ORQUESTA AKOKÁN

“Young hotshots keeping Cuban music alive in the 21st century”– Paste

ABOUT ORQUESTA AKOKÁN: When Orquesta Akokán burst onto the global music scene a mere three years ago, their no-holds-barred 21st century take on the venerable Cuban mambo lit up stages around the world with a fierce and unremitting joy. Singer José “Pepito” Gómez, Chulo Records producer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Plasse, and arranger Michael Eckroth joined forces with a carefully curated selection of Havana’s most extraordinary musicians as Orquesta Akokán, polishing Cuban mambo’s golden sound to a luminous, contemporary sheen. Along the way, Orquesta Akokán imbued these legendary Cuban grooves with a renewed vitality and powerful sense of akokán —the Yoruba word used by Cubans to mean “from the heart” or “soul.”

Following their debut recording on Daptone Records – the first ever Spanish-language album released by the renowned label that shared Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley’s immortal voices with us – Orquesta Akokán kicked off their U.S. debut in 2018, enthralling audiences with a series of performances culminating in a sold-out show at Lincoln Center. This was followed by international touring throughout 2019 and early 2020, nominations for a Grammy, Billboard Latin Music Award, Telemundo Latin American Music Award, and critical acclaim from press and media around the globe.

Fast forward to 2021 and Orquesta Akokán is ready to unleash 16 Rayos on the world’s dance floors, via Daptone Records. Recorded in Havana’s famed Egrem Studios, 16 Rayos ten original compositions shine a light on the complimentary talents of its three leaders. Lead vocalist and composer José “Pepito” Gómez brings a musical history that includes stints with Compay Segundo of the Buena Vista Social Club and Pupy y Los Que Son Son. Chulo Record’s Jacob Plasse culminates decades of exploring Latin music, expanding his work with Los Hacheros, a band he founded to foreground the raw power of salsa de la vieja escuela. Michael Eckroth, an accomplished pianist, composer and arranger, adds his profound knowledge of Cuban music from the 40’s (and a Ph.D.) and a history of working with Latin music greats such as Andy González and Pedrito Martinez.

On the Cuban side of the equation the Orquesta boasts some of the island’s greatest instrumentalists culled from members of near-mythical groups such as Los Van Van, NG La Banda, and Irakere (notably César Lopez, Orquesta Akokan’s point man in Havana). The ensemble for 16 Rayos shines a light on Cuba’s musical families and multigenerational legacy with the participation of two fabled Vizcainos on percussion – Roberto “Tato” Vizcaino Jr. and his father Roberto Vizcaino Guillot, a member of Chucho Valdes’ seminal 90’s quartet. Another family duo added their masterful legacy to the recording, with trumpeter Reinaldo “Molote” Melián bringing in his son, Reinaldo Melián Zamora, to play trumpet on several tunes alongside lead trumpet Harold Madrigal Frías. The winds and brass are rounded out with a rich saxophone section made up of young lion Jamil Shery and Germán Velazco (musical director for Pablo Milanés) on tenor, with Evaristo Denis on baritone and César López on alto, along with Yoandy Argudin and Heikel Fabián Trimiño on trombone. Coros were sung by Eddie Venegas and Luis Soto. Significantly, Orquesta Akokán added strings to the ensemble for the first time, with the participation of violinists Amelia Febles Díaz, Jenny Peña and Anabel Estévez Acosta, whose virtuosity stems from the classical training for which Cuban musicians are so renowned.

This show is for you if you also like: Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Las Cafeteras, Todo Mundo, Flor de Toloache, Jarabe Mexicano