Singer, composer, pianist, Afro Cuban dancer, actress, and educator Melvis Santa was born and raised in the heart of an eclectic neighborhood in Havana, being exposed to multi-cultural traditions early on. Melvis made a splash on the Cuban musical scene at the age of 14 when she founded the collective vocal group Sexto Sentido, a project that jazz great Chucho Valdés deemed as “the best Cuban vocal quartet of the past 30 years” in 2007. Melvis debuted as a solo artist in 2012 with the recording of her album Santa Habana, which was nominated to The CUBADISCO Awards that same year. Her musical influences encompass a wide stylistic variety from Cuban music and jazz, citing as her inspiration Cuban songstresses such as Rita Montaner, Merceditas Valdés, Celeste Mendoza, Celia Cruz, Elena Burke and Marta Valdés.