So little about today's music industry has the depth it once possessed.

I'm not suggesting there isn't a lot of great music around because the British music scene in particular is buzzing with talent. However, whether any of it will still be active 10 or even 5 years from now, is a topic very much up for debate.

It might sound cynical but life in the entertainment sphere seems to have shifted from being famous for doing something to doing something just to be famous.

So when I was introduced to the new Latin sensation, Buika, it was a pleasant surprise for me to discover that there was someone who had worked her way up slowly and was devoted to her art out of a genuine desire to create and perform rather than to simply have her name in lights.

Elegant, measured but purposeful in her belief, it was clear almost from the very start of our interview that Buika took her music very seriously.

"As a child I was intoxicated by music. I loved to sing and perform and coming from relatively humble beginnings, music was a source of pleasure; a way to light up your life in the darker moments.

"I was born in Spain and grew up amongst gypsy people and this is reflected in my influences, which are a mix of flamenco, soul, jazz and funk. I was always a bit of a rebel as well so I think in some way my dedication to music saved me from what could have been a very different life. At 17, as I was finding myself and moving from being a girl to a woman, I made a concerted effort and began to pursue a music career in earnest."

Buika's voice is a silky and captivating sound and when she sings you feel drawn into the message of her music and slowly seduced by her hypnotic spell. If ever there was a vocal to enchant it would have to be hers.

"Music is a very personal thing: both sharing and enjoying it are unique to each individual. My own opinion is that the best songs grow on you. They improve with age like a fine wine or a good cigar. What you may be indifferent to on the first or second play suddenly "clicks" with you on the third listen and then it's there, under your skin and in some cases almost part of who you are at that moment. "I want my music to touch people in that same way. Anyone can make a catchy tune - most radio and TV advertisers get you with a musical hook - but it isn't long before the impact goes from interesting to irritating." "I want people to be romanced and wooed by my songs because falling for a song is like falling in love. A good song can be compared to a memorable romance: first you are intrigued, then you are enticed and finally you are engulfed and cannot get enough."

And her latest album, Nina de Feugo, which is performed entirely in her native Spanish, looks set to do just that. Drawn from the heart and with a strong Latin feel, it follows on from her previous work but illustrates the greater maturity now present in Buika's voice.

Already hailed by the critics as a collection of great songs, including best produced album and best song at the 2007 Premios de la Musica (the Spanish Grammys) her star is set to rise even further.

For more info on Buika, visit her website at http://www.buika.net

George R Vaughan