Tentaciones Ray Fernández with The Zanja All Stars

The third release from Zanja Records, led by producer Alex González, immerses itself in the rich tradition of Cuban songcraft. The album, titled “Tentaciones”, features Havana-based troubadour Ray Fernández, known for his deep, powerful, and rebellious voice paired with exceptional lyrics—making him a standout in modern Cuban trova.

This project with The Zanja All Stars sounds both raw and refined, gathering elements of traditional Cuban music—melding trova with nengón and changüí, and embracing other styles such as traditional son, guajira, and guaguancó.

• “Lucha Tu Yuca” evokes the legacy of the indigenous Taíno people, wiped out during colonial times, referencing the Siboneyes, Guanajatabeyes, and Areítos.
  
  
• “A Cun Cun” is danceable and rhythmic, driven by road-trip storytelling and featuring a striking trombone line by Juan Carlos Marín.
  
  
• The son “Condená” paints the portrait of a strong, liberated woman with bold rhythmic drive and delicate violin ornamentation by William Roblejo.
  
  
• Ray revisits his earlier work with “Bucanero”, a poetic depiction of Caribbean pirate lore, now reimagined over guaguancó rhythms, with commanding trumpet lines by Julito Padrón and Alejandro Delgado, plus a tasteful piano solo by Rolando Luna.
  
  

The title track, “Tentaciones”, is built on the Pa’Cá rhythm, weaving poetic and metaphorical narratives of love using geographical imagery.
The chachachá “El Librero” offers a thoughtful reflection on life through personal experience versus literary teachings, referencing literary giants like Goethe, Victor Hugo, Cervantes, Nietzsche, Thomas Mann, and Dostoyevsky.

“Artistaje” transitions rhythmically into guajira, delivering a poignant message about the artistic spirit across disciplines, especially in drama, all wrapped in rich instrumentation.

The album closes with the son “Malecón”, opening with trumpets and offering a nostalgic walk along Havana’s iconic seaside avenue. It captures the tension between the pounding sea and the joyful simplicity of daily Cuban life—a culture that never stops celebrating.

As is customary with Zanja Records releases, the instrumentation is rich and layered, reaching beyond conventional sound palettes to encapsulate the urban pulse of Havana, blending traditional and modern tones with a distinctly independent spirit.