Ricardo Leyva Caballero, performer, composer, arranger, music producer, and director of the popular dance music orchestra Sur Caribe. He was born in 1959 in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba. He grew up in the neighborhood of Santa Bárbara, the neighborhood of Alto Pino, home to the Santiago de Cuba conga scene.

After completing his primary and secondary education in his hometown, he traveled to Havana to begin his professional career at the Naval Academy. Upon completing his specialty in naval electricity, he transferred to the Navy in 1977, where he joined the Band. There, he studied with the band’s director, Norman Milanés, in subjects such as counterpoint and harmony. He also enrolled at the Ignacio Cervantes School of Professional Development, taking piano lessons.

Upon returning to Santiago, he joined groups such as Rubley Son and Conjunto Nuevo Cubanero. In 1987, he became the director of one of the most popular orchestras in Cuban music today, known at the time as Renovación Santiago and today as Sur Caribe.

At the same venue, Ricardo Leyva, aiming to achieve a unique sound, changed the instrumental format. He performed at the Santiago Carnival in 1990, where he achieved extraordinary popularity with songs like La maldad and Mi cafetal.

Ricardo and Sur Caribe’s first album, “Sur Caribe con To’,” was released in 2002. Following their success with this album, Leyva and his orchestra moved to Havana from then on. This was followed by “Caminando” (2004), another dance music production featuring songs such as “Por y para María” and “Aprendí caminando” (Alearning While Walking).

The CD Credenciales (2005) was conceived during the celebrations of Santiago de Cuba’s 490th anniversary and is a special tribute to the city. It achieved great national and international success, featuring the song Añoranza por la conga, which has topped the charts. In La Conga de Micaela, a term by which this song is also known, Leyva fused the rhythm of the Santiago de Cuba conga with strings and brass, achieving a symphonic approach. This conga accompanied all of Cuba during the powerful moments of the first World Baseball Classic.

They have toured and performed in Latin American and European countries. Among their performances, we can highlight the London Carnival in 2006. On this occasion, they performed a version of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” to a conga rhythm.

Leyva’s latest and most recent album, Horizonte Próximo, was released by EGREM (1008 3rd Street between 10th and 12th Streets, Miramar, Playa, Havana) in co-production with the Russian record label DEX. It features a predominance of conga lines fused with pop, cha-cha-chá, bolero, and son. Of the 14 tracks on the album, Leyva composed twelve, and he also produced it. It featured guest appearances by Omara Portuondo, Juan Formell, and Frank Fernández.

Along with Sur Caribe, he has participated in various plazas, nightclubs, and musical events that have taken place in Cuba, such as the Jazz Plaza, Matamoroson, Boleros de Oro, Fiesta del Fuego, Cubadisco, and Pepe Sánchez Trova Festivals.

Leyva is the arranger, singer, and composer of most of the songs performed by his group, which prioritizes the recovery of roots and tradition in Cuban music. He has also become a gifted record producer, thanks to the experience he gained at Siboney Studios in Santiago de Cuba.

Among his works as a music producer are: His first two productions were Grandes éxitos de Sur Caribe and No hay Casualidad, in addition to the phonograms of Sur Caribe. He also has a project titled Forever Habana, released in 2006, and a total of twelve CDs featuring all types of Cuban dance music. This production features more than twenty songs composed by Leyva and performed by musicians from eastern Cuba.

Among the accolades earned by this majestic Cuban musician and his orchestra are the 2006 Cubadisco Award for the song Añoranza por la conga, as song of the year; and three nominations at the Cubadisco International Fair for design, video, and popular dance music.

Ricardo Leyva is currently one of the most prominent composers and conductors in the Cuban musical scene.

Discography: South Caribbean with you (2002), Walking (2004), Credentials (2005) and Next Horizon (2010).