Originally, I went to Havana just to see Egrem Studios where all the great Cuban artists have recorded (Buena Vista Social Club, Silvio Rodriguez, Leo Brower). This was where Nat King Cole recorded his famous “Cole Español” in the 50s, singing classic Cuban standards entirely in Spanish. I met some extraordinary musicians whilst I was there and there are many stories.
One night, when improvising with a band I had met, I started singing ‘Nature Boy’ – but translating the lyrics into Spanish as I sung them. I had just finished writing the soundtrack music for Angus Macqueen’s documentary ‘Drug Lord: The Legend of Shorty’ which involved translating a lot of English lyrics into Spanish. Once I got into the swing of it, it made me think what a nice idea it would be to record some Nat King Cole standards – translated into Spanish and played in Cuban styles (like Son, Chachacha ,Guanguanco and Salsa) – but sung with a flamenco accent (mine!).
With the help of arranger/producer Victor Agustin LInen Fernadez , singer Miguelito Cuni Jnr (who helped me find the best local musicians) and Mirabelle Gillis (who happened to be in Havana at the time, and who added Grappelli-esque violin to the project) we spent a week in Egrem studios recording six tracks with ten musicians. We now have rough mixes of those six tracks but my plan is to return to Cuba and record a full live album.”