Albita Rodríguez

Albita Rodríguez (born 6 June 1962 in Havana, Cuba),[1] known in her music career simply as Albita, is a Grammy-winning Cuban singer, producer and composer.

Albita was born in Havana, Cuba. Her parents, Martín Rodríguez and Minerva Herrera were well-known Cuban folk music singers (who performed as Martín y Minerva or better known as Mima y Pipo),[1] 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 recognition among national interpreters of Cuban folk music (Música Guajira).

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.

Once in Miami, where she noted in a 2019 interview that she was "practically unknown",[1] Albita eventually got the attention of celebrities like Gianni Versace, Quincy Jones, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, Paco de Lucia, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, among others that soon became her fans.[2]

In 1994 she was signed by Emilio Estefan's Crescent Moon label[2] 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 Nothing Else) saw daylight.

Her career in the U.S. has produced success, including multiple Grammy and Emmy nominations and wins.[3][4][5][6] 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, Willy Chirino, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett, Gilberto Gil, Juan Luis Guerra, Daniela Mercury, Miriam Makeba, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera and Melissa Etheridge.

She has been invited to perform for 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 cast for a major role in the Broadway produced musical play The Mambo Kings, where she worked for six months to rave reviews.[7]

Albita also hosts her own show La Descarga con Albita (Jam Session with Albita).[2]

In May of 2016 she performed in the play Carmen which played in the reimagined 1950s Cuba. Directed by Christopher Renshaw, Carmen la Cubana played at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris[8] and later in London.[9]

In October 2019, she staged two major free concerts in Hialeah and Miami Beach, as part of those cities' celebrations of National Hispanic Pride month.[10]