Pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa has been steadily building a global following in jazz and beyond over the past two decades since winning the prestigious Montreux Jazz Piano Competition in 2005. López-Nussa has released nine acclaimed albums and captivated audiences across the world with his thrilling performances at esteemed venues and jazz festivals. Born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba, his music reflects the full range and richness of the Cuban musical tradition with its distinctive combination of classical, folkloric, and popular elements, as well as its embrace of improvisation. With his Blue Note Records debut Timba a la Americana, López-Nussa reaches a career milestone with a vibrant album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist’s recent decision to leave his Cuban homeland and begin a new life in France.

Prodigious pianist Harold López-Nussa has come full circle. With numerous acclaimed recordings, and acknowledged as a seasoned performer on international stages, he returns home and records El Viaje in Havana, Cuba, offering musical insights on the world through his piano. Continuing with his established trio format, which includes his brother Ruy Adrián López-Nussa on drums and Senegalese bassist Alune Wade, he improvises upon vast classical influences while adhering to his Cuban roots, concocting an exceptional style of global jazz.

Imagine yourself walking down the streets of Havana hearing music from people’s homes, parties being thrown and paladares or night clubs filled with patrons dancing: this is the soul of Cuba. Havana-based pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa’s vibrant and spirited third recording for Mack Avenue Records captures those moments with a marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music, joyfully standing up for that ambitious vision. Featuring drummer Ruy Adrián López-Nussa, bassist Julio César González and trumpeter Mayquel González, “Te Lo Dije” boasts a number of special guests, including Afro-Cuban funk superstar Cimafunk, French accordionist Vincent Peirani, famed Cuban reggaeton vocalist Randy Malcom, and vocalist Kelvis Ochoa, to realize its picturesque look at Cuban culture.