If you write songs and if you write music that's very sincere and very honest, it's pop music, but it is pop music with a lot of honesty and a lot of heart.

Even before I became a recording artist, I did other things in music. I was a teacher, I did studio work, and I was an arranger and a producer.

A real active music set, based and really concentrated on what the music's all about. That's what I'm all about - singing and a really good strong music set.

So, when I got the contract for my album, even though it was an English record, my manager insisted on making sure we would record in Spanish as well, and it worked out really well for me.

This record has a lot of influences that I'd love to cover, like Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind and Fire. Maybe I'll do some covers of my major influences during my live show.

It happened in Miami, in Coral Gables, a great big ol' Cuban wedding. It was pretty intense.

I might be a Cuban American, but I'm also an Afro-Cuban American.