Azúcar Negra

Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra are the talk of the town with their new singer line-up and the new CD Se acabó el pescao that will be released later this month. You have probably heard that when Tania Pantoja left Bamboleo for a solo career, Ailyn moved to Bamboleo. This left an opening for a new female singer, and I have been very curious about who Limonta would find to fill the spot.

The new leading lady of Azúcar Negra is 26-year-old Havana native, Ingrid Leyva Fuentes. Limonta found her singing with the small group Calle Cuba. She has a voice with a timbre that sounds like a mix of Tania and Ailyn and a tremendous stage presence. I might add that a number of men have pointed out that she is also quite attractive, which is always a plus in the world of show business.

Other new faces in the Azúcar Negra front line include Pavel "La Figura" who sings the title track from the upcoming album Se acabó el pescao. His voice is in top form and he remains one of Havana's most entertaining performers. El menor among the singers is 20-year-old Leisdel Gonzáles, the very good-looking nephew of none other than Manolín, El Médico de la Salsa. He has become Havana's new heartthrob and sings lead on the track La vida es . Rounding out the front line is Yurisan Hernández, lead singer on A mí La Habana .

Having finally seen the current lineup thanks to muchoswing.com and Cubavision, I am very pleased to say that they sound fantastic! The band has great energy, arrangements that call you to the dance floor and as always Limonta's lyrics are creative and intelligent, and the coros are infectious. Stay tuned for our full report on the CD, coming soon. In the meantime, here are a few words from Limonta himself and a look at Ingrid singing lead on "Perrita Fina", also known as "Sacúdate que tienes arena".

Dice Leonel Limonta a los fanes: "Como se acabó el pescao se acabó el abuso Azúcar Negra está dando que hablar con sus nuevos cantantes y nuevo CD , es el suceso de la Habana y toda Cuba."

Azúcar Negra "Perrita Fina"- cantante Ingrid Leyva

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