Alex Cuba is Cuban. And Canadian. His music is a mix of Latin rhythms and Anglo pop and folk. Almost all of his songs are entirely in Spanish, which means he's better known in Mexico than he is at home in British Columbia. Judging by the calm confidence of these songs, I'm guessing he's just fine with all that.

Alex Cuba Sublime (Caracol Records)

Born and raised in Cuba as Alexis Puentes, Cuba's father was a music teacher. While touring with the family group, he met his wife at a show in Vancouver. A few years later, they settled in her hometown in central B.C. This is Cuba's seventh album, and chances are good he'll see more Juno and Latin Grammy awards.

Such success has allowed Cuba the freedom to work with some of the greatest musicians around. He recorded Sublime in Canada, Cuba, Spain and Mexico. Such luxuries might tempt an artist to mail in a track or two, but Cuba's polymathic approach insures against that possibility. His musical curiosity is so pervasive that he always seems to find another idea to drop into his folk-pop concoctions.

Cuba is not "authentic" anything--except himself. He borrows from anywhere and everywhere, and he translates a myriad of ideas into lovely acoustic songs. Entirely approachable, the breadth of musical thought behind these songs is almost invisible.

Almost. Cuba is an old hand at this point, but he always seems to be digging for something new. This album is familiar and refreshing all at once. Music may salve the rootless soul, but it is the rootless soul that finds new and wonderful ways to make music. Encantadora.

Jon Worley