MARLIN RAMAZZINI 
Since she was a young girl Marlin Ramazzini's great passion has been music. She felt strongly drawn to the son, cha cha cha, mambo and other Cuban rhythms she heard over the airwaves in Guatemala City where she grew up. "My mother used to sing - she loved these tunes and rhythms and encouraged me to love them too," says Marlin, who now lives in Surrey, B.C. "I started singing when I was 12, representing my school in national competitions. Though Marlin received no formal training as a musician back home, while on a visit to Havana in 1986 she was told of a school for people like herself. "You didn't need the usual qualifications, just enthusiasm and determination. I went to study there regularly over the next four years, and had some really great teachers, including Xiomara Valdés and Omara Portuondo [of the Buena Vista Social Club] for singing, Enrique Pla from Irakere for drums, and Justo Pelladito for percussion, Rafaelito Lay from Orquesta Aragón for Band ensemble." 
A few years later Marlin concentrates more on her career as a Latin singer. She started her own band, in 1997, with husband and bass-player Fito Garcia. Wanted to do more Cuban-style music, she recorder her debut album in Havana, in March 1998, at the Sonocaribe studios."
Quiero Ser Yo showcases Marlin's warm and sensual voice, backed by more than two dozen musicians. The recording garnered a nomination for a
West Coast Music Award in 1999. On the strength of its success Marlin and her band, currently a twelve-piece, have been favourites on the BC Latin music circuit. 
Marlin's music has no borders. She has taken it to Europe, Central and North America, the Caribbean and The USA - as well as across Canada, performing at such prestigious venues and festivals as Montreal's Nuits d'Afrique, and Toronto's Harbourfront. With her deep understanding of Cuban son, Marlin Ramazini knows both how to play within the tradition and how to give it a contemporary salsa shine. www.marlinramazzini.com