Angel d’Cuba (né Angel Luis Badell) was born in Cuba grew up in Havana. As a teenager, he was a breakdancer and worked with several bands, including Emiliano Salvador. His seminal experience, however, came during his stint as frontman and lead singer for the celebrated group Mezcla, which mixed traditional Cuban styles with world music, soul, rock n’ roll and jazz. Angel came to Chicago in the 1980s and since then has been performing locally. Angel d’Cuba and his band are featured on Folksongs of Illinois, vol. 5: Chicago Since 1970 (2013).
