In 1993, under the direction of talented violinist Alexis Correa, in the city Cienfuegos Las Villas, Cuba, a group of musicians, fresh from the National School of Arts, got together and decided to form their own group.
They imagined a special kind of sound, they want to play the well-known traditional Cuban music, the sones, guaguancos, the rumbas and the guarachas, and add to them elements of classical music, jazz, flamenco, salsa and even samba. The mixture, new and exciting, would lead them to their name: Arte Mixto. With their totally acoustic sound comprised of two guitars, a bass, a violin and the whole assemblage of percussion instruments native to their country (bongos and bata drums), Arte Mixto hit the road and became an instant favorite with locals.
Arte Mixto’s reputation spread and they were chosen to represent their country as the most authentic expression of Cuban music in a tour of nine cities and various festivals in Norway. On the way back, stopping for two incredible concerts in London, they continued to garner critical acclaim. In 1996, the group was granted the condition of First level, by the evaluation committee of the Cuban Institute of Music, probably the most sought after award in their country. As a result of their new status a television show featuring was broadcast nationally. That award, as well as other national prizes, such as the Bis Music Award, the Beny More Musical Award and the Egrem Music House Award, led them to record their first album which consisted of songs performed by the group in their first five years together.
Within a year, Arte Mixto became the proud recipient of the 2nd place prize of the Lucas Award (1997), equivalent to the MTV awards in the U.S. Their first release, Deseos, was voted number four in the top ten albums of the year by Latin Beat Magazine and the New York Latino. In July of 1998 in Cienfuegos, Cuba, Arte Mixto recorded their second release Virginia, which was made in tribute to Alex Correa’s mother. Once again, they refined those traditional Cuban sounds, as well as, demonstrated their ability to fuse universal rhythms into their own classical style.
In 1998 and 1999, Arte Mixto toured twice throughout the United States and attracted the attention of diverse audiences across the nation. In New Orleans, they were given the Key to the City and national reviewers raved about the talent and energy of the band. In February of 1999, MTV?s Roadrules went to Havana, Cuba to film Cubamania. This historical TV event featured Arte Mixto and marked the first time MTV filmed in Cuba, exposing its audience to the wonderful world of Cuban music. During the same year, Arte Mixto was honored with yet another award in the city of Cienfuegos, El Premio Annual de la Cultura. The band then traveled to Italy, where they captivated their audiences in the many shows and festivals where they performed.
In 1998, Arte Mixto’s vocalist Iris Sandra Cepeda sought political asylum in the United States while on tour.
Discography:
Deseos (Ahi-Nama Records, 1997)
Virginia (Ahi-Nama Records, 1998)
Sin Chisme (Ahi-Nama Records, 2001)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
