The Cuban singer Aymée Nuviola has just released a live album recorded at the legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, likely becoming the first Cuban solo artist to publish a record recorded on that stage.
The work titled 'Aymée Nuviola Feat. Kemuel Roig Live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club' originates from the performances of the Cuban artist on July 4 and 5, 2025, at the iconic club in London's Soho and officially released on August 28, 2026 under the Altafonte label, with exclusive distribution by Worldwide Entertainment & Music, LLC.
In an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, Nuviola described what it means to perform in that venue. "First of all, it's a privilege, because it's one of the most prestigious jazz clubs in the world. In fact, they call it the cathedral of jazz."
The artist emphasized that it was not she who sought the stage, but rather the opposite. "It was the club that requested our participation there from the very first time." This recording corresponds to her third visit to the venue, and the connection with the London audience—mostly English, with very few Latinos among the attendees—turned out to be one of the most striking aspects of the experience.
"I believe that there is a very, very strong, very unique, very intimate connection between Ronnie Scott's and me," he stated. "There are very few Latinos who go to that club, and we connect in an extraordinary way. So for me, it is a tremendous privilege and an honor to be there."
The album, produced by Paulo Simeón, features nine live performances: 'Bonche', 'Paco', 'Obsesión', 'Salsa Con Timba', 'Quédate', 'Perfidia', 'Se Bailaba Esto', 'Taxista', and 'Ese Atrevimiento'.
The Cuban pianist Kemuel Roig participated as a special guest artist and made all the original arrangements adapted to an acoustic style, after previously collaborating with Nuviola on the project 'Havana Nocturnes'.
Regarding Roig's work, the singer emphasized that "he has an exceptionally high quality as a musician, producer, and arranger, because many of the arrangements you will hear on that album or have already heard were adapted for this acoustic style entirely by Kemuel."
The repertoire combines songs influenced by African champeta and afrobeats — such as 'Se Bailaba Esto' — with timeless classics like 'Obsesión' and 'Perfidia', all reinterpreted in an acoustic and jazz style. "This is how we chose a repertoire that had a bit of everything without losing our Cuban essence," Nuviola explained.
The liner notes were written by Ted Panken, an American jazz critic and historian with over four decades of experience, and contributions to publications such as DownBeat, JazzTimes, and JAZZIZ.
Founded in 1959 by saxophonist Ronnie Scott and Pete King, this London club is the stage where historic recordings by Ella Fitzgerald (1974), Sarah Vaughan (1977), and Nina Simone (1984) were captured. With this album, Nuviola —a Grammy award winner with several Latin Grammys— continues that tradition as the first Cuban female soloist to bring her own recording of that venue to a global audience through major digital distribution platforms.
The Nuviola team emphasized in the album release that "it's not just about having performed at Ronnie Scott's. It's about being recorded there; about having published that recording as the lead artist; about having taken it to a global audience; and about having opened, with it, a door that was not previously documented in this way for a Cuban female soloist."
The artist is thrilled with the result, the quality, and the sound of the album, and believes it deserves a Grammy, although she acknowledges that she is not alone in the world of artistic creation and that other singers will likely feel the same about their own work.
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