Francisco Cespedes

• Genre: Latin

About

With his gravelly tenor, Cuban singer/songwriter Francisco "Pancho" Cespedes was born for songs of suffering, whether the subject is lost love or loss of country, the song style classic boleros, jazzy Afro-Cuban standards, or his own love ballads. Cespedes' best known song "Vida Loca" ("Crazy Life," not to be confused with Ricky Martin's crossover hit), is an ode to long-distance love whose lyrics can also be interpreted to express the pain of exile. The title song of his 1997 platinum debut album, it's a tearjerker that in concert has been known to break up the artist as well as his audiences. Cespedes first studied to be a doctor before abandoning medicine to pursue a career in music. In the early '90s, he left Cuba for Mexico, where he has since become a citizen, though he currently resides in Miami. He has recorded six albums for Warner Music, with a repertoire ranging from renditions of Cuban standards to stabs at mainstream Latin pop.

- Judy Cantor-Navas