X Alfonso releases "AIRE," his ninth album featuring covers of Silvio Rodríguez, Carlos Varela, and Santiago Feliú

May 22, 2026

Cuban musician, producer, and visual artist X Alfonso released his ninth studio album, AIRE, on May 22, 2026, available on all digital platforms. The title is an acronym capturing the spirit of the record: Acordes Inolvidables y Romances de Esperanza (Unforgettable Chords and Romances of Hope).

AIRE is a covers album bringing together songs by three generations of Cuban singer-songwriters: Silvio Rodríguez, Carlos Varela, and Santiago Feliú, alongside iconic tracks by X Alfonso himself. The artist described it as "an emotional dialogue between times, styles, and visions of a country."

From Silvio Rodríguez, X Alfonso selected "Sueño con serpientes" and "Unicornio"; from Carlos Varela, "Como los peces" and "Cambia"; and from Santiago Feliú, "Búscame" and "Para ti." The album also includes X Alfonso's own classics: "Arenas de soledad" (co-written with Descemer Bueno), "Habana Blues," and "Interrogante."

The album was recorded remotely, with each artist collaborating from different countries. X Alfonso explained that the process involved creating the arrangements, recording a guide vocal, and then exchanging audio files with each performer.

In an interview with OnCuba News published on May 21, X Alfonso said his goal was to "weave three generations together in one album" through songs that touched multiple generations of Cubans. "Poetry above all, hope, change, the search for beauty — that is more or less what, across different generations, we have done," he said.

The album includes a special tribute to Santiago Feliú, who passed away in 2022 and with whom X Alfonso shared a close personal friendship since childhood.

X Alfonso, founder of the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) in Havana, currently lives part of the time in Portugal. He has announced his intention to submit the album for Grammy consideration.