Daniel Cros' music brings elements of pop, jazz and traditonal Latin rhythms together into one unique style. His latest release, Las Vueltas Que Da La Vida, released by Rosazul, is a 12-song album that identifies with key moments in the Cros' career: He studied percussion in Havana and songwriting in California. Later on he met with La Vieja Trova Santiaguera and worked with Cuban musicians in Barcelona, Spain on a regular basis.

To introduce you to Cros, we are sharing with you his single, "Cuando Te Cruces En Mi Camino," off of Las Vueltas Que Da La Vida. According to Cros, "It is a very romantic song with a classic son accompaniement where the artist himself plays piano and sings,  supported by congas, bongo, pailas and double bass."

Daniel Cros: Las vueltas que da la vida is the fifth album by singer/composer Daniel Cros. The 12 songs identify with key moments in his career: percussion studies in Havana, songwriting studies in the U.S., and collaboration with Cuban musicians in Barcelona, where he makes his home. The album was released by his own label, Rosazul. When he first collaborated with Cuban musicians, he found it quite unsettling. It was "both enriching and exhausting because some of them have a chaotic, unpredictable way of behaving. But today things have settled down as I work with more organized and serious musicians." The result: solid soul-stirring sound.

Barcelona native Daniel Cros has an incredible ear for musical navigation on his Latin, mostly Cuban-inspired jazz album Las vueltas que da la vida. But it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that this young Catalan can turn into an old Cuban crooner when his ensemble starts hitting the notes. On this album, he manifests a particular love for salsa, guaguanco, son, and other Cuban styles. "En la palma de mi mano" shoots you straight back in time to the 1950s, dancing cheek to cheek in Havana. "De par en par" offers a slow, mysterious Latin bass and some melancholy trumpet solos, while "Siempre nos quedara Paris" gets you back out there doing the one-two-three footwork. It begins as all jazzy Parisian songs should, with a nasal-sounding trumpet that lets your mind wonder to some other time and place, but then it flies straight to Havana for some seriously danceable rhythms. unique style.

There are other genres represented as well. The Catalan-language tune "Aire de mar" sounds like an old sea-faring song like the ones bohemians tried to revive during the years of the Cuban nueva trova. Meanwhile, "Mi Tambor" demonstrates how the tango can be both soft and romantic yet macho at the same time. "Mas y un poco mas" is a slow, waltzy ranchero with all the typical trimmings of that genre except the heavy yelping, and the pop tune "Mi corazon esta desierto en Arizona" is melodic with a nice change of rhythms. There are moments that you wish you could shimmy his clear voice out of its protective shell. It can be a little reserved. But then the music gets pumping, and with the horns a blowin' and the drums a poundin' you find Cros' musical smarts will get you doing all sorts of happy shaking. unique style.

Nacido en Barcelona y totalmente influenciado por el rock, el pop, el jazz y ahora por los ritmos latinos,  Daniel Cros comenzó su carrera musical a principios de la década de los ochenta.

Ahora en su mas reciente producción: “Las Vueltas Que Da La Vida”, nos ofrece una colección de 12 canciones que son importantes tanto en su carrera musical como en su vida personal ya que fueron parte de sus 4 discos anteriores y también por el significado que han tenido en momentos que han marcado últimamente su vida como por ejemplo el encuentro con La Vieja Trova Santiaguera o el estudio de percusión que tomo en la Habana.

Aparte de contar con una alineación impresionante de músicos cubanos como invitados,  Daniel ha logrado en su nuevo álbum continuar en el progreso y la perfección de su propio estilo musical y una muestra de ello son los grandes cambios en los arreglos que han tenido las 12 canciones que componen este nuevo disco.

En el nuevo proyecto de este músico catalán podemos encontrar un variado menú musical que puede llegar a complacer a todos aquellos que buscan no estancarse en un solo ritmo a la hora escuchar un solo disco y es así que Daniel se ha encargado de traernos canciones que van desde el cha cha cha, el son, el guaguancó, el bolero y hasta el tango, entre otros.

Today marks another gloomy summer day for Portland, which seems to have been the overall trend of the summer for us. And, while you lucky folks across the country may be basking (or, rather baking) in the near-ninety degree heat, we can all agree that regardless of the weather, it’s still Monday–the starting point for the week. Monday may inspire creativity and a sense of refreshment for some. For others, it may mark the beginning of what could set out to be a long, long week. Either way, we’re sure that today’s Music Monday musician will set the tone for Monday-lovers and Monday-haters alike. With its Latin and Afrocuban rhythms, its upbeat tempo, and its decidedly romantic lyrics, Daniel Cros’s album Las Vueltas Que Da la Vida will brighten your day (if you need it), or simply keep your energy rolling steadily on through Tuesday.

One thing that makes Daniel Cros’s music unique is that he doesn’t stick to one musical style or tune. Cros has studied in Barcelona, where he delved into playing improv on the piano and learning about music theory. Later, Cros attended the Conjunto Nacional Folklórico in Cuba, where he learned firsthand the basic rhythms of Afrocuban music. Cros also lived briefly in the U.S., where he learned and practiced the art of songwriting. His album is the culmination of these varied musical experiences and learning, which together have developed into the unique and beautiful sounds that are true to Las Vueltas Que Da la Vida.

From the shores of Spain to Cuba, Daniel Cros' Catalan-language songs cover a variety of styles, including ballad, bolero, cha cha cha, ranchera, son, salsa, tango, and more. Hailing from Spain, Daniel infuses a Latin American-jazz sensibility with signature percussion, piano, horns, strings, and vocals. Daniel is quite the master of musical ingenuity being a singer, guitarist, and pianist. The piano surfaces more or less on many of the tracks, which provides a classic sound to the quiter rhythms and slower melodies. One thing that is certain is the passion and neverending desire for performing and creating lively musical masterpieces that stir the soul and twist the hips. Though primarily a recording for Latin music fans, Las vueltas que da la vida also evokes a Spainish musical component. However, the album is not very long in running-time (approx. 42 minutes), but it won't hurt to play the album over and over. A danceable collection of songs!