Ana Maria Páez

Vocalist
Born: Havana, January 9, 1966

Lead vocalist Ana Maria Páez is also the wife of Germán David Pinelli, founder of 3 de la Habana, and she is the mother of the group's youngest percussionist, Tirso Luis Páez.

Ana was already well known inside Cuba before joining 3 de la Habana. Ana was a lead vocalist and show host at the legendary open-air Tropicana Cabaret in Havana, founded in 1939 and still the most famous show in Cuba.

"I have so many beautiful memories of growing up in Havana," says Ana. "It is a city of colors and flavors and music that wash over everyone no matter how rich or how poor. My father, Miguel Páez, was a well-known radio personality when I was still young, so I had some exposure to the great singers and musicians in the city. But it seemed an impossible dream as a child to be chosen to appear in any capacity at the Tropicana."

Ana had gained a wide following on her own, appearing like her father on both radio and television, before finally becoming the principal host at the Tropicana Cabaret.

Says Ana, "I was always singing – any Cuban girl tries that no matter what your talent. But it was in the company of these legendary Tropicana performers and on that stage that I finally learned to be comfortable facing an audience and to deliver the songs and rhythms of the Cuban people in a way that can be appreciated by the public."

Ana's first steps towards singing and the stage actually began in elementary school.

"My Sixth Grade teacher, Dulce Maria Dopico, had an infectious love for the music of Cuba and passed it on to me," remembers Ana. "It was she who first encouraged me to sing and it was she who gave me the first real lessons on how to project and control a song."

Ana continues to be influenced by the legends of Cuban music – she has a particular love for the vocalizations of the late Celia Cruz.

Says Ana: "As our group toured around the world, I was delighted to see that Celia is as well known in Europe, North America, and Asia as she is in Cuba where she is still revered. It is fair to say Celia Cruz is still the most influential woman in Cuban music and I carry her music wherever I travel. I can play a song of hers that I have heard hundreds of times and still learn each time from the experience."

Ana is also an avid listener of the newer generation of Latin musicians. She is particularly fond of the Spaniard Alejandro Sanz who has won 15 Grammy awards and sold millions of albums – an enthusiasm she shares with her son Tirso.

"Somehow I identify deeply with the lyrics and style of Alejandro," she says. "It cuts to my heart in so many ways. I feel in my heart what he writes about – and that inspires and guides me in my own interpretation of a song."

"The constant cross-talk and fusion of Latin music, where Spain meets Cuba, where Colombia meets Mexico, and so forth is what excites me today," says Ana. "The rhythms may be different from country to country but the Latin community shares a common love of melody that has simply been lost in contemporary rap and rock. One of our goals with 3 de la Habana is to bring a love of melody back to world music!"