It's hard to explain to my parents what's going on. You can't compare Hollywood with Cuba. I didn't even know I could dream this.
This business - the auditions, the anxiety - it's all so, aaah, crazy! But I can always call my mom in Cuba to be reminded of what real life is.
When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first three movies, all in Cuba.
I moved to Madrid with 200 bucks in my pocket to see what was going to happen. Of course, I didn't know that 200 euros was nothing, because in Cuba, 200 was a lot, and the money I had been saving from my movies.
I've always been very ambitious, and I always knew that I wanted something else. Cuba was a good start, but I knew I wasn't going to develop a real career, and I wanted to get closer to filmmakers that I wanted to work with.
Miami is one of these places where diversity is in our blood, where, you know, if you want to go have a Nicaraguan breakfast, a Cuban lunch, and an American diner dinner, you do.
I definitely see myself as an international musician. When I play, I respect the source of the music, whether it's Cuban, Brazilian or Israeli. I try to bring that to all of the music I play. Music has no borders and no flags.
I went to Mexico for three months after college and studied Spanish there. And I went to Cuba and studied at the University of Havana. I loved studying in other countries.
I just learned how to scuba dive. I'd been scared to rely on one little air hose for oxygen, but swimming with all those fish is exhilarating.
I haven't traveled in Africa nearly as much as I'd like to. I've been there a few times, and I'd like to learn more about the various cultures in Africa. But that's the basis point of where all of the music that I love is based upon, from Africa to Cuba to Puerto Rico to South America.
