Danae

Born on 23 January 1970 in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Danae Blanco has carved out a distinctive place through her bold vocal attack and forthright songwriting. Her work stands apart from the male-dominated traditions of Cuban son and timba while earning recognition for ushering salsa romantica into the new millennium. Though her first solo record, Pido, appeared in 2003, she had already been performing for nearly twenty years by that point. During her early years she took part in community ensembles and vocal groups throughout the central province of Sancti Spiritus. After moving to Havana in 1985 to enroll at the Ignacio Cervantes School, she became a member of the Alfredo Rodriguez Group. In 1993 she joined 5U4, the veteran Cuban band known for its gritty reinterpretation of 1960s rock ’n’ roll and later nicknamed the Beatles of the Americas. With that ensemble she cut the album U-Turn before stepping forward to make her own debut. Pido—whose title means “I Ask You”—was tracked across two years with Argentine arranger Diego Rivas and Jaquin Betancourt, and it spotlighted players including Antonio Pérez González, Roberto Riverón Mederos, and Tomas Ramos Ortiz. Bristling with energy and feeling, the album overturned the docile image often linked to salsa romantica. Tumi, the British label devoted to Cuban and Andean artists, released the project.