Bilingual singer / songwriter / actress / producer Jessi Campo recently released Boleros, a collection of slow, romantic Cuban standards, her 6th overall release. The new album brings new life to the golden era of the genre, performing classic 1960s repertoire alongside original songs that honor her Cuban heritage and her father’s musical legacy as a performer in Cuba and New York. She is celebrating the release Friday, April 17, 2026 at the Books & Books Coral Gables (265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134). The event is free with RSVP here. Jessi Campo recently hopped on the Jitney to answer 10 questions.
What is your earliest musical memory?
Jessi Campo: My dad gave me my first guitar at the age of 12 and I started writing songs. It was therapy during my teenage years.
What got you into singing?
I grew up watching my parents perform professionally and around their musical friends, wanting to be just like them. But they wanted a doctor in the family, so I went to the University of Miami for one year of pre-med.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Etta James, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, and Jose Feliciano.
Who has had the biggest influence in your career and why?
My dad was my biggest fan and always told me I could accomplish anything. Mom always taught me to be self-sufficient as a woman. I had some great mentors in Cuban broadcaster Gilda Miros, New Orleans blues legend Henry Turner, Jr., and angels in the sky who really helped my career.
What was the process of selecting songs for Boleros like?
It was a challenge because we (Campo along with producer Jose Velasquez) wanted to keep my signature brand of having a few originals and iconic Boleros combined but also select the same theme and different types of boleros styles.
How different was it to work with Velasquez ten years later?
It’s like we never skipped a beat because he knows my voice and what I am capable of. He always challenges me and also knows what key signatures make my voice shine.
Which song from Boleros speaks to you the most profoundly and why?
Hard to say because they are also so unique and different. But I love the composer Armando Manzanero and because my dad loved this song after I performed it for him once, I’m closest to “Esta Tarde Vi Llover”. Then the duet with my Mom, “Esperame en el Cielo”. Finally the original song by Pedro Azael from Panama, “Porque Me Haces Falta”.
What is your favorite part of the artist management side of your work with Sync Musica?
Pairing songs with films and arranging the perfect soundtrack, and my internship program.
What is your favorite venue to play and why?
Anywhere in New Orleans or on Fisher Island, and Sea World Orlando.
Any plans to tour this record and if so when and where?
Yes, we are headed to Mexico and Spain this summer or fall.
