Issac Delgado

Cuba's socialist system didn't undermine the artistic freedom of singer Issac Delgado with draconian repression or ideological censorship. It gradually got to him by bureaucratic nicks and cuts. Before defecting to the U.S. last year, Delgado was one of the island's top salsa stars, a celebrity who enjoyed relative prosperity in Havana and traveled freely throughout the world to perform and record.

Cuba's socialist system didn't undermine the artistic freedom of singer Issac Delgado with draconian repression or ideological censorship. It gradually got to him by bureaucratic nicks and cuts. Before defecting to the U.S. last year, Delgado was one of the island's top salsa stars, a celebrity who enjoyed relative prosperity in Havana and traveled freely throughout the world to perform and record.

On his previous visit to Los Angeles for last year's ill-fated Latin Grammy ceremony, Cuban singer-songwriter Issac Delgado was among the top stars stranded here by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Under infinitely less stressful circumstances, the Havana-based singer made a commanding and joyful return appearance Friday night before a capacity crowd at the Conga Room.

World-renowned salsa singer Issac Delgado has emigrated from Cuba and plans to pursue his career from a new home in Florida, becoming the biggest name in Cuban music in more than a decade to make the politically charged move away from the communist enclave. Unlike the highly publicized defections in recent years of two other prominent Cuban vocalists, Manolin and Carlos Manuel, Delgado made his move under a cloak of secrecy.

Issac Delgado has seen the future of tropical music. And the future, he suggests, has a blinding sort of beauty to it. The Cuban singer ignited the capacity crowd at the Conga Room on Thursday with an eclectic style that goes beyond the genre's established definitions. To say that his music belongs to the controversial Cuban movement known as timba would be a narrow view.

World-renowned salsa singer Issac Delgado has emigrated from Cuba and plans to pursue his career from a new home in Florida, becoming the biggest name in Cuban music in more than a decade to make the politically charged move away from the communist enclave. Unlike the highly publicized defections in recent years of two other prominent Cuban vocalists, Manolin and Carlos Manuel, Delgado made his move under a cloak of secrecy.

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Having a whole separate competition for Latin Grammys--with winners already announced earlier this year--drains the drama out of the regular Grammy nominations in Latin music categories. Mercifully, it also takes the sting out of the shocking omissions and strange inclusions that typically plague Latin selections in the main event.

Diversity is the keyword for the 25th Playboy Jazz Festival, which will take place at the Hollywood Bowl on June 14 and 15. The silver anniversary show, whose roster was announced Thursday, features a global lineup defining the wide range of music that has come to be included beneath the umbrella of jazz.

THE musical eclecticism that dominated Day 1 of the 29th Playboy Jazz Festival on Saturday continued in Sunday's program at the Hollywood Bowl, which ran from zydeco and blues to Afro Cuban and smooth jazz. But there were notable differences. On Saturday, many of the jazz groups, in their efforts to infuse pop elements into their music, were largely eclipsed by the authenticity of performances by international artists (Angelique Kidjo, Issac Delgado) and a blues veteran (Buddy Guy).

On his previous visit to Los Angeles for last year's ill-fated Latin Grammy ceremony, Cuban singer-songwriter Issac Delgado was among the top stars stranded here by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Under infinitely less stressful circumstances, the Havana-based singer made a commanding and joyful return appearance Friday night before a capacity crowd at the Conga Room.

Issac Delgado has seen the future of tropical music. And the future, he suggests, has a blinding sort of beauty to it. The Cuban singer ignited the capacity crowd at the Conga Room on Thursday with an eclectic style that goes beyond the genre's established definitions. To say that his music belongs to the controversial Cuban movement known as timba would be a narrow view.

With the record business down sharply in 2002, some observers suddenly seem depressed about the prospects of Latin music. Shakira is the only one riding high, but she dyed her hair blond and changed to English to get there. In good years and bad, however, finding the best Latin albums is always a bit of a treasure hunt. Some great works, such as an exquisite collection of trova tunes by Cuba's premier singer Issac Delgado, aren't even released in the U.S.

During a quickly assembled benefit concert by stranded Latin Grammy nominees Friday night, recording academy officials said they are still trying to reschedule the awards telecast, which was canceled after last week's terrorist attacks. Although salvaging a full-blown Latin Grammy production would be a long shot, organizers said they are hoping for a possible new date of Nov. 30.