Issac Delgado

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Nothing could be better than taking a trip down memory lane to present an album to be released on April 13, 2010, poised to become a true lasting musical gem. We’re talking about L-O-V-E, by Issac Delgado, a key artist in the current Latin music scene and “the most relevant male voice Cuba has given us since the beginning of the Cuban revolution”, as album producer and Latin Jazz expert Nat Chediak defines this artist. Now, Issac Delgado delights us as he recreates Nat King Cole’s repertoire.



Let’s go back to this interesting story. Between 1958 and 1962, Nat King Cole released his three Latin albums. Performed in Spanish, a language he learned phonetically, and recorded in Cuba, Brazil and Mexico, they included such hit songs as Perfidia, Quizás, quizás, quizás, Ay cosita Linda, Piel canela, Aquellos ojos verdes and Yo vendo unos ojos negros. From Latin America, those songs reached Spain, Japan, the United States and many other countries, reaching the sweetest memory of several million people through Cole’s addictive and smooth voice, his unique, personal versions of classic bolero hits (also some cha-cha-cha songs and Brazilian and ranchera hits). He was musically supported by several great musicians, such as pianist Bebo Valdés, and soft, romantic orchestra sounds, Latin percussions and sometimes even mandolin-driven songs such as his unique version of Yo vendo unos ojos negros.



In the sensual voice by Nat King Cole, these songs added a very special and festive atmosphere to dance halls, they became the perfect vehicle in melancholic times and spread throughout the world an unsurpassed repertoire that was offered by one of the greatest stars of all times. According to Fernando Trueba, “Nat King Cole’s Latin albums promoted popular Latin American music at a global level. Issac Delgado, one of the most important voices that Cuban music has brought us recently, grew up while listening to these recordings, and he fully enjoyed Cole’s repertoire, a selection of songs that brought Cuban bolero music closer to American romantic ballads”.



With this story behind him as his source of inspiration, Issac Delgado will release on April 13, 2010 through the Calle 54 Records label the album L-O-V-E. This new release includes 12 songs, most of which are part of the traditional Latin repertoire that once recorded Nat King Cole. Now, these songs have been newly recorded by the great Cuban singer, supported by a selection of outstanding musicians and by a special contribution by Freddy Cole, Nat’s brother.



The verb “recreate” means “newly create”, but also implies fun, joy and pure delight. All these values totally fit with what Issac Delgado did in this album produced by Nat Chediak and Delgado himself, with Todd Barkan as associate producer and Fernando Trueba & Chediak working as executive producers. Recorded in New York in fall 2009 by Katherine Miller, this new album transform the songs Nat King Cole originally released for international audiences in a selection of essentially Latin hits that include a touch of Jazz. If that were not enough, in the case of the musicians who contributed to this recording, all of which are experts in Latin and Jazz music, these songs allowed some room for an inspired improvisation.



These songs originally performed by Nat King Cole, the king of romantic songs and also an excellent jazz pianist, are now developed in his own personal style by Issac Delgado. Among them we find such hits as Perfidia, Quizás, quizás, quizás, Tiernamente, Ay cosita Linda, Suas maos, A su mirar me acostumbré, Piel canela, Aquellos ojos verdes, L-O-V-E, Yo vendo unos ojos negros, Hojas muertas and No tengo lágrimas. As Will Friedwald, an expert in Cole’s music, explains in the excellent text included in the album, “of these 12 songs, 8 of them can be found in Cole’s three Latin albums, and the remaining four are Nat King Cole classics now performed by Issac in Spanish”.



Without leaving aside his Cuban background, Issac Delgado transformed these songs, taking them to their deepest musical roots and adding a touch of jazz music. Some others include more continental traditions, as we find in the musical treatment Delgado adds to Yo vendo unos ojos negros and No tengo lágrimas. Issac Delgado’s vocals may sound as more down-to-earth and more austere than Cole’s, but both sound as suggestive, detailed and precise. A charismatic musician with an impeccable professional background, Delgado transforms these 20th century classics in 21th century essential masterpieces. In all cases, he shows the same ability to dream and places these songs in a unique, real atmosphere which is totally faithful to his Cuban musical roots.



Issac Delgado now remembers Nat King Cole with the invaluable help of a selection of musicians who know their job especially well. First of all, the album features a very special guest, no other than Freddy Cole, who had never participated before in any other tribute album to his brother Nat. “A good song can become the shortest way between two hearts, especially when the best singers and performers hold our hands to take us there”, Freddy says. “Issac Delgado belongs to this generation of stars. He successfully and newly versioned, for a new generation of listeners, the essence and the spirit of the classic albums my brother recorded from the late fifties. It’s been a great honor and a true pleasure to be part of this recording. This is the kind of music that always fills our hearts”.



About Issac

Issac (that’s how he writes his artistic name) was born on April 11, 1962, son of dancer Lina Ramírez, who, during her youth, was part of the famous “Mulatas de Fuego” in the Tropicana cabaret. Lina’s first husband is composer Ángel Díaz (Rosa mustia), in whose home was developed the so-called filin music movement, which added to Cuban bolero music the harmonic complexity typical previously found only in North American ballads. Nat King Cole was one of the artists who had the biggest influence in this new current. In fact, one of the most famous composers of that musical style was José Antonio Méndez (La gloria eres tú), a.k.a. “El King” in reference to his admiration to the famous American musician. Issac grew up listening to songs by Nat King Cole. As expected, once he established himself in the United States, he wanted to pay tribute to this figure that shaped Latin American music all around the world.



Issac’s musical education was a formal one. At 10 he started his studies at Amadeo Roldán and Ignacio Cervantes music conservatories. He sang with Mariana de Gonish, a true master for the most important figures in Cuban music. At 18, he debuted with the Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s Grupo Proyecto, to later start playing with the Pacho Alonso Orchestra and NG La Banda. This latter contribution helped him to become one of the most important representatives of timba, a new style created from Afro-Cuban music. In 1991, he debuted as a solo artist with Rubalcaba as artistic director. Since then, he recorded a dozen albums and traveled around the world as “El Chévere de la Salsa”. In the review of his second-to-last album, New York Times’ former music critic Peter Watrous defined him as “one of the great Caribbean singers, one of the greatest singers of the 20th century and the Frank Sinatra of Salsa music”. His latest recordings were nominated for Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. Doubtless, Issac Delgado is the most relevant male artist Cuba has given us since the beginning of its revolution.



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