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The leader of ¡Cubanismo!, Jesús Alemañy, started his career as a professional trumpeter for Sierra Maestra, one of Cuba’s leading son groups, at the age of 15. Since his teen years, Jesús has crafted a distinct sound and style as a band leader that has immersed audiences the world over in Afro-Cuban music.
¡Cubanismo! is the culmination of this lifelong affinity for music; an ensemble that bridges the gap between Cuba’s old and new sonic traditions with swaggering horn charts and wild polyrhythms that reinvigorate the vintage big-band son sound. The orchestra is filled with the likes of Irakere veteran flutist Orlando “Maracas” Valle; saxophonist Yosvany Terry from world famous family band Los Terry, the great Cuban bassist Carlos del Puerto; and tres player Pancho Amat. The all-star percussion lineup boasts the venerable “Tata” Güines and Roberto Vizcaino on tumbadoras (conga drums), and the always inventive timbalero Emilio del Monte.
Jesús Alemañy’s ¡Cubanismo! began as a recording project for Rykodisc’s Hannibal label. The first album was recorded in Havana with British producer Joe Boyd in May of 1995. Breaking sales records in Europe and the US, ¡Cubanismo! became one of the preeminent Latin crossover albums of 1996, and made the Top Ten lists of Billboard, Latin Beat and Afropop Worldwide. The band went on to release 4 more full length albums on the Hannibal label, along with a critically acclaimed “Very Best Of” collection in 2001.
2025 sees the band celebrating their 30 year anniversary, inking a new record deal with SSK Records (home of The Buena Vista Orchestra) to release their first new album in nearly two decades. The ensemble will hit the road in 2026 to introduce a whole new generation of fans to the sounds of Afro-Cuban music, exploring the hits of their catalog along with exciting new pieces that push the boundaries of son, danzon, salsa, Latin Jazz and more.
