His 2021 album '' Mendó'' won the 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.

Biography

Cuba was born in on March 29 in Cuba, spending his childhood in

Artemisa Artemisa () is a municipality and city in Cuba, formerly part of La Habana Province. According to a law approved by the Cuban National Assembly in August 2010, Artemisa became the capital city of the newly formed Artemisa Province, which comprise ...

, the son of guitar player and music teacher Valentin Puentes. He started playing guitar at age six. 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 In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

first settled in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

, and worked as a duo called the Puentes Brothers, receiving a Juno Award nomination for Best Global Album at the

Juno Awards of 2001 The Juno Awards of 2001 were held in Hamilton, Ontario Canada during the weekend of 3–4 March 2001. The primary ceremonies were hosted by Rick Mercer at Copps Coliseum on 4 March 2001 and broadcast on CBC Television. Performers during the tel ...

."Adonis Puentes and Voice of Cuba Orchestra bring their music to PEI"
. ''

Journal Pioneer The ''Journal Pioneer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Two men named Bernard and Bertram founded the ''Summerside Journal'', a weekly newspaper, in 1865. Under the leadership of A.R. Brennan, the ''J ...

'', June 30, 2015. They parted ways as a band to launch solo careers in 2004. In 2003, Cuba moved to

Smithers, British Columbia Smithers is a town in northwestern British Columbia, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. With a population of 5,351 in 2016, Smithers provides service coverage for most of the Bulkley Valley. History Region First Natio ...

, the hometown of his wife, Sarah, whose father is politician Bill Goodacre.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
, '' The Gazette'', p. C1. They have three children: Daniel, Rose and Owen Puentes. Collaborators on his debut, ''Humo De Tabaco'', include

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has s ...

and

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; born 26 February 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC po ...

. "Lo Mismo Que Yo," a duet with Sexsmith, became a hit in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, reaching No. 52. In 2009, he co-wrote and recorded a duet with fellow Canadian

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

. "Mi Plan" turned out to be the title track for her fourth studio album of the same name. Cuba co-wrote more than half of the songs on Furtado's album. His music reflects primarily Latin and African influences, but with a mix of funk, jazz and pop. He received a Latin Grammy on November 21, 2013. In 2016, Cuba 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.

Discography

* The Puentes Brothers: ** 2001: ''Morumba Cubana'' * Solo: ** 2004: '' Humo de Tabaco'' ** 2007: '' Agua del Pozo'' ** 2009: ''

Alex Cuba Alexis Puentes (born 1974), 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 ...

'' ** 2012: ''Static in the System'' – "Ruido en el sistema" ** 2015: ''Healer'' ** 2017: "Lo Único Constante" ** 2019: "Sublime" ** 2021: " Mendó"

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The

is an accolade by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement on the music industry. Cuba has received four nominations. , - , 2011 , , ''

'' , , Best Latin Pop Album , , , - , 2016 , , ''Healer'' , , Best Latin Pop Album , , , - , 2018 , , ''Lo Único Constante'' , , Best Latin Pop Album , , , - , 2022 , , '' Mendó'' , , Best Latin Pop Album , , , -

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the

Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences pt, Academia Latina da Gravação , image = Latin_grammy_logo_(2022).png , image_border = , size = 150px , caption = , map = , msize = , mcaption = , motto = , formation = , extinction ...

to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Alex Cuba has received four awards out of five nominations. , - , rowspan=2, 2010 , , Alex Cuba , ,

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

, , , - , ''

'' , , Best Male Pop Vocal Album , , , - , 2012 , , "Toma Mi Vida" , , Best Tropical Song , , , - , 2013 , , "Eres Tú" , ,

Best Short Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

, , , - , 2015 , , ''Healer'' , , Best Singer-Songwriter Album , , , -

References

External links

Alex Cuba
official site
Alex Cuba: Cuban Soul That Runs In The Family (NPR, November 15, 2009)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuba, Alex 1974 births Living people People from Artemisa Cuban emigrants to Canada Canadian jazz guitarists Canadian male guitarists Canadian jazz singers Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian world music musicians Musicians from Victoria, British Columbia Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year winners Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist Spanish-language singers of Canada Afro-Cuban jazz musicians Latin music songwriters 21st-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian male jazz musicians Afro-Cuban jazz guitarists Grammy Award winners