Albita Rodríguez

Albita Rodríguez (born in 1962 in Havana, Cuba), known in her music career simply as Albita, is a Grammy-winning Cuban-American singer, producer and composer.

Her parents were well-known Cuban folk music singers, which ensured Albita's exposure to the world of Cuban country music from her early years.

Working professionally since her teen years, by the late eighties she had attained some level of recognition among national interpreters of Cuban folk music.

In 1988, her first album, "Habrá Música Guajira" ("There Will Be Guajira Music"), was released. In 1990, work commitments took her to Colombia and from there she defected to the United States on April 15 1993, making the southern city of Miami her place of permanent residence.

Albita spent some time performing at a Spanish food restaurant in Miami, where she got the attention of celebrities like Gianni Versace, Quincy Jones, Madonna, Sly Stalone, Paco de Lucia, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, among others that soon became her fans.

In 1994 she was signed by Emilio Estefan's Crescent Moon label and her first single in the U.S., "Qué Manera de Quererte" ("What a Way of Loving You"), was released. In 1995, her album "No Se Parece a Nada" ("Like Anything Else") saw daylight.

Her career in the U.S. has produced success. She travels extensively, performing in such places as Australia, all Europe, Malaysia, Africa and of course all of Latin America. She has shared the stage with Celia Cruz, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett, Gilberto Gil, Juan Luis Guerra , Daniela Mercury, Miriam Makeba, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera and Melissa Ethrige. She has been invited to perform four Presidential functions,including two inaugurations. In 2004 she founded her own label "Angel's Dawn Records" under which she produced and launched her CD "Albita LLegó" that won her two Grammys in the category of Best Contemporary Tropical Album. Her music has also been featured in the soundtrack of several American and foreign films.

In 2005, Albita was casted for a major role in the Broadway produced Musical play “The Mambo Kings”, were she worked for six months to rave reviews.

Albita sings the theme song "La Mega Se Pega" for MegaTV, a Miami based TV station where she also hosts her own show "La Descarga con Albita" ("Jam Session with Albita").She had many hit singles.

Albums

* "Habrá Música Guajira" ("There Will Be Guajira Music") (1988)
* "Cantare" (1992)
* "Si se da la siembra" (1991)
* "No Se Parece a Nada" ("Unlike Anything Else") (1995)
* "Dicen Que" ("They Say That") (1996)
* "Una Mujer Como Yo" ("A Woman Like Me") (1997)
* "Son" ("Son") (2000)
* "Hecho a Mano" ("Handmade") (2002)
* "Albita Llegó" ("Albita Is Here") (2004)
* "Albita Live" (2006)

External links

* [http://www.albitaonline.com/ Official site]

ee also

*List of Cubans