Lucrecia Pérez Sáez

Lucrecia Pérez is a singer, composer, producer, and one of the leading Latin voices in Europe and the United States. She was born in La Habana and has lived in Barcelona since 1993, where she has established her creative center and the venue where she has been celebrating the Premios Alegría de Vivir for several years.

She was attracted to music from childhood. At only seven years old she began studying music, earning a degree in piano specialization at the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba. To complete her training, she also received voice lessons from Isolina Carrillo, composer of the bolero "Dos gardenias".

She was a singer and keyboardist in the Anacaona orchestra, with which she toured throughout the world, until she came to Spain and decided to settle in Barcelona. 

In 1993 she participated in the international bolero festival in La Habana, where she was one of the most outstanding artists. That same year she was a finalist in the competition to select the singer who would represent Cuba at the OTI festival.

In 1994 she released her first CD "Me debes un beso" where the production and musical direction were done by herself. 

Her second album "Prohibido" was released in 1996. In that same year 1996 her third album was released, "Mis Boleros". A year later, in 1997, Lucrecia published "Pronósticos" and later in 1999 "Cubaname" where Lucrecia once again produced and directed her album musically. From this album the version of the song "Youkali" by Kurt Weill and Fernay was extracted, which served as the central theme of the film "Segunda Piel" directed by Gerardo Vera and starring Ariadna Gíl, Javier Bardem, and Jordi Mollá.

In 1999 Lucrecia participated as an actress in the film "Ataque Verbal" directed by Miguel Albaladejo sharing the cast with Adriana Ozores, Antonia San Juan, Sergi López, Elvira Lindo, and Antonio Resines, among others. Also that year a single with great success "Amparame" was released, which has now been re-recorded for her new album "AGUA" with a surprising result. 

She has released 13 albums of Cuban or tropical music with songs of her own authorship and her parents'. Throughout her career she has collaborated musically with great masters such as Celia Cruz, Paquito D'Rivera, Chano Domínguez, Wyclef Jean, Patato Valdés, Carel Kraayenhof, Willy Chirino, Chavela Vargas, Lluis Llach, Gilberto Gil, Israel López "Cachao", Andy García, Carlos Jean, among others.

Among these collaborations, the album "Cachao: The last mambo" should be highlighted, which was awarded at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2011 (Grammy 2012). A posthumous tribute to Israel López Cachao that contains a memorable concert recorded live in Miami in September 2007, on the occasion of the 80 years of the great master's musical career. Produced by Eventus.

Lucrecia has discovered new personal and musical facets, carrying out luxury performances and recordings alongside Chavela Vargas, Celia Cruz, Paquito D'Rivera, Albita, Chano Lobato, Manzanita, and Alex Acuña, among others.

Motherhood has provided her with an ideal state for composing most of the songs on her new album "AGUA". "AGUA" is musical evolution, vocal virtuosity, fragile, joyful, sensual, and strong. If we had to frame it in a musical style, let's say it is Latin Acid Jazz or much more simply Lucrecia and nothing more. As for the repertoire, it has been several months of intense work, with a careful selection of songs together with Jesús N. Gómez, producer and musical director of this album and one of the best professionals in the country, with a very extensive career of successes, which has undoubtedly made this work possible, which surprises with the exquisite selection of the 11 solid songs that make up the album. "Mi Gente" is the first drop of water from this sea of emotions.

The singer was the composer of the soundtrack for Balseros, a notable documentary made in Cuba with Spanish production, that portrays the journey of those thousands of Cubans in search of the American dream. For that soundtrack she was nominated for the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Publications

She has published the children's book Besitos de chocolate. Cuentos de mi infancia (Editorial El Aleph, 2006) followed by two more books in the same collection: "El valle de la ternura" (2005) and "Todos los colores del mundo" (2008) in collaboration with Los Lunnis. Continuing this parallel children's trajectory, Lucrecia has released her album and video "La Casita de Lucrecia".

In June 2012 the Eternamente Cuba tour began.

Filmography

Lucrecia has participated in various films:

El ratoncito Pérez 2 (2008) Dubbed the character Lola the mouse.

P3K: Pinocho 3000 (2004) Dubbed the fairy Cyberina, the original voice is by Whoopi Goldberg.

El gran gato (2003) by Ventura Pons, performing the song "Barca, cielo y ola" as a tribute to rumbero Gato Pérez.

Balseros (2002), soundtrack. International awards, nominated for the Goya 2002 and the Oscars 2004. Directed by Carles Bosch and Josep Mª Domènech.

Ataque verbal (1999) by Miguel Albaladejo as an actress.

Segunda piel (1999) by Gerardo Vera, performing his song "Youkali".

Pareja de tres (1995) by Antoni Verdaguer, performing his song "Pasión por ti".

Discography

Grandes de Cuba, 2014

Álbum de Cuba, 2010

Mira las luces, 2006

Agua, 2002

Cubáname, 1999

Pronósticos, 1997

Mis boleros, 1996

Prohibido, 1996

Me debes un beso, 1994

Television

For seven seasons she was a host of the children's program Los Lunnis on TVE.

Jury member of the program "Menudas estrellas" by Gestmusic on Antena 3.

"El Comisario", episode 41, "Mal de ojo".

She participates as a spokesperson for the popular jury in the program Contigo Aprendí boleros.

She collaborates in the program "Trencadís", presented by Sandra Barneda for the Catalan channel 8TV.

Awards and nominations

Award for Music for "Best Dance and Hip hop Song" from the SGAE, in the 2003 edition for the song Mi gente from the album Agua.

Three TP Gold Awards for the program Los Lunnis on TVE.

Golden Microphone Award from the Program Protagonistas by Luis del Olmo.

Nomination for the 2003 Oscars for the Documentary Film by TV3 "Balseros".

Nomination for the Emmy Awards for her interview in the Program "Hablando con las Estrellas" on the Mega Latina Television network in Miami.

Nomination for the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards. In the category Best tropical music album. for the album Álbum de Cuba with Celia.

Winner of the 2011 Latin Grammy Awards and 2012 American Grammy Awards for her participation in the album "The last mambo". A tribute to bass player and creator of the Mambo Israel López "Cachao". She performs the song Dos gardenias.