Daymé Arocena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daymé Arocena (born January 1992) is an Afro-Cuban jazz singer from Havana,[1][2][3] who has been described as Cuba's "finest young female singer."[4] She won the 2015 Juno Award for the best jazz album, as a member of the jazz band Maqueque performing with Canadian musician Jane Bunnett.[5] For 2026 Grammy Awards, she received a nomination for the album The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in the Best Latin Jazz Album category.[6]
Arocena is on National Public Radio's (NPR) list of 50 favourite albums of 2015, with the album Nueva Era.[7] Describing Arocena's voice, NPR host Felix Contreras called her "a cross between Celia Cruz and Aretha Franklin," saying that Arocena's name "deserve[d] to be alongside those two legendary voices."[7]
Arocena began performing semi-professionally when she was eight years old; at the age of 14, she became the lead singer of the band Los Primos. She is considered a musical prodigy, and is a trained composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader, in addition to being a singer.[3]
Arocena is devoted to the religion of Santería, an Afro-Cuban religion, in which she has been a santera for over a decade. Through her work she embraces her religious identity like that of her music, album structures, cover art, and personal looks.[8] She also incorporates the Yoruba language, traditional Santería prayers, and references to Orishas into her lyrics, as an aim to portray the faith in a deeper and empowering manner.[8]
Arocena frequently dresses entirely in white and wears a white head wrap, which reflects the traditional attire of being a Santeria initiate.[8] Arocena specifically honors Yemaya, who she regularly consults for guidance within her songwriting and more personal life.[8] By getting closer to Afro-descendant spirituality, Arocena sees it as a way to reconnect with her ancestors and understand her own roots.
