Aymée Nuviola feat. Kemuel Roig – Havana Nocturne (Worldwide Entertainment & Productions, 2023)
Aymée Nuviola’s moving Havana Nocturne revisits Havana’s thriving nightlife from the 1940s–60s, drawing on filin, bolero, and jazz with a contemporary polish. The multi-Grammy winner teams with Cuban piano maestro Kemuel Roig, whose elegant touch supports Nuviola’s gleaming contralto without showmanship, and their lovely interplay shapes the album’s intimate mood.
The collection moves from Niño Rivera’s “El Jamaiquino” and Alberto Domínguez’s “Perfidia” to Nuviola’s “Quédate.” One of my faves is a hushed duet on Marta Valdés’s “Tú No Sospechas.”
Another treasured song is the passionate “Obsesión.”
Nuviola, born in Havana and trained as a classically oriented pianist at the Manuel Saumell Conservatory, brings together influences such as western classical music, American jazz, bossa nova, son cubano, bolero, and filin.
Her honors include a Latin Grammy for Como Anillo Al Dedo (2018) and another for Live In Marciac with Gonzalo Rubalcaba (2022), a Grammy win for A Journey Through Cuban Music (2019), and nominations for First Class To Havana (2014–15), Viento y Tiempo: Live At Blue Note Tokyo (2020), and Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso (2021). Nuviola also had chart success with a Billboard Tropical No. 1 for “Bailando Todo Se Olvida,” plus five consecutive Top 10 singles.
Nuviola serves as a Governor for the Recording Academy’s Florida Chapter, portrayed Celia Cruz in a Telemundo/Netflix telenovela, and supports organizations including USAID, Amnesty International, the League Against Cancer, 305 Pink Pack, and autism-focused groups.
Musicians: Aymée Nuviola on vocals; Kemuel Roig on piano; Lowell Ringel on bass; Hilario Bell on drums; José “Majito” Aguilera on percussion; and Julián Ávila on guitar.
Buy Havana Nocturne.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
