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Café Latino Liner Notes
Throughout Spain and Latin America, people come together for tertulias, informal gatherings
where they play music, read short stories and poetry and share drinks and conversation. The
gathering may take place in a living room, bar or café, but a tertulia always provides an
atmosphere of communal creativity.
With Café Latino, we hope to reflect the spirit of a tertulia, which often feature songs inspired by
local folk traditions with poetic lyrics. Many of the artists on this collection were raised listening to
Latin America’s nueva cancion or “new song” movement, a popular revolution in music that
reached its peak during the politically turbulent 1960s and 70s. Others grew up with American
folk, pop and jazz along with a wide variety of local and international styles. They’re all welltrained
musicians who create sophisticated songs that reflect the heritage of their homelands.
1. Jehro
Introduction Salima
Hailing from the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille, singer-songwriter Jehro (real name
Jérôme Cotta) was raised by parents who nurtured his early interest in music by providing him
with a steady diet of French music by legends such as Georges Brassens. At age 21, Jehro
packed his bags and moved to London. In his new home, he found himself surrounded by
Jamaican, South American and Spanish musicians who inspired him musically and exposed him
to new cultural currents that would have a profound effect on his songwriting.
Following his stay in London, Jehro returned to France, this time settling in Paris. Inspired by the
simple guitar licks and visionary lyrics of his idol Bob Marley, Jehro’s self-titled sophomore album
from 2006 fuses Caribbean rhythms with folk sensibilities, providing a backdrop for lyrics that
contemplate and reflect on both the struggles and joys of everyday life. On the gently swaying
ballad “Salima,” Jehro sings, “Oh, my most beautiful love / I leave you a sea of salt / Oh, I’m sorry
Salima, leave me alone now / Salima, forgive me.”
2. Mónica Giraldo
Por Verte Llegar
Born in Colombia, singer-songwriter Monica Giraldo studied at the University of the Andes in her
home city of Bogota until 1999 when she moved to Boston to pursue a degree from the
prestigious Berklee College of Music. Giraldo’s debut album, released in 2002, blends pop and
jazz with the traditional Latin sounds she heard while growing up. Her most recent album, Todo
Da Vueltas, earned Giraldo a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2008 Latin GRAMMYs. She
has performed in Miami alongside the Colombian Philharmonic Orchestra, at the MIDEM music
conference in Cannes, France, and at the renowned South by Southwest music festival in Austin,
Texas.
On “Por Verte Llegar” (Just to See You Walk By), which appeared on Todo Da Vueltas, bluesy
guitar riffs and smooth Latin beats accompany Giraldo as she sings, “Was it right? / Was it
wrong? / Should I not expect anything? / I would like to believe it was not intentional / That things
will happen when they are supposed to / Perhaps someday you’ll notice / Perhaps someday you’ll
understand / That I waited, just to see you walk by.”

3. Roberto Poveda
Mulatto
Roberto Poveda spent many nights as a child in Cuba listening to his grandfather, a trovador, or
folk singer, singing tales of love and legend. As a young man, Poveda joined Havana’s
burgeoning nueva trova movement of singer-songwriters who sought to bring a more creative and
literary approach to Cuba’s folk traditions. In 1989, he moved to Colombia where he made a living
as a soap opera star while continuing to hone his musical skills on the side. His songwriting
talents earned him a deal with a music publisher and he has written many hit songs for Latin pop
stars. Poveda now lives in New York City.
“Mulatto” is from Poveda’s 2012 album, Brooklyn Nights. “The dream that gives you a life /
Sometimes it gives sometimes it takes / Perhaps, it never comes back / And it’s not worth waiting
for / Because waiting makes you tired / Sat in a station of a train that has no schedule / Nor date
nor calendar in your heart / Consider me , consider her, consider.”
4. Amanda Martinez
Alcoba Azul
Born in Canada to a Mexican father and South African mother, Amanda Martinez grew up amidst
a wide range of musical influences. After obtaining degrees in biology and international business,
Martinez decided to focus on her true passion and pursue a career in music. She released two
acclaimed albums and is about to release her third, which was produced by renowned Spanish
producer Javier Límon. Following performances at the 2011 Pan American Festivities in Mexico,
the 2010 FIFA World Cup Festivities in South Africa, the Montreal Jazz Festival and New York’s
iconic Blue Note club, Martinez’s growing international audience is steadily catching up to her
widespread popularity in Canada.
“Alcoba Azul” (Blue Room) originally appeared on Martinez’s 2009 album, Amor. Backed by a
passionate tango rhythm and the lilting strains of violinist Osvaldo Rodriguez, Martinez sings
“Come back to me / Love me in the dark / In our blue room / Where there was no sun for us.”
5. Jose Conde
El Avion
Although Jose Conde’s parents left Cuba for the U.S. before he was born, the rhythms and spirit
of the island made up a significant part of his upbringing. Growing up in the cultural melting pot of
Miami in the 1970s, Conde was not only exposed to the music of the Cuban expatriate community,
but also to Haitian compas, as well as contemporary American styles like funk, soul and
R&B. As a student at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Conde experimented with rock, jazz
and even opera before he began to feel the need to return to his Latin roots. Conde, who usually
records and performs with his band, Ola Fresca (Fresh Wave), has released three critically
acclaimed albums that explore the relationships between his many influences, but always with an
underpinning of Cuban grooves.
“El Avion” (The Airplane) is from Conde’s 2011 album entitled simply Jose Conde. It features a
more laid-back, reggae-tinged flavor that is reminiscent of Manu Chao. “When will the spaceship
land / When will the airplane return / To make me happy again / This pain in my heart / I feel like
I’m on a cloud / Softly floating.”

6. Sacha Nairobi
Congelados en el Tiempo
In 1998, Sacha Hidalgo, a.k.a. Sacha Nairobi, moved from Venezuela to the U.S. Nairobi hails
from a musical family; her father is a singer-songwriter and he leads a family band called Los
Hidalgos that also includes her three brothers. Sacha Nairobi’s irresistibly catchy Latin pop
receives a special twist from the prominent role of the cuatro, a small guitar common in Latin
American traditional music. Nairobi plays the cuatro herself throughout her self-titled debut album,
which was released in the end of 2005. Her follow up album is due for release in the fall of 2013.
Written by Nairobi’s frequent collaborator, Colombian producer Germán Ortiz, “Congelados en el
Tiempo” (Frozen in Time), will appear on both Nairobi’s and Ortiz’s upcoming albums. “I like your
early morning silence / And your hair sailing on my pillow / I like your transparent, honest gaze /
And the aroma of your body dispersed into the air / If I were to die today / I’d like to take this
moment with me until the end / You and me / Forever frozen in time.”
7. Miquel Gil
L’amor es Déu en Barca
Miquel Gil hails from Valencia, Spain’s third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. After a long
career as a member of the folk-revival groups Al Tall and Terminal Sur, Gil went solo, blending
elements of local styles such as flamenco and rumba with North African percussion and South
American cumbia to create a unique style that captures the multicultural legacy of the region. His
scruffy voice croons over pop grooves that combine folk influences with the musical traditions of
the Mediterranean.
From Gil’s 2001 album Orgànic, “L’amor es Déu en Barca” (Love is God in a Boat) features a
loping beat and gentle accordion and acoustic guitar accents. Gil sings in Catalan, the
predominant language of Spain’s Northeast, “Love is the ritual of life / Love is bread with cheese /
Love is God in a boat / Life is a shipwreck / A glass of white wine / Love is falling in a pool / And
finding love.”
8. Alex Cuba Band
Café Havana
Born Alexis Puentes in Artemisa, a city west of Havana, Alex Cuba learned music from his father,
a guitarist with a Master’s degree in music. After marrying a Canadian woman and moving to
Victoria, British Columbia, Alex and his twin brother Adonis formed The Puentes Brothers and
released the album Murumba Cubana in 2000. In 2003, he moved to a small city far north of
Vancouver, where he has had a very successful solo career. With four solo albums under his belt,
two Junos (the Canadian equivalent of a GRAMMY), a Latin GRAMMY for “Best New Artist” and
a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Latin Pop Album,” Alex Cuba has become an independent Latin
music star. He has also recorded a number of songs with pop singer Nelly Furtado, including their
2009 hit collaboration “Manos Al Aire” (Hands in the Air).
“Café Havana” appeared on Alex Cuba’s first solo album Humo de Tabaco from 2006. “Before we
begin the game / Of looking at each other and not saying a thing / I’m going to escape the fire /
That you ignite with your eyes / Today I will take you to a new world / To tell you that I love you.”

9. Alex Alvear with Marta Gómez
Soñando con Quito
Originally from Quito, Ecuador, bassist, singer, composer and arranger Alex Alvear co-founded
the “urban folklore” ensemble, Promesas Temporales, and Afro- Cuban salsa band, Rumbasón,
before moving to the U.S. in 1986. Having concluded his studies at Berklee College of Music,
Alvear is now based in Boston and leads the band Mango Blue, oversees the Equatorial music
project, and teaches and performs with a number of different Latin ensembles. In 2007, Alvear
released the album Equatorial, which explores the music of the Andean region from new and
innovative perspectives.
On “Soñando con Quito” (Dreaming with Quito), Alvear is joined by another South American
expatriate, Colombia’s Marta Gómez, whose beautiful voice has been featured on numerous
Putumayo collections. Ecuadorian singer and songwriter Margarita Laso wrote the lyrics, which
offer a reflection on the nostalgia for a far away homeland.
10. Georgina Hassan
A Primera Vista
Georgina Hassan was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1977 and grew up listening to music of
Atahualpa Yapanqui, Mercedes Sosa and other leading figures of Latin America’s new song
movement. During Hassan’s musical studies she focused on folkloric guitar styles and recorded
her first album, Primera Luna, in 2004, followed in 2009 by Como Respirar. She has shared the
stage with many South American stars, and received an invitation from Basque musician Kepa
Junkera to sing on his 2009 album Kalea, which also featured Cuban icon Pablo Milanés,
Mexican star Lila Downs and Brazilian legend Ivan Lins.
Hassan recorded “A Primera Vista” (At First Sight) for her second studio album. The song is
Hassan’s interpretation of a composition by Brazilian star Chico César. Hassan sings in
Portuguese as well as Spanish: “When I didn’t have anything, I desired / When everything was
empty, I hoped / When I was cold, I shivered / When I had courage, I called / When the letter
came, I opened it / When I listened to Prince, I danced / When your eye sparkled, I understood /
When I grew wings, I flew.”