The appearance of Arte Mixto in such a musical climate was nothing short of a revelation. Here was a band that could merge past and future tastefully, one that looked at the music of the world with curiosity while still wanting to preserve Cuban traditions. Arte Mixto's originality might stem in part from the fact that its members come from Cienfuegos, a small city in the center of the island, rather than Havana, where all the successful musicians live and work. They were away from the competitive environment of the capital. And there's a certain innocence about Cienfuegos, too.
People seem to be more open and genuine there.
It was in Cienfuegos that Correa met Cepeda and asked her to be part of a new band he was putting together. One day, I saw her in the street wearing a flowery dress, and I liked her instantly. We are great friends, but the romance thing didn't quite work out with us. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times.