CuCu Diamantes

Cucu Diamantes balances her role as co-founder of the N.Y.C.-based group Yerba Buena with careers as a solo performer and screen actress. Raised in Havana, Cuba, she first sang with a salsa ensemble while pursuing art studies in Italy. Her relocation to New York City brought a meeting with producer Andres Levin, resulting in the launch of Yerba Buena, whose Latin-hip-hop-dance fusion defined the 2003 album President Alien and its Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. Cabaret traditions shaped her 2009 solo album Cuculand, which earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Song via the track “Mas Fuerte.” In 2012 the documentary Amor Cronico placed Diamantes at its center, tracing her travels throughout Cuba.