Eliades Ochoa

Born in 1946 near Santiago de Cuba, Eliades Ochoa belongs to the line of singer-guitarists who link the island’s rural musical traditions to Santiago’s urban stage. From an early age he turned to son cubano, guajira, bolero and guaracha, performing them with a deep voice and a guitar style marked by patterns similar to those of the tres. From the late 1970s he joined—and later led—the Cuarteto Patria, with whom he consolidated a repertoire focused on traditional Cuban music and began performing internationally. His involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club project and on the eponymous 1997 album, where he notably sings “Chan Chan,” represented a major milestone in bringing his work to a global audience. Alongside his tours, Ochoa engaged in many musical encounters, opening his world to collaborations with Manu Dibango, Ry Cooder, Charlie Musselwhite and Toumani Diabaté, and later with artists from the contemporary Spanish scene such as Bunbury and C. Tangana. Through these collaborations and recordings centered on son and trova, Eliades Ochoa maintains a strong grounding in tradition while moving between world-music stages, jazz festivals and programs devoted to Latin American music.