Chris Butcher Music

Below is the very recently released music video for Alex Cuba’s, “If You Give Me Love”.

I was familiar with Alex’s music through it’s frequent and deserved airplay on CBC radio, but the shooting of this video was the first time I met him. Alex is the real deal, born in Artemesia Cuba (also the hometown of Arturo Sandoval). He grew up playing the bass, but has transitioned into a happening singer accompanying himself on guitar when he front’s the Alex Cuba band. He also stands out as a very talented songwriter/composer having co written a large portion of the tunes on Nelly Furtado’s hugely successful Mi Plan album.

Alex’s own music is startling in the success he has weaving together the often disparate strands of rock, pop and world music into a seamless single product. It’s informed by the legacy of cuban music but not shackled to it, and to me there’s something inherently Canadian to his eclectic approach. This is his first english language single and he has really established himself as a fine purveyor of GOOD North American popular music. The lyrics speak to the most basic human need, that of loving and being loved in return, without getting sappy. It’s catchy and has some funky horn lines, what else could you ask for?

There’s a good money shot of me about 3:13 through the video. It’s Kervin Barreto on trumpet and fellow Winnipegger Paul Metcalfe on tenor saxophone. It was a fun but early morning hanging with Max Senitt and the guys and watching how a music video gets shot. The horns were recorded in Havana with Alexander Abreu , and Amaury Perez, THE studio horn players in Cuba.

Hasta Pronto