Last weekend, I posted about a beautiful new album by Aymée Nuviola that came across my desk thanks to Lydia Liebman—Havana Nocturne. Aymée is a multi-Grammy-winning Cuban singer who now lives in Miami with her husband, Paulo. Her new album is devoted to the filin style, which means that the album's songs focus on deeply felt Cuban ballads. [Photo above of Aymée Nuviola, courtesy of Aymée Nuviola]
By Monday, Aymée had reached out by email to thank me for the mention and did so with such a lovely, gracious note. So while I had her on email, I asked if we could do a JazzWax interview. She was overjoyed.
Here in America, we take a great deal for granted, including freedom. For everyone who narrowly escaped hardship and repression elsewhere and arrived here with little more than their culture, freedom isn't something to trifle with but something to nourish, preserve and celebrate. Aymée does this wonderfully through her music and spirit. [Photo above of Aymée Nuviola, courtesy of Aymée Nuviola]
Before I share out e-conversation, here's a bit of music from Aymée:
You'll find Aymée's new Havana Nocturne (Worldwide) here.
Here's Perfidia...
Here's Aymée performing La Gota Fría last year at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas...
And here's a mini-doc on the recording of her new album...
And now, here's my e-interview with Aymée Nuviola:
JazzWax: Where did you grow up in Havana, Cuba? Were your parents musical?
Aymée Nuviola: I grew up in the San Leopoldo neighborhood, in the heart of Havana. We were surrounded by music, so I heard many different musical styles and rhythms. I heard rumbas in the corridors. I heard danzones in my house played by my uncle, who paid for his medical studies by playing them in Havana clubs at night. And I listened to the classical piano of my mother, Adelaida, who was and is an excellent player and gave lessons in our living room.
JW: Did you go see live music as well?
AN: Of course! The best Cuban musicians and singers met in San Leopoldo, where they played all kinds of music and had jazz jams. I also knew great musicians from my generation, like pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. We were children together and went to the same music school. Even though he is older than me, we still had a great musical affinity that we’ve cultivated over the years.
JW: Were your siblings musical when you were young?
AN: I have three siblings. My older sister, Lourdes, is the oldest, and an excellent singer. I also have two younger brothers, one of whom, Pupi, is a terrific percussionist. My youngest brother is Nelson, the same name as my father. My mother composed songs and taught me to sing. For several years when we were young, Lourdes and I performed as a vocal duo. That’s how we became known in Cuba’s musical universe. Our cousin, Luis Bofill, is a singer of traditional Cuban music such as guaracha and son. All my cousins were around my house, dancing or playing instruments. [Photo above of Aymée, left, and her sister Lourdes Nuviola]
JW: What did your family house look like?
AN: Like one of those Colonial houses with high ceilings, thank goodness, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough air space for so much music. The piano was under the main window of the room next to the front door. So the music entertained the entire neighborhood looking out their windows. They were my first audience.
JW: What was your source of musical influence growing up?
AN: My earliest influences came from my parents, who listened to classical and popular music. I’d hear Chopin, Debussy, Mozart, Beethoven, Ernesto Lecuona, Ignacio Cervantes, Benny Moré and Omara Portuondo—so a whole mix of sounds and styles. Then, after I started to study at Havana’s School of Music, I began to expand my horizons to the music of America and Brazil. I was growing and discovering all the possibilities that music had to offer and the many ways it could be used. [Photo above of Ernesto Lecuona]
JW: And Cuban music?
AN: I greatly admired soneo singer Benny Moré. He is one of the greatest and most complete popular artists that my country has produced. I also met and listened to the great Celia Cruz and greatly regretted not having enjoyed her when I was a child. Back then, she was and still is prohibited in Cuba. She left Cuba in 1960 and never returned. [Photo above of Benny Moré]
JW: When did you start singing?
AN: At first I sang for my parents and then in the Casa de la Trova section nearby, which is the meeting place of Cuban musicians and music lovers on Saturday nights. Soon after, my sister and I formed Duo Las Nuviola. We competed in the annual Todo el Mundo Canta contest and finished in first place. Our lives changed, since we were the youngest artists to win this contest. I was 15 and my sister was 17. All of Cuba knew us, since this contest was televised there. The Cuban people warmly celebrate new artists who emerge and sing different musical genres.
JW: Did you take music lessons?
AN: I took singing lessons with a Cuban teacher, Jorge Luis Pacheco. He taught me how to position my voice and how to breathe correctly. This happened at the start of my professional career. I also haven't stopped playing and studying the piano. For some years, I accompanied my sister and me in Las Nuviola Duo. But over time our singing styles changed. I then accompanied myself on piano.
JW: What did you and your sister do as your styles changed?
AN: My sister and I performed on the same bill with the Cuban orchestra known as Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini. After several years, we decided to become a unified group, with my sister and me singing a different repertoire and uniting on some songs. Instead of performing as a duet, we focused on our more individual and personalized styles according to our individual musical inclinations. To my parents' credit, they did everything possible so we wouldn't experience shortcomings. They also gave us the best education as possible as well as love and a lot of music. Both helped us endure many difficult things.
JW: When and how did you leave Cuba?
AN: In 1995, the band that I had with my sister was invited to the Limón Carnival in Costa Rica. The Cuban government gave us permission to travel, which was fortunate, since leaving Cuba was impossible without that permission. Once there, we stayed for six years. On that trip, my sister and brother, Pupi, were able to leave the group. The three of us were given a contract by a hotel, where we played five nights a week for six years. Then we found a hotel in Cancun, Mexico, that offered us another contract. With the money we were able to save during those years, the three of us were able to move to the U.S. and settle in Miami. Once here, we were able to send for my my mother. My cousin, Luis, had already been able to reach Miami through Germany, so we all got together and started making music together to sustain ourselves in those early years.
JW: What about your youngest brother and father?
AN: My youngest brother, Nelson, managed to escape with the help of a French friend he met in Havana. His friend helped him escape to France, where he has lived ever since and raised a family. I have an 11-year-old niece, but we didn't see Nelsito for 15 years, until we were able to have a family reunion in Miami. Now we see each other every so often in France when I'm on tour. My father, Nelson Sr., stayed alone in Havana and re-married. He is 70, and I'm making a legal claim to bring him to Miami so he can live free for the rest of his life. My album, Havana Nocturne, is a way of rescuing the memories of a resplendent pre-1959 Havana that I never knew but felt in my soul thanks to family anecdotes, good music and a lot of nostalgia. Those afternoons at home are my most treasured memories.
JW: And how did you meet your husband, Paulo?
AN: We met a few years later at a concert in Miami where I was invited to sing a couple of my songs at a club called Hoy Como Ayer. Paulo was in the audience. At the end of the performance, he came backstage to greet us. A very nice friendship started, and we married in 2011. For many years he was production director of sales and marketing at the Univision TV network, the largest provider of Spanish-language content in the U.S. At the same time, he produced the first two albums we made together—En La Intimidad and First Class to Havana. The latter album was twice nominated for a Grammy and a Latin Grammy in the same year. As my career began to take off, Paulo decided to dedicate himself exclusively to me as my manager and producer. [Photo above of Paulo Simeon of Worldwide Entertainment and Productions Inc. in Miami]
JW: Tell me about your new album?
AN: It's a very personal tribute to filin. My parents met at the house of a famous Cuban singer—Moraima Secada. She created a special interpretation of filin. Both of my parents were filineros—big fans. They loved those songs that touched the hearts of many and that spoke of love and heartbreak of passions and sleepless nights yearning for romance. My father sang, although he never dedicated himself to the artistic life. But he had an extensive discography of all these filin composers and singers who made Havana nights great with their music and his interpretations. They instilled in me a love of these Jazz-influenced boleros and taught me many of the ones I selected for my album. For me, the Cuban filin is the most sublime way to preserve and interpret a song. It has all the emotional charge and feeling that makes songs immortal.
JW: For those unfamiliar with Cuban filin, which five singers and albums would you recommend?
AN: Uff, let me try: Omara Portuondo, José Antonio Mendez, Elena Burke, César Portillo de La Luz, Ángel Díaz, Marta Valdés, Meme Solis and Frank Dominguez, because they are founders of the old school. I also would recommend David Oquendo, Francisco "Pancho" Cespedes and the recently deceased Pablo Milanes as very important followers of the filin style.
JW: What do you love about Miami?
AN: I love the climate, which reminds me of Cuba, as well as the mixture of nationalities, cultures, rhythms and flavors. There's something about this city that makes me feel at home and protected. Its geographical location is also very convenient for traveling to any part of the world, which is important for a touring artist like me. And Miami is considered the capital of Latin music, so important and influential figures in Latin music live here.
JW: You’ve won so many awards, and your film performance as Celia Cruz was really special. What’s next?
AN: To keep going and not to stop! I will continue to respect the tradition of Cuban music but also incorporate new music trends into it. Everything I do is my legacy for future generations. I am responsible for interpreting the lyrics' message as well as the melodies and harmonies. They are my gift to all who listen to me.
JW: What do you miss most about Havana?
AN: I miss the Malecón, the road, esplanade and seawall that runs along the coast. I love the smell of the sea and salt, and the waves that break against the wall, splashing everyone who thinks they can get close and remain dry. The Malecón reminds me of my youth and my innocence—sitting on the ocean wall at night and singing songs in the moonlight, accompanied by a friend's guitar. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be able to return and enjoy that again. But it's still in my heart.
