Enrique Chía / Enrique Chia

The traditional sounds of Cuba have been resurrected through the piano playing of Enrique Chia. Nominated for a Grammy Award in 2001 in the Best Classical Crossover category for his album The Music of Ernesto Lecuona, Chia weaves a dance-inspiring mixture of soft pop, Latin dance tunes, and boleros. Although he initially performed only at benefit concerts for the Jackson Memorial Hospital's cancer clinic for children, Chia has increasingly reached out to a global audience. For much of his career, Chia balanced music with academic pursuits. Leaving Cuba in 1961, he earned a bachelor's degree in English at West Georgia College. Transferring to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, he earned a master's degree in metallurgy in 1967 and a Ph. D. in 1975. Although he frequently played piano at parties, Chia remained focused on his non-musical life. After working as an adjunct professor in Georgia Tech's materials engineering department, he accepted a special faculty position at Georgia Tech Research Institute in 1986. Four years later, he began working at the American Fine Wire Corporation in Selma, AL. Rising to the position of executive vice president, he retired from the company in the mid-'90s. An insightful inventor, he holds more than 50 patents for developments in metals and processing. Dedicating himself to music since his retirement, Chia has more than made up for lost time. Since 1998, when he released his long-overdue debut album, Chia has recorded an additional 17 albums and was an OTI award finalist for his song, "Ayuda Al Nino," written for UNICEF's Year of the Child.