1. His hair. Just look at it. It’s a beautiful ‘fro. He knows it, and his smiling face adorns all his merch. It’s a good look for the fest.

2. Alex Cuba is not his real name. He emigrated to Canada in 1999 as Alexis Puentes. He recorded the Juno-nominated album Morumba Cubana with his brother Adonis, but has since ventured further from Cuban norms. “More and more you’re going to see the Alexis Puentes name disappear,” he says cryptically. “I prefer to go by Alex Cuba. I like the concept of it. When you think of Alex Cuba, maybe you think of a new type of Latin music.”

3. Don’t expect him to play any salsa. “Whoever is coming to my show looking for salsa is not going to find it. I grew up musically in Canada to what my identity is today.” His songs are driven by vocals, not rhythmic templates.  While his latest album Agua Del Pozo doesn’t sound experimental, make no mistake, it’s a well-executed hybrid of lingering influences from the lyric-driven Nueva Trova movement in Cuba as well as highly polished pop-soul. Recently, salsa boundary-pusher Ruben Blades name-checked Alex Cuba on his internet radio show, praising the off-kilter imagery in his songs and his original musical concepts.

4. The reason he’s at CMW is… Canada is deep and wide with acoustic guitar–driven singer/songwriters — CMW is full of ‘em — but few sing in Spanish. Alex Cuba has played world music festivals and small theatres across the country, but hopes to connect with a different audience through CMW. He’s very excited about the upcoming South By Southwest festival, whose location deep in the heart of Tex-Mex pop/rock will likely draw a receptive audience.

5. Where you can see him play: Fri, Mar 7. The Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas W. Sets at 9:30pm, 11pm. Sat, Mar 8. The Library Bar at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, 100 Front W. 1am. 

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