The Cuban Cowboys

¡Hola! The Cuban Cowboys have been around longer than many of you have been alive (thank you <a href="spotify:artist:27AzFtMZhRN78bAMPntbpF" data-name="Old 97&#39;s">Old 97&#39;s</a>) , starting out in Gainesville, FL back in 1998. Founder and frontman Jorge Navarro started the band while pursuing a Ph.D. in bilingual education. He cut his teeth in the Gainesville music scene&#39;s heyday, alongside the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:4dmaYARGTCpChLhHBdr3ff" data-name="Hot Water Music">Hot Water Music</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:29lz7gs8edwnnfuXW4FhMl" data-name="Against Me!">Against Me!</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7m60UAnbgFFNuJbmS6OxTk" data-name="Sister Hazel">Sister Hazel</a>, and the assorted ghosts of <a href="spotify:artist:2UZMlIwnkgAEDBsw1Rejkn" data-name="Tom Petty">Tom Petty</a>. Weird things can come from a first-gen Cuban-American who takes to Rock before circling back to his Cuban roots; which is what happened when Jorge moved to NYC in 2000. He abandoned his dissertation, pulled a kickass band together and released <a href="spotify:album:2fRQVKdQUC63ugA6DtksdX" data-name="Cuban Candles">Cuban Candles</a>. The band blew up in NYC, toured extensively, got lots of press and eventually signed an ill-fated record deal. The deal went south, Jorge went west, became a dad and got clean. Two years after releasing <a href="spotify:album:1iTHFpex51NhLGPJN8zl8B" data-name="Diablo Mambo">Diablo Mambo</a> to international acclaim, the band went quiet.
The demands of fatherhood, and extensive international travel for an education non-profit were just too much. Since 2013, Dubai, Istanbul, Seoul, and Oslo and other far-flung places became as influential on Jorge&#39;s writing and thinking as the <a href="spotify:artist:6zvul52xwTWzilBZl6BUbT" data-name="Pixies">Pixies</a> are to his music.
Nearly ten years later, Jorge and the band are back! 2024’s &#64;<a href="spotify:track:3CkVwp4i8mhPuWqwxcq4nC" data-name="Mentiroso - Live">Mentiroso - Live</a> album and singles like <a href="spotify:track:51qbYKk9awEgEAaMU66HuX" data-name="I Won&#39;t Be Your Salome">I Won&#39;t Be Your Salome</a> were released as preludes to a new album and alt-country sound for 2025. Giddy up!