Fusing jazz and Latin vibes with Dee Hernandez

Cuban-born singer-songwriter Dee Hernandez joined us to talk about fusing jazz with Latin music for her song Used. Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

• Writing traditional-sounding music, without any modern elements
• Finding appropriate musicians to perform authentic Cuban music, who already understand the essential rhythmic patterns
• Developing songs through melodies, basslines, and lyric snippets
• How Dee was actually inspired by a variety of genres, including 90s hip-hop, salsa, and cha-cha
• Using different syncopations in different sections of your song

About Dee Hernandez

Cuban-born singer-songwriter Dee Hernandez is one of the most exciting and magnetic voices in Canada’s Jazz and Latin music scene, crafting a sound that moves effortlessly between Afro-Cuban rhythms, smoky Jazz textures, Soul, and contemporary storytelling.… Read the rest