“…a no-holds-barred anthem for anyone who’s faced betrayal and decided to reclaim their power.” — Ana Cristina Cash’s “Last Call” (English) / “Tu Última Llamada” (Spanish)”
Raised in Miami, Florida. Cuban heritage. Started professional music career at age six on the iconic variety show, Sábado Gigante. The show launched in Chile in 1962 (ended in 2015) and featured a frenetic mix of contests, sing-alongs, and music acts, as well as other live entertainment. Can you share a special memory from your time on the show?
Yes. I was on the show, Sabado Gigante, several times as a kid, spanning from the age of six to 13 on various occasions. It was taped in Miami, my hometown. I participated in their on-air children’s musical numbers in Spanish, as well as during their singing competitions. One of the fond memories that I had was competing in competition with several other female child singers and singing different Selena songs. In the final competition, Selena’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla, came to visit us in Univision Studios where we were taping the competition. She was very sweet to all of us. I must have been around 11 at the time.
Influenced by vocalists such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Gloria Estefan, and Shakira. How have these artists shaped your own creative direction?
I honestly have always just loved great songs, no matter the genre. I fell in love with Country music early in my life because of the vocalists and the stories. The same happened with Latin music. While Country has this innate richness in its melodies and storytelling, the Latin music that I was surrounded by growing up had the rhythm and joy that brought people together in celebration. I have lived in Nashville for a decade. Prior to that, I grew up in Miami and had lived there my whole life except for the four years that I spent living in Los Angeles. I am both genres mixed into one artist, and merging them was a very organic process for me. Gloria Estefan was the very first concert I attended at age six, and it left a big impression on little me. Both Shakira and Gloria’s ability to write songs in both English and Spanish deeply influenced me, and they were Latin artists that did the crossover into American Pop music. I was floored by Shania Twain’s songwriting and showmanship, combining country instrumentation with rock influences. Faith Hill’s vocals, beauty, and performance ability left a huge impression on me as well as LeAnn and Reba. All of them are icons of music that conveyed power in their artistry and femininity.
Fell in love with songs and songwriting at a young age. At age 15, signed to Sony Music’s Latin division and released your first Spanish-language album, Ana Cristina. Which song best represents you as a young artist and why?
Wow. It is so hard to pick one from that record and from that time period that represents me fully.
Perhaps the song “Una Lagrima En El Corazon,” which was written by Kike Santander and produced by Kike, Jose Gaviria, and Andres Munera. It was a beautiful mid-tempo ballad with a beautiful melody, and that was where my mind was at the time, on singing soaring ballads. I idolized singers like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, which I was heavily influenced by in the late 90’s and the early 00’s, so that translated to my song selection for that record. Although I always knew how to write music, very early in my life I was mainly preoccupied with being a great ballad vocalist. Writing music is at the forefront of everything I do now. I focus on finding unique ways to tell stories, and my focus has shifted to just creating music that is fun and that resonates with people.
Songwriting process, “It’s interesting because there is no rhyme or reason for what comes first each time I write a song.” You’ve shared how ABBA’s and Ace of Base’s melodies have influenced your own writing. How do these universal melodies help songs resonate with listeners?
Interestingly, I have said many times in interviews that Swedish Pop music has influenced me tremendously as a songwriter. While honing my craft over time, I have learned that the melody is king. Melody reaches the human brain faster than the lyrics do. How many times have you caught yourself humming a catchy melody that just won’t go away? That said, I would never want to undermine the importance of lyrics. I love words, and lyrics are incredibly important. Simplicity in melody is something hard to achieve, but once you can accomplish that as a songwriter, that is what everyone will remember.
Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Florida International University. Master’s degree in creative writing and literature from Harvard University. Any plans to write a book?
Yes! I have a Young Adult Fantasy Fiction novel that is about halfway complete. I had to focus a lot on making this last record, but I hope that I can dive into finishing it once the promotions are done for my record. My other big passion is cooking! I would love to write a cookbook one day.
Los Angeles, “… the first place I moved to, away from home that allowed me to learn more about myself, free from my environment of origin and where I truly spread my wings both personally and creatively.” The Hotel Café, what makes the venue so special for you?
The Hotel Cafe is LA’s premiere singer-songwriter venue, and I got to play my own shows singing my original music many times. I used to hang up my own posters on walls, and I really hustled during this time period of my life. I performed wherever I could around LA and went to several of my artist friends’ shows to gain inspiration. I had so many friends in the arts in my 20s and deemed this as my “bohemian period.” Whether they were musicians, filmmakers, actors, models, or fashion designers, I soaked up so much inspiration from being in that environment for four years and really turned inward, penning a bunch of songs. The Hotel Cafe was a huge part of that journey, as I got to try out several of my new songs with the audience there.
To Nashville, 3rd and Lindsley, The Bluebird Café, and The Opry are a few of your favorite Music City venues. What was it like to debut on The Opry stage in 2019?
It was absolutely a magical experience to debut my new music on the Grand Ole Opry stage at The Ryman Auditorium in 2019. Having the chance to sing my original music which I had written and that came from my heart was amazing. I remember first visiting the Opry as a tourist in 2006, and the tour guide asked if anyone wanted to sing on the mic and stand in the circle, and I performed for my tour group! I had no idea that I would be there years later for my own Opry debut.
Releasing Shine in 2020, a strong singer-songwriter album of story songs.
One of which was “Brand New Pair of Shoes,” written from lyrics penned by Johnny Cash that had not been set to music. “When I sat down with it — these lyrics about French perfume and furs — I immediately knew I had to write something with a jazzy melody. It sounded very playful and flirtatious. John Carter told me, “He’s definitely talking about my mom…” Those lyrics are playful yet sarcastic at the same time. It was really an honor to put them to music.” How did you choose this song for the album?
John Carter, my husband, showed me a lyric sheet for “Brand New Pair of Shoes” that his dad had written. Johnny Cash had not written any music to it, just words, written in his own handwriting. When John Carter asked me if there was something I could do with it, I immediately went to work on my own and rearranged some of the structure of the lyrics but kept all of Johnny’s words in tact. I fumbled around with various melodies while alone in my room until a jazz progression popped up in my head. Then things began to make sense, and I was able to write all of the music to the words that I had been given. It ended up being a super sexy bar room jazz kind of song.
“Last Call” (English) / “Tu Última Llamada” (Spanish).” Your latest song blends a deep connection to your Country roots and Latin heritage. With its powerful message of self-respect and resilience, it is a no-holds-barred anthem for anyone who’s faced betrayal and decided to reclaim their power. Co-written with Willie Breeding and Jodi Marr, what inspired the write?
I had so much fun writing this song with my friends and collaborators Jodi Marr and Willie Breeding. We really experimented with the beat and melody first, and then this super awesome anthem of empowerment came out.
Doing both versions in English and Spanish was really special as well. We are all very proud of “Last Call” and “Tu Ultima Llamada.”
How do you make sure to find the balance between family (mom of two) and career demands?
It is a balancing act every single day. I try to manage everything on my iCal with shared calendars. I am only human and can make mistakes, so there have been times where I have double booked myself. I try to do all the things and want to remain fully present as a wife and mother, all the while staying true to my own identity as an artist. It is sometimes challenging, but it is all worthwhile.
Valentine’s Day plans with John at the Opry for a very special holiday performance. What can you share with fans looking forward to the show?
John Carter and I will be performing a duet of his parents’ Johnny and June’s classic song, “Jackson.” John and I will also be wearing matching suits custom made by our friend and legendary designer, Manuel Cuevas.
Launching new music in 2025 that honors your bilingual roots, and work in both Country Pop and Latin music, to create a true and authentic Latin Country fusion. Where are some of your favorite places to write?
I like to write in very simple places. On my bean bag in my room, the bathroom floor, etc. I am a bit odd in the sense that I prefer bare white walls instead of an overly ornate space to write in. Maybe it is because I don’t like to feel distracted and because I like to get back to the basics as a writer. For this project, we wrote a lot in Willie Breeding’s studio in East Nashville. I wrote a lot in my pool house as well as a porch swing.
You shared a go-to fall recipe as your CrockPot Pumpkin Chili. Any winter soup recipes to share?
I still make my crockpot pumpkin chili during the winter time with some cornbread, ha! It flows into both seasons, Fall and Winter. It’s my favorite.
ANA CRISTINA CASH