Novel Voz, a prominent Cuban vocal group, was founded in mid-1999. Under the direction of Gisela Sosa, its eight members, all of whom have extensive academic training, are: Isabel Zamora, Susana Orta, Eduardo Jiménez, Hakely Nakao, Roberto Carlos Cruz, Ramón Casí, and Fernando A. Yero. They are graduates of artistic specialties such as guitar, piano, oboe, dance, singing, choral conducting, and performing arts; almost all of them were members of the group Catarsis, which has a sound quite similar to that of the new group.

Each of its members plays a distinct role within the group in terms of costumes, makeup, choreography, and overall image, because in each of their performances, dancing and acting are part of the show.

Using voice as their sole sound resource and with a unique accent, Novel Voz is part of the experimental musical movement that emerged in the 1990s, a period in which the vocal group Sampling pioneered this type of music in Cuba and from which the original project has been greatly influenced. Unlike Sampling, which uses onomatopoeic sounds to imitate musical instruments, Novel Voz relies more on the harmony offered by the feminine timbre, and this is precisely what distinguishes them.

After a long period of rehearsals, the eight members have successfully combined singing and stage presence in each performance, becoming a musical sensation with a very contemporary feel. They offer a diverse repertoire enriched by traditional Cuban rhythms such as Son, Bolero, Mambo, Guaguancó, and Cha-Cha-Chá; and other foreign rhythms such as American Jazz and Samba. With perfect tuning and a solid musical structure, they deliver a sound capable of captivating the most demanding audiences.

Novel Voz’s first performances took place at the Delirio Habanero of the National Theater (Paseo and 39th Street, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana), but their performances would soon become known in other countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, France, Spain, the United States, and Russia. In the latter, they recently participated in the inaugural edition of the Havana-Rio-New York Festival, where they shared the stage with prominent figures in North American and Brazilian music. They also gave concerts at the National Opera Center, the Moscow Music Palace, and the main hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, a venue for classical instrumentalists and international piano competitions where very few Cubans have performed. The Cuban group became the first popular music group in the world to perform there.

The popular octet’s most recent album was recorded under the Cuban label EGREM and won an award at the ninth edition of the Cubadisco 2011 International Fair. Novel Voz is currently preparing a new album and is consolidating a new project with Japanese musicians who participated in Cubadisco 2005.