Cuban singer Albita releases

MIAMI, Fl. (Jazz-latin News) - Cuban-born singer Albita Rodriguez says her new album "Hecho a Mano" is return to her roots after the Latin pop of recent past outings. "I wanted to give myself the chance to record my own songs, I wanted to get back to the guitar and create something intimate, much more 'trova'," she told Reuters.

The album is her fifth since she defected from Cuba in 1993 and the second album since she parted ways with Latin Music mogul Emilio Estefan, who signed her into his label shortly after she came to the United States in 1993.

Just as she was at the height of her career in Cuba when she left the Communist island, Albita split with Estefan after twice earning Latin Grammy nominations. "Hecho a Mano" was born of 25 years of experimenting with Cuban country music, Albita said.
"It's important to discover ourselves, to defend our roots and our culture. If we believe in ourselves the rest of the world will listen," said the 40-year-old, who is known for her dynamic stage presence.

Albita inherited her love for Cuban country music from her parents, both musicians of "punto guajiro". In the late 1970s she formed her own band, Albita y su Grupo and she set about updating guajira music by mixing elements of jazz and rock.
She became one of Cuba's sensations after the island's state label Egrem released her first album in 1998, "Habra musica guajira".

The record opened the door for Albita y su Grupo to travel to music festivals in Europe and Latin America. In 1991 she was offered a major recording contract in Colombia , for which the Cuban government allowed her to live abroad.

Two years later Albita defected to the United States during a visit to a recording studio in Mexico. Her powerful voice was her trademarks when she settled to sing in small restaurants in Miami. Gianni Versace, Madonna , and Estefan were among those who saw her perform.

"Hecho a mano" is Albita's attempt to recover those days of intimacy with her audience. Some of the songs were conceived in the early 1980s, before she had even recorded her first album. Others were written in the 1990s, in Colombia and the United States and a couple of them are recent productions.

"'Hecho a mano' is made of songs I composed throughout different stages of my life. Some of them I used to sing to my friends, I owed them" to record those songs," Albita said.

"Hecho a mano" was released last week in the United States and will be out in Latin America and Europe at the end of the year before Albita starts her tour through the region -- starting in Mexico -- and Spain.