Cuban-born singer-songwriter Dee Hernandez is one of the most exciting and magnetic voices in Canada’s Jazz and Latin music scene, crafting a sound that moves effortlessly between Afro-Cuban rhythms, smoky Jazz textures, Soul, and contemporary storytelling. Based in Atlantic Canada, Hernandez brings a unique sense of emotional depth and cultural duality to her work, shaped by her experiences of migration, reinvention, and finding freedom through music and language. Equally captivating as a vocalist and performer, her music unites technical sophistication with raw emotional honesty, earning recognition from CBC’s Saturday Night Jazz and Marvin’s Room, Jazz.FM91, and praise from Canadian icons Jully Black and Sass Jordan. Her growing momentum has led to performances at Canadian Music Week, ECMA showcases, and festivals across the country, alongside a sold-out Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour throughout Atlantic Canada. A 2026 East Coast Music Award nominee for Global Recording of the Year, Hernandez continues to carve out a lane entirely her own: timeless, soulful, rhythmically rich, and universally human.
As she moves towards releasing her debut album, her new single “Used” transforms heartbreak and emotional manipulation into something elegant, groove-driven, and liberating, blending cha-cha rhythms, jazz-inspired saxophone textures, and layered vocal harmonies into a bold statement of self-worth and personal freedom. “Used” is set for release on Friday, June 5, 2026.
About “Used”:
Blending cha-cha rhythms with jazz influences and layered vocal arrangements, “Used” is Dee Hernandez’s reflection on desire, vulnerability, and the realization that being wanted is not the same as being loved. Tracing the aftermath of a relationship shaped by inconsistency, manipulation, and emotional convenience, “Used” is about affection arriving in temporary waves before disappearing just as quickly. Rather than framing heartbreak through sorrow, Hernandez approaches the experience with elegance, confidence, and self-awareness, transforming her disappointment into a statement of liberation and personal growth. Rooted in her Cuban heritage and lifelong connection to jazz and soul music, “Used” also carries a deeper undercurrent of artistic freedom. Inspired by the historical restrictions placed on jazz and American-influenced music in Cuba during the 1960s and 70s, the song’s prominent saxophone motifs symbolize unrestricted expression, cultural blending, and the freedom to create without limitation. Hernandez uses her own voice as part of the instrumentation itself, layering harmonies that mimic horn sections and weaving herself directly into the arrangement, a creative choice influenced by both jazz traditions and artists who encouraged her to embrace individuality without fear. Written in English as part of her journey toward finding her voice after immigrating to Canada, “Used” reflects Hernandez’s desire to communicate openly across cultures while remaining connected to the vibrant sounds and textures of Cuba. Capturing the moment self-worth begins to outweigh the need to be chosen, “Used” serves as a rhythmic lesson that sometimes what happens to us can be happening for us as we grow into ourselves.
Quote: “‘Used’ is about realizing the difference between being wanted and being truly valued. I wanted to tell that story through rhythm and confidence instead of sadness, because at its core, the song is about self-worth and choosing yourself.” – Dee Hernandez
Upcoming Performances
July 1 2026 – Fredericton Canada Day Celebration, Historic Garrison District Downtown – Fredericton, NB – Free Show
July 31, 2026 – Beaverbrook Art Gallery – Fredericton, NB – Registration Link
August 16, 2026 – Under the Spire – Kensington, PEI – FREE Show – Ticket Link
August 22 – Fest Inter Kultur NB – Moncton, NB – Free Show
Dee Hernandez Biography
Dee Hernandez is a Cuban-Canadian singer, songwriter, and performer who blends Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms with Jazz and Soul into a sound that is emotionally rich, rhythmically vibrant, and distinctly her own. Now based in Atlantic Canada, her journey from rural Havana to Canadian stages is a powerful story of resilience, identity, and artistic evolution.
In 2026, Dee received an East Coast Music Award nomination for Global Recording of the Year, building on multiple career recognitions including two 2025 ECMA nominations, four 2024 Music NB Award nominations, and earlier ECMA and Music NB acknowledgements. She was also a Top 10 finalist for the New Brunswick People’s Choice Awards and gained national exposure as a Top 30 finalist on Canadian Idol. Media recognition has included features on CBC programs such as The Block, Marvin’s Room, Saturday Night Jazz, and Shift, airplay on Jazz.FM91, and international magazine coverage highlighting her as a rising voice in Canadian Jazz. Esteemed artists Jully Black and Sass Jordan have praised her artistry, with Sass Jordan calling her a “world-class Jazz singer”.
A captivating live performer, Dee has appeared at Canadian Music Week, ECMA showcases, and festivals across the country, and recently completed a sold-out Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour in Atlantic Canada. Her work extends into film and television, with placements in TIFF-recognized projects and appearances on Bell Fibe TV1.
Set for release in September 2026 her debut album traces her journey through themes of migration, resilience, and cultural preservation, anchored in her signature fusion of Cuban roots and contemporary Jazz and Soul.
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