Born in Miami, Florida, singer-songwriter Ana Cristina Cash has been involved in the music industry since she was a teenager, and has previously worked with Sabado Gigante and Univision. She recently attended the CMT Awards in Austin and looks forward to showcasing her new music to audiences everywhere. Her latest single titled, “Patria Y Vida” is a very personal and heartfelt tune as it relates to her heritage which speaks of hope, freedom, and resistance against the oppressive and communist state of Cuba. Providing more insight Cash goes into further detail, “I released my version of “Patria Y Vida”, and made the decision to do that knowing that I could possibly never visit Cuba again or ever,” Cash said. Cash is referring to the lyrical content and expressive meaning of the song as it reflects the hardships of the Cuban people, which in return the song has been essentially banned in the country. Cash adds, “There’s no progression of the human spirit essentially and it’s tough and I have not been to Cuba, and I always thought I’d like to go at least see it once but I’ve always been really conflicted about that. There’s a documentary you should also watch called “Patria Y Vida” that’s about the song I covered that was released in 2023. If you want to understand the situation, it really talks about the lack of freedom of expression for artists, even for drawing a painting that might seem controversial, the painter will get thrown in jail. They Cuban people don’t have weapons you know but it’s really up to the people to fix the problem and liberate themselves and maybe revolt against the Government, but they have no weapons so there’s no way because essentially if they speak out they will get killed.”
Cash’s own parents fled the country due to the controlling regime and settled in the U.S. decades ago as she recalls, “They were each teenagers when they came to the United States. So everyone had to start all over again, basically. They came with one suitcase and the clothing on their backs, and to leave all of their possessions behind which was kind of wild. My mom and dad met at a party and if it weren’t for them meeting in Miami I wouldn’t have been born. It was pretty rough for them, and my mom came a little bit later like in 1968 so she was a little bit older and experienced more of the communism as she worked in labor camps and all that, ” Cash said. Cash also credits her parents’ experience in shaping her as a person and growing up bilingual. “My grandparents did not speak English whatsoever, so I grew up speaking both English and Spanish and kind of just watching the telenovelas,” Cash fondly remembers. Growing up in Miami, Cash was also able to immerse herself in the Cuban and Latin American community, “It was kind of like living in a bubble because I didn’t get to see the how the rest of the U.S. lives, but it was also really cool as I really appreciate Cuban food and culture and I actually starting my career in Spanish initially” she said. Cash also had the amazing opportunity to work at Univision while a young girl and performed in musicals and eventually signed a record deal around the age of 15 with the Latin division of Sony.
Reflecting further upon her Cuban heritage, Cash remembers how she felt with the announcement of Fidel Castro’s passing , “So when Fidel died we were in Miami and whenever anything major happens, people get their pots and pans out in Miami, and wooden sticks and they start banging it on the streets. Well I got my pot and pan and I got my wooden stick and I went to Versailles Cuban Cafe screaming like a savage once Fidel died. It symbolizes a lot of pain and hurt and people that died because of what his regime did and so a chapter was definitely closed with his death,” she said.
When it pertains to Cash’s personal life, she is married to John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The couple have two children, and both collaborated on her latest single. Marrying into such a well known and iconic American family, Cash gives her take on the matter, “You get to see two sides of something because clearly his dad was a very prolific singer-songwriter so there’s an amazing talent there. But also with my husband, he has his own talent. He’s a person that loves to research and who is very smart and loves to read. He has his own creativity as a great songwriter and producer. He’s such an artistic soul and always searching, but when he was younger he would tell you he struggled with identity issues. So there’s always sort of the shadow of that figure. You know what I mean? That you love and respect, but it’s dad. And like the whole world idolizes this person because of their talent, but to you it’s just dad. So it’s a very conflicting thing that I’ve observed. Essentially. I’m just speaking from the heart, and being very honest. However conflicting it is, it’s also amazing” Cash said. Adding, “I absolutely admire his dad and mom for being great entertainers and everything, and even though I started my career in a different way years ago, people have questions about me and what I’m doing and question my motives.”
The couple resides out of Nashville, Tennessee and enjoy traveling and creating music together, “He just loves Latin culture, and he has immersed himself in this culture and really wants to explore Latin America with me and for a while was trying to learn Spanish” Cash added. It should be noted that Cash translated the words from the Johnny Cash song “Folsom Prison Blues,” to Spanish for the iconic Mexican Norteno band Los Tigres Del Norte who have their own version “La Prision De Folsom,” in Spanish. The band performed the song at Folsom State Prison and appeared in a Netflix documentary in 2019 regarding the Mexican prisoners who reside there, currently available to stream now. Speaking of the iconic band, Cash recalls, “There the sweetest gentlemen. I love them and it was an amazing experience.”
Influenced by the likes of Gloria Estefan, Selena, and Linda Rondstadt, Cash’s music is a blend of Latin, Pop, and Country infusing a blend and mix of sounds as she explains further, “Growing up, Selena and Gloria Estefan I think we’re both pioneers in singing in English and Spanish and venturing out into both markets. Linda Ronstadt, is more like California country but also she did a whole Spanish record. It always made sense to me to mix and match and create a fusion of music. I feel like music is limitless, and it’s never felt inauthentic to me to do both because I am both. I just kind of have always operated that way, and have always been a bilingual kid.” In addition to her new single, Cash has been quietly working on country music which she plans on eventually turning into an EP possibly, and creating other styles of music on the side as well, “So essentially throughout 2025-26, I want to start releasing singles essentially in promoting the country stuff, and I hope to just let people hear it. I’ve worked with some great writers and I co-wrote a lot of the songs” Cash said.
Advice for other Latinas out there pursuing success in their lives, Cash tells us, “ I think the one thing that sets people back is fear. I think going out there and being fearless and having guts to move forward is essential. Don’t let fear hold you back.”
