Cubafonia Dayme Arocena (Brownswood recordings)

Cuba's new Jazz queen comes into her own in her exquisite UK debut album




by Jose Luis Seijas
Image

Since Celina Gonzalez, no singer has been hailed the ‘Queen of Cuban music’. Yet I believe Dayme is just becoming that. The combination of an astonishing voice and her deep knowledge of music allows her to go from jazz to rumba with absolute ease. This album is her best so far as she travels through the world of Cuban genres owning each one of them. She still sings some songs in English, which for me didn’t work that well before, but now she is singing in English to the Cuban beat creating a much deeper and better result. 

From her rendition of Manteca and Mambo Na’ Ma to the beautiful bolero Todo por Amor, Dayme do no wrong on this album! It’s a fantastic work also from the production point of view: tight percussion, sumptuous string arrangements and beautiful brass…this is contemporary music at its best, Afro-Latin at heart but reaching out to be more than just that. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Latest Content

Image
January Reggaeton Recap | 2026
Music
THE JANUARY REGGAETON RECAP | 2026

It may be a New Year but social media has taken it upon themselves to revisit the past. Currently…

Image
mangamar
Food
Mangamar: A Family Story Told Through Food

In Salvador de Bahia, one of Brazil's most vibrant cities, on the country's stunning…

Image
Dance
On the Edge of the Embrace: A Contemporary Tango Drama by David Chartoriski

In David Chartoriski's latest creation for the stage, "On the Edge of the Embrace",…

Logo

Instagram

Most Viewed

Image
Top 10 Argentine Footballers

As one of the biggest football teams in South America and the world, the Argentine Football…

Image
Top 10 Mexican Boxers

Globally, Mexico is known as a boxing powerhouse, boasting some of the greatest champions in the…

Image
Ballads and Boleros
LatinoLife's Favourite Mexican Male Singers of all Time

Since the days when Mexico was a serious rival to Hollywood in terms of film production and quality…