Kelvis Ochoa
Encyclopedia
Kelvis Ochoa is an author-composer-singer born in 1970 in Las Tunas, Cuba. At the age of 3 his parents moved to Isla de la Juventud ("Isle of Youth"), situated about 100 kilometers south of the Havana
shore (Cuba) where he grew up. He is very popular with young Cubans and famous worldwide for having co-composed the original soundtrack from the movie Habana Blues
. He is also part of the Cuban band Habana Abierta
.
tunes in the streets with his friends. His first stage performance occurred when he was 14, when he sang at an inter-school festival a tune by the Cuban sucu-sucu player Mongo Rives. Then he started to take guitar lessons, to write poetry and songs, avoiding any form of classical music training. Very early, some press agents gave him the nickname of "the Idol of Youth from the Isle of Youth".
, Macuta, Songo
...) with modern music like funk
, rock
or international pop
.
in 1992 and formed a rock band called Cuatro Gatos (Four Cats), Kelvis Ochoa’s big break came when he met two Cuban musicians : Gema Corredera and Pável Urkiza. The duet was starting to make its name in the local music production field, and it decided to produce Kelvis Ochoa on Habana Oculta, a compilation of Cuban artists released in July 1996 on the Madrid-based Nubenegra label. This record led to the formation of the band that would call itself Habana Abierta. They rapidly met with success, with the hit record Havana Abierta on the Spanish label BMG Ariola, sold-out concerts in Spain
in the 90s, a triumphant return to Cuba
in 2003 for a memorable show at La Tropical and a documentary film directed by Jorge Perugorría
and Arturo Soto.
Kelvis Ochoa also started a solo career with his album Kelvis (BMG Ariola, 2001). He surrounded himself with Descemer Bueno
, another Cuban musician, who produced him and co-wrote the album Amor y Música, released in 2009 on Cuba’s EGREM
label.
Together, the two men won the 2006 Goya and the 2006 “Premio de la Musica of the best movie soundtrack” for Havana Blues.
• 2006 : Goya of the best movie soundtrack for Habana Blues (Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España)
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
shore (Cuba) where he grew up. He is very popular with young Cubans and famous worldwide for having co-composed the original soundtrack from the movie Habana Blues
Habana Blues
Havana Blues is a 2005 Spanish and Cuban film by Benito Zambrano, which tells the story of two young musicians in Cuba. The film revolves around their music and contains criticism of problems in Cuba such as poverty and electricity outages...
. He is also part of the Cuban band Habana Abierta
Habana Abierta
Habana Abierta is a Cuban band. They are a member of a generation of composers, musicians, sculptors, authors, actors, etc. which emerged in the early 90s with its own identity in Havana, even though some of their creations had already been well known for some years in the island's cultural...
.
Childhood
Kelvis Ochoa was meant to be a musician: his father was a percussionist in his grand-father’s band. Hearing them playing gave him the passion for music. Kelvis Ochoa started playing congaConga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
tunes in the streets with his friends. His first stage performance occurred when he was 14, when he sang at an inter-school festival a tune by the Cuban sucu-sucu player Mongo Rives. Then he started to take guitar lessons, to write poetry and songs, avoiding any form of classical music training. Very early, some press agents gave him the nickname of "the Idol of Youth from the Isle of Youth".
The genesis of a style
The place where he spent his youth fundamentally influenced his current music. La Isla de la Juventud is the cradle of the musical style known as sucu-sucu, where a soloist improvises, in response to a chorus that repeats a fixed part, accompanied by the instruments. This very traditional Cuban music became the trademark of Kelvis Ochoa: he mixes traditional Cuban rhythms (Sucu-sucu, Cha Cha ChaCha-cha-cha (music)
The Cha-cha-chá is a style of Cuban music. It is popular dance music which developed from the danzón in the early 1950s.- Origin :As a dance music genre, cha-cha-chá is unusual in that its creation can be attributed to a single composer, Enrique Jorrín, then violinist and songwriter with the...
, Macuta, Songo
Songo music
Songo is a type of Cuban music originating in Havana which combines elements from the rumba, son Cubano, and other contemporary afro-American styles like jazz and funk...
...) with modern music like funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
or international pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
From anonymity to success
After having moved to HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in 1992 and formed a rock band called Cuatro Gatos (Four Cats), Kelvis Ochoa’s big break came when he met two Cuban musicians : Gema Corredera and Pável Urkiza. The duet was starting to make its name in the local music production field, and it decided to produce Kelvis Ochoa on Habana Oculta, a compilation of Cuban artists released in July 1996 on the Madrid-based Nubenegra label. This record led to the formation of the band that would call itself Habana Abierta. They rapidly met with success, with the hit record Havana Abierta on the Spanish label BMG Ariola, sold-out concerts in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the 90s, a triumphant return to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in 2003 for a memorable show at La Tropical and a documentary film directed by Jorge Perugorría
Jorge Perugorría
Jorge Perugorria was born on August 13, 1965 in Wajay, Havana. He is known as one of the most famous Cuban actors since his part as Diego in Strawberry and Chocolate Jorge Perugorria (aka Pichi) was born on August 13, 1965 in Wajay, Havana. He is known as one of the most famous Cuban actors since...
and Arturo Soto.
Kelvis Ochoa also started a solo career with his album Kelvis (BMG Ariola, 2001). He surrounded himself with Descemer Bueno
Descemer Bueno
Descemer Bueno is a Cuban singer, composer, and producer. His first professional gigs were playing bass with Santiago Feliú, one of Cuba’s greatest troubadours.-Early life:...
, another Cuban musician, who produced him and co-wrote the album Amor y Música, released in 2009 on Cuba’s EGREM
EGREM
is the oldest Cuban record label, it is located in Havana. It was founded in 1964 following the Cuban Revolution...
label.
Together, the two men won the 2006 Goya and the 2006 “Premio de la Musica of the best movie soundtrack” for Havana Blues.
Awards
• 2006 : Premio de la Musica of the best movie soundtrack for Habana Blues (Madrid, Spain)• 2006 : Goya of the best movie soundtrack for Habana Blues (Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España)
Discography
- 1996 : Habana Oculta (compilation, BMG Ariola)
- 1997 : Habana Abierta (with Habana Abierta, BMG Ariola)
- 1999 : 24 Horas (with Habana Abierta, BMG Ariola)
- 1999 : La Isla
- 2001 : Kelvis (BMG Ariola)
- 2005 : Boomerang (con Habana Abierta)
- 2008 : Amor Y Musica (EGREM)