Yusa is a Cuban singer and songwriter, born in the Buena Vista district of

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Her music is recognised worldwide : in 2003, she was nominated at the prestigious

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

Radio 3 World Music Awards in two categories (Best Newcomer and Best of the Americas.)

Biography

Early life and education

Born in the Buena Vista district and brought up in the modern

Alamar ''For the film see Alamar (film)'' Alamar, also known as Alamar-Playa, is a district in east part of the city of La Habana in Cuba, part of the ''municipio'' of Habana del Este. This district is primarily prefabrication construction of Soviet-style ...

’s housing community of east

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, Yusa’s childhood was cradled by music. She started studying guitar at the age of 6, at the Alejandro García Caturla elementary school. Then, attending the Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory, she chose to concentrate on a particular type of Cuban guitar called the tres and started performing in Havana’s bars and clubs.

Career

Yusa is a multi-instrumentalist who is perfectly at ease playing

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, as well as

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

or percussion instruments. Her music is defined as a young and thoroughly modern musical style echoing with

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, and soul, but keeping its connections to its deep African and Caribbean heritage. Yusa is often considered by the field of music as a poet, singing bittersweet songs, and compared with great singers as Tracy Chapman. Her songs are very influenced by the life in Havana and by traditional Cuban music, even though she modernizes it, taking the true substance and arranging it, following the contemporary trends of the new Cuban wave.

Discography

*''Yusa'' (Tumi Music, 2002) *''Breathe'' (Tumi Music, 2005) *''Haiku'' (Tumi Music, 2008)

Awards

*2003:

Cubadisco Cubadisco is a week-long music festival and awards event celebrating Cuban music. It is held in Havana City, Cuba and was established in 1997. There are 25 award categories. Each year the event celebrates a particular country and genre. There are ...

, Fusion category, ''Yusa''

References

External links

BBC - Music - YusaPlanète Aurora - Artists - Yusa
{{Authority control Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Cuban musicians Multi-instrumentalists