Daymé Arocena

Daymé Arocena (born January 1992) is an Afro-Cuban jazz singer from Havana,[1][2][3] who has been described as Cuba's "finest young female singer."[4] She won the 2015 Juno Award for the best jazz album, as a member of the jazz band Maqueque performing with Canadian musician Jane Bunnett.[5] For 2026 Grammy Awards, she received a nomination for the album The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in the Best Latin Jazz Album category.[6]

Arocena is on National Public Radio's (NPR) list of 50 favourite albums of 2015, with the album Nueva Era.[7] Describing Arocena's voice, NPR host Felix Contreras called her "a cross between Celia Cruz and Aretha Franklin," saying that Arocena's name "deserve[d] to be alongside those two legendary voices."[7]

Arocena began performing semi-professionally when she was eight years old; at the age of 14, she became the lead singer of the band Los Primos. She is considered a musical prodigy, and is a trained composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader, in addition to being a singer.[3]

Afro-Diasporic connections

Arocena is devoted to the religion of Santería, an Afro-Cuban religion, in which she has been a santera for over a decade. Through her work she embraces her religious identity like that of her music, album structures, cover art, and personal looks.[8] She also incorporates the Yoruba language, traditional Santería prayers, and references to Orishas into her lyrics, as an aim to portray the faith in a deeper and empowering manner.[8]

Arocena frequently dresses entirely in white and wears a white head wrap, which reflects the traditional attire of being a Santeria initiate.[8] Arocena specifically honors Yemaya, who she regularly consults for guidance within her songwriting and more personal life.[8] By getting closer to Afro-descendant spirituality, Arocena sees it as a way to reconnect with her ancestors and understand her own roots.

Meaning behind music

Arocena uses her music as a platform to describe the concept of “Cubanism” by showcasing the island's roots to the African Diaspora.[9] Her work represents cultural preservation, pushing back against traditional viewpoints that have oppressed Black Cubans throughout history.[9] Arocena draws influence and blends the historical traditions of Buena vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban jazz bands like Irakeré.[10] She incorporates elements of jazz, pop, R&B, neo-soul, salsa, and cha-cha-chá, alongside the classical music influence she gets from her Russian-style music education that she received in Cuba.[11] Her songwriting touches upon the themes of motherhood, men, heat, and body confidence.[10]

Discography

Studio Albums
  • Nueva Era (2015)
  • One Takes (2016)
  • Cubafonía (2017)
  • Sonocardiogram (2019)
  • Alkemi (2024)

References

  1. ^ Pareles, Jon (23 March 2016). "Review: Daymé Arocena Mixes a Cosmopolitan Vibe With an Earthy Tone". New York Times nytimes.com. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  2. ^ Brown, August (29 March 2016). "Review Daymé Arocena brings exultant Afro-Cuban rumba to Eagle Rock". LA Times latimes.com. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Dayme Arocena Is The World's Next Jazz Phenomenon". Vibe. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  4. ^ Denselow, Robin (2017-03-16). "Daymé Arocena: Cubafonia review – Cuba's finest young female singer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  5. ^ "Jane Bunnett & Maqueque Win 2015 Juno". latinjazznet.com. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  6. ^ "2026 GRAMMYS: See The Full Nominations List | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  7. ^ a b "NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2015". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  8. ^ a b c d Roca-Martínez, Silvia. (2021). Ashé! Daymé Arocena: Santería, Cultural Contestation, and the Politics of Remembrance. A Contracorriente: una revista de estudios latinoamericanos, 19(1), 209-228.
  9. ^ a b Roca-Martínez, Silvia. (2021). Ashé! Daymé Arocena: Santería, Cultural Contestation, and the Politics of Remembrance. A Contracorriente: una revista de estudios latinoamericanos, 19(1), 209-228.
  10. ^ a b Cornwell, Jane. (2017). Street Enough, She’s studied classical, loves jazz, but Cuban singer Daymé Arocena says the best music school is the street. News Corp Australia, SA Weekend, The Advertiser.
  11. ^ Caro, Patricia. (2025). Daymé Arocena: “We Black singers have to do spectacularly well to be given a space.” EL PAÍS English.


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