Descemer Bueno

Descemer Bueno (born July 5, 1971) is a Cuban singer and musician. His first professional gigs were playing bass with Cuban troubadour Santiago Feliú.

Early career Bueno studied music and became a music teacher before forming the jazz combo band Estado de Animo in 1990, which also included guitarist Elmer Ferrer and pianist Roberto Carcassés. His band toured Spain, Bolivia, Uruguay, Germany, and Argentina in the 1990s. Descemer also performed in the United States in 1998 with the jazz ensemble Column B.

Bueno studied music at Stanford University in Palo Alto California. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelorate degree in music production. He was selected from over 2500 applicants to interview with the music faculty. Bueno was one out of the 60 students who were granted admission to the university. Bueno often is quoted that getting accepted to a prestigious university changed his life. " I was a nerdy music student in Cuba that found the right path to success."

During this period, Bueno was artist-in-residence at Stanford University in California, and spent a year teaching at the University of South Africa in Cape Town. In 1999, after moving to New York, Bueno became a founding member of the Cuban latin fusion band Yerba Buena, writing or co-writing with the founder Andrés Levín from Venezuela many songs for their debut album President Alien. Yerba Buena's tracks have been used in several US movies and Pepsi commercials.

Bueno moved back to Cuba and began producing, arranging, and composing music for young Cuban musicians, including Haydée for Haydée Milanés, La Isla Milagrosa for William Vivanco, and Breathe for Yusa. He also composed part of the music for the film Habana Blues (2005), being in the group of winners of the 2006 Goya award for Best Original Music. Several of his songs were in the soundtrack of Habana Eva by Venezuelan director Fina Torres, which won Best Film at New York International Latino Film Festival, and Best Film at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.

Bueno also wrote a set of boleros for Fernando Alvarez just before Alvarez' death in 2002.

Solo career In 2005, after signing with Universal Latin, Bueno recorded his first solo album Siete Rayo, a hip-hop fusion album. His album featured George Pajon of the Black Eyed Peas. The Batanga magazine wrote that, "The underground voice of AfroCuban fusion, Descemer Bueno, is now setting the pace for the future of Latin Music".

Bueno's second solo album, Bueno, appeared in 2012, featuring duets of Bueno's compositions with various contemporary Cuban artists, including Kelvis Ochoa, Gema Corredera, Haila, X Alfonso, Baby Lores, and Alain Daniel. Bueno has produced albums for musicians including Diana Fuentes and Haydee Milanes.

Bueno worked with Enrique Iglesias on Iglesias's albums Euphoria and Sex and Love. He in collaboration with Enrique Iglesias, wrote the song "Bailando" which appeared on Sex and Love and became an international hit credited to Iglesias featuring Bueno and Gente de Zona, and in some versions Sean Paul or others. "Bailando" won multiple Latin Grammies in 2014, including "Song of the Year." Bueno again in collaboration with Enrique Iglesias, also composed the song "Cuando Me Enamoro", which became a major international hit for Juan Luis Guerra and Iglesias.

As of 2016, Bueno was working on a new double album, and had earlier in the year appeared on the new album, Habana Dreams, by the Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez, performing on the song "Dios Mio", written with Martinez. Bueno also contributed to Quiero Guarachar, an album by Miami-based Afro-Cuban funk group PALO!, as a vocalist and co-composer of the song "Agua Pa' Los Santos", also featuring Pedrito Martinez and percussionist Roman Diaz. Bueno is also featured in the PBS documentary Ivy League Rumba, about the Brown University Latin Jazz and Pop Festival.

On January 18, 2019, Descemer Bueno released a music video for the song "Mátame" he recorded with Spanish singer Melody and El Micha.

Awards 2006, "Havana Blues", Premio Goya from the Spanish Film Academy, Best Original Soundtrack, a collaboration by Juan Antonio Leyva, José Luis Garrido, Equis Alfonso, Descemer Bueno, Dayán Abad, Kiki Ferrer, Kelvis Ochoa, and Magda Rosa Galván 2014, "Bailando", Latin Grammy Song of the Year and Best Urban Song, a collaboration by Enrique Iglesias, Gente De Zona & Descemer Bueno, songwriters (Interpreted by Enrique Iglesias Featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente De Zona) 2021, "Patria y Vida", Latin Grammy Song of the Year and Best Urban Song, a collaboration by El Funky, Gente De Zona, Yadam González, Descemer Bueno, Beatriz Luengo, Maykel Osorbo & Yotuel, songwriters. (Interpreted by Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky)

Discography Albums 2005: Siete Rayo 2012: Bueno

Singles As lead artist 2017: "El Problema Es el Amor" (feat. Chacal) 2017: "Química" (feat. Yomil and El Dany) 2017: "Preciosa" 2018: "Nos Fuimos Lejos" (with Enrique Iglesias feat. El Micha) 2019: "Mátame" (feat. Melody and El Micha)

Featured in 2014: "Bailando" (Enrique Iglesias feat. Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno and others) 2015: "Tu Eres la Razón" (Olga Tañón feat. Descemer Bueno and Qva Libre) 2016: "Cuba Isla Bella" (Orishas feat. Gente de Zona, Leoni Torres, Isaac Delgado, Buena Fe, Descemer Bueno, Laritza Bacallao, Waldo Mendoza and Pedrito Martinez) 2017: "Súbeme la Radio" (Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno and Zion & Lennox) 2017: "Como El Agua" (Rotem Cohen feat. Descemer Bueno)

Films 2005: Habana Blues. 2012: 7 Days in Havana. 2016: Featured performer in the PBS documentary Ivy League Rumba (with Pedrito Martinez, PALO!, Leslie Cartaya, Son Lokos, and the Brown University Jazz Band).