Sweet Lizzy Project, a rock band from Havana, Cuba, released their infectious album Technicolor this past February. (Can “infectious” be used as a positive indicator any more? Anyway, let’s just say those who hear it can’t help passing along the good news.)
This album combines Latin and American sounds in a way that’s a total jam.
Sweet Lizzy Project is a culturally significant band due to their crossover appeal. Lisset Díaz is the lead vocalist and lyricist, with a commanding yet fluid voice.
Miguel Comas, the band’s co-writer and bandleader, is well-known in Cuba for his virtuoso guitar performances, as well as his production skills in the studio. Wilfredo Gatell on the keyboards, Alejandro González on bass, and Ángel Luis Millet on the drums complete SLP’s five-piece line-up.
Lisset Díaz is not your typical lead singer. She graduated at the top of her class in biochemistry at her university in Havana. Music would likely remain a side gig.
Then she met Miguel Comas in 2012. He saw Lisset’s potential and they decided to record together. The duo quickly grabbed Cuba’s attention. More bandmates joined them and Lisset left her science career behind.
The Sweet Lizzy Project was fully born. The band’s name derives from Lisset’s nickname and the neighborhood where they first rehearsed.
The band’s big break came with a PBS special, Havana Time Machine, focused on the city’s music scene. The special ended with a live concert put on by SLP and other Cuban artists.
In 2017, the manager of the Grammy award-winning group, The Mavericks’, signed SLP to their label, Mono Mundo Recordings.
The band continued to work on televisión while also recording, Technicolor.
Launching a band playing rock music in Cuba whose songs were performed in English naturally proved a challenge. At first, not many resources flowed SLP’s way. Nevertheless, they persevered and established a name for themselves.
Bandleader, Miguel Comas explains: “We can overcome the impression that Cuban music is only rumba and son. Having the chance to play for American audiences, that is a win for us already. We’ve had everything against us, but we are here.”
Their LP, Technicolor, has been well received in the United States. Before the pandemic, they were performing coast to coast. They still have the following dates on their Schedule.
July 17 – Kansas City, MO, US
July 23 – Jacksonville, FL, US
August 2 – Dallas, TX, US
August 14 – New Haven, CT, US
SLP recorded one of our favorite SCENES Lives Sessions. Have a look and a listen to this distinctive band.
You can stream or buy Technicolor now. Let us know your thoughts in the comments and your favorite track of the album. Scenes loves discovering great bands like SLP wherever they originate, all over the world.
