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The Tempo Latino Festival is Back

The major European festival of Latin and Afro-Cuban music will present Los Van Van, Pacific Mambo Orquestra, Interactivo, and Minyo Crusaders (H2)

The benchmark Festival of Latin and Afro-Cuban music in Europe, Tempo Latino, resumes its activities after the forced cessation of its activities for two years due to the Pandemic.

From Thursday, July 28th to Sunday, July 31st, on the main stage Les Arènes, the whole family, heterogeneous public, and inveterate traveler will enjoy the performances of Los Van Van, Pacific Mambo Orquestra, and Interactivo, as well as an exceptional set & exclusive presentation on Saturday, July 30th  at 11 PM of “Con Tumbao All Stars” with the winners of Best Traditional Tropical Album at the Latin Grammy 2021 for their album “Chachachá…Homenaje a lo Tradicional”, Issac Delgado and Alain Pérez, as well as Oscar Hernández, Robby Ameen, Tony Succar, and many more.

Minyo Crusaders rediscovered the songs associated with the working classes.

The festival to be held in Vic-Fezensac, the heart of the Gers de Gascony department (France), will open its doors on Thursday, July 28th, with Tempo Latino Social Club on the stage of its satellite “Geo-rhythmic” Conga with a special performance by the Tokyo band, Minyo Crusaders.

This Cumbia band with a Japanese identity aims to make reversals between the traditional and foreign rhythms. Guitarist Katsumi Tanaka was in charge of bringing together the twelve musicians to perform these magnificent melodies with a fusion of the Caribbean (Reggae, Cumbia, and Cuban Salsa), Africa (Afro-Blues, Afro-Funk, Ethiopian rhythm), and Asia (Thai Pop) after of the Fukushima accident in 2011. The ticket for this show costs €15.80, and the opening is at 6 PM.

Pacific Mambo Orchestra is the only active Latin Big Band on the West Coast of the United States.

Continue on Friday, July 29th with the concerts of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra and Los Van Van together with the Cuban trumpeter, composer, singer, and leader of the band Havana D’Primera, Alexander Abreu.

The first orchestra to perform at the festival in its twenty-eighth edition at 9 PM will be the Pacific Mambo Orchestra. This North American band, a winner of the Grammy Award in the category “Best Tropical Album” in 2014, is the revival of the Latin sound of the Big Bands of the 40s with the combination of Mambo, Pop, Cha Cha, Timba, and Bolero. Pacific Mambo Orchestra founded 12 years ago by the Mexican pianist Christian Tumalan and the German trumpeter Steffen Kuehn has collaborated with renowned artists such as Carlos Santana, Poncho Sánchez, Pete Escovedo, and Arturo Sandoval.

Currently, this Latin Big Band performs on the West Coast of the United States with elite musicians from the Bay Area, and their repertoire is in English and Spanish. Their third album “The III Side” (2020) fuses the traditions of the Mambo of the 50s with the musicality of the moment. This Latin Big Ban considered one of the best in the United States will also is at the prestigious San Francisco Annual Jazz Festival on Wednesday, June 8th from 7:30 PM to 9 PM. Address: Miner Auditorium, 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco (EEUU).

“Legado” is an album in homage to the legacy left by maestro Samuel Formell.

The second orchestra is to take the stage on Friday at 11 PM and will be Los Van Van with their special guest Alexander Abreu. The emblematic Cuban music orchestra will celebrate its more than 5 decades of history.

Los Van Van known by many as the “Rolling Stones of Salsa” was founded in 1969 by bassist and composer Juan Formell, a legend of Cuban music, who accompanied by José Luis Quintana, known as “Changuito” and César “Pupy ” Pedroso, invented the “Songo”, a Cuban rhythm predecessor of the “Timba” or “Salsa Cubana”, which generated the “Salsa – Son” with a Cuban sound that has made generations dance.

In 2018, they recorded their first record production “Legado” since the physical departure of Juan Formell in 2014. This tribute album has 14 songs with 3 new versions of the international singles Te extraño, Por qué lo haces y Amiga mía.

On the third day of the Festival, Saturday, July 30th, the Latin sound will be awakened by the performances of the Interactivo group and the exclusive presentation of “Con Tumbao All Stars”. On Sunday, July 31st, Tempo Latino will close its doors on the Les Arènes stage with London Afrobeat Collective and Alain Pérez & La Orquesta Bassiste.

Most of the members of Interactive are representatives of currents such as Nueva Trova, son, and Cuban jazz.

The avant-garde collective, Interactivo, is one of the most representative bands of the current Cuban generation and will take to the Tempo Latino stage at 9 PM.

This emerging orchestra of international stages brings together the most brilliant and eclectic composers and producers in Havana. Each member contributes their specialty: Timba, Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock, Rumba, traditional Cuban music, and Soul for a result of great richness, where individual originality, musical creativity, and avant-garde ideas enrich the group.

London Afrobeat Collective has hypnotic flashes and powerful percussive beats.

Similarly, the addictive London Afrobeat Collective has been offering festive music based on Jazz, Funk, Rock, Dumb, and African Vibes for ten years. Its international DNA made up of nine members from England, Italy, France, Congo, Argentina, and New Zealand with the powerful voice of the Congolese singer Juanita Euka has made its rhythm addictive music with powerful and committed messages. The London-based band will open the night of concerts on Sunday, July 31st at 9 PM.

Alain Perez and the Bassiste Orchestra will offer a mixed show of Salsa, Son, Timba, and Latin Jazz

This musical evening ends with Alain Perez, bassist, singer, arranger, and who composes his orchestra of 13 young musicians on stage to offer a mixed show of contemporary Cuban Salsa, Timba, and Latin Jazz. His talent has given him wonderful experiences with internationally famous orchestras and musicians such as Los Van Van, Irakere, Issac Delgado, Paquito D’Rivera, and Celia Cruz. Always accompanied by his elephant-headed cane, in homage to Cuban musician Benny Moré, Alain has been influenced by flamenco through his work with Cuban artist Paco de Lucía.

The versatile artist born in Havana was twice-nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards in the category of Best Traditional Tropical Music Album with “El alma del Son, tribute to Matamoros” (2015) and “ADN” as Best Salsa Album. (2017).

El Cuento de la Buena Pipa (2020) is his most recent record production, and you can enjoy it on the main stage of the festival at 11 PM.

You can get the tickets for Tempo Latino 2022 on their official site http://www.tempo-latino.com/ for a four-beat tempo. The Tickets for the four nights of concerts are €86.70.

And while you wait for the Tempo Latino Festival (28th edition) you can enjoy its free predecessor event Clutcho at La Grainerie this May 4th. This place is emblematic of the circus and itinerant disciplines that take place with a large space that involves a large open-air square, and a performance hall with a capacity for 230 people through an “interior street” that serves for creative studios and workshops.

La Sonora Ponceña Returns To Salsa County

The only performance with Yolanda Rivera & Mario “Mayito” Rivera will be at the Lehman Center

The name “La Sonora Ponceña” is in honor of the Cuban band La Sonora Matancera and its hometown (Ponce – Puerto Rico)

La Sonora Ponceña “National Treasure of Puerto Rico” together with its leader Enrique Arsenio “Papo” Lucca returns to Salsa County (The Bronx) with the special guests Yolanda Rivera and the Cuban singer Mario “Mayito” Rivera (former member of Los Van Van) onstage at one of New York’s leading non-profit performing arts centers, Lehman Center.

This unique presentation, long-awaited by its fans, will be on Saturday, May 14th at 8 PM at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd West, Bronx, New York 10468 and the online price per ticket ranges from between $45 – $100. https://www.lehmancenter.org/sonora-poncena

La Sonora Ponceña gained popularity in 1960 during its trip to New York City to give a series of presentations and established itself as one of the most demanded orchestras among Hispanics.

The legendary band, for more than 65 years, has made uninterrupted performances and has been recognized as one of the best Salsa orchestras for its fusion of traditional Cuban sounds with the modern style of Latin Jazz.

In 1967, under the direction of Papo Lucca, they released the first LP Hachero Pa’ Un Palo with the Inca label (a subsidiary of Fania). This album was an overwhelming success in New York as well as its second record production Fuego en el 23 (1969). The famous band from Puerto Rico recorded 29 more albums for this record label, including eight with the singer Yolanda Rivera, La Ceiba with Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1979), and in 1980 New Heights from which they began to establish the internationalization of the orchestra.

Musical Hegemony consists of 8 tracks including Caminando Con Mi Padre, Nadie Toca Como Yo, and Borrachera

This last year (2021), during the pandemic period, La Sonora Ponceña launched two new record productions: Hegemonía Musical (June 2021) and Christmas Star (November 2021).

The last one is the fourth Christmas-themed album in his career. “Thirteen years after our last Christmas production, we seek to present a record work that is a true reflection of the sound and musical quality that we always want to offer our audience”, Papo Lucca told digital media.

While “Salsa Que Cura To” is the first single taken from their most recent album Hegemonía Musical and whose authorship and interpretation is by Jorge Nicolai Avilés (vocalist of the band) with musical arrangements by Papo. Musical Hegemony, nominated in the Tropical Album of the Year category at the Billboard 2021 awards, was made with great dedication and professionalism as indicated on its official social media. “…We thank the public for the support they have been giving to this latest album that was worked with much love and dedication to the memory of our always remembered Enrique “Quique” Lucca Caraballo (RIP) and all our dear followers… And we will continue working as we have been doing for 67 years to place in your consideration what best of our music, soul, perseverance, and professionalism that seek to bring joy and enjoyment to all our dancers… Thank you very much!”

The song “Borinquen” (1980) with Sonora Ponceña becomes her a famous Salsa star

Yolanda Rivera will also perform at this event. She was born in Ponce (Puerto Rico) and moved to New York City with her family during her childhood. Her first opportunity as a singer was in 1969 in Willie Rosario’s band. In 1975 she returned to Puerto Rico and performed in several orchestras, including Joe Rodríguez’s La Terrifica. Her career reached its peak when she joined La Sonora Ponceña in 1977. The song “Borinquen” from the album Unchained Forcede (1980), a musical tribute to her native country (Puerto Rico), made her a Salsa star. Yolanda Rivera is considered one of the main and most famous singers of La Sonora Ponceña with songs like “Rumba en el Patio” and “Madrugador”. Her repertoire includes Salsa, Plena, Bolero, Guaguancó, Son Montuno, and Guaracha.

Mario “Mayito” Rivera (El Poeta de La Rumba)

The second special guest tonight will be Mario “Mayito” Rivera. His vocal skill and masterful interpretation of Cuban music in modern and traditional styles earned him the nickname “El Poeta de La Rumba”. Mayito was born in Pinar del Río (Cuba) and has training degrees from the National School of Art and the Higher Institute of Art. After his educational training in Cuba, he joined the band of the Cuban singer Albita Rodríguez and played bass in the Moncada group. From 1992 to 2011, Mayito was the lead voice and face of the successful Cuban band, Los Van Van, earning a Latin GRAMMY® and two nominations with them.

Current news in the San Francisco Bay Area

What is happening now?

Tito Garcia-The Doctor of Salsa, the renowned colorful bandleader and timbalero of Tito Garcia y Orquesta Internacional passed away on Saturday, April 23rd after a long battle with cancer.  Tito has performed Salsa and Charanga in the 1970’s with the seminal SF based bands Ritmo 74 and later Charanga Rene Del Mar. He later spearheaded the band “Orquesta Salsa Dulce” in the late 1980’s which morphed into the first edition of his band La International featuring a young Julio Bravo on coro in the early 1990’s.  La Internacional were remembered for their explosive performances by dancers and aficionados.

Tito was a staple at the late, famed salsa palace Cafe Cocomo with his monthly “Mambo Saturdays” during the early 2000’s. I often was the DJ during those hot nights. His band featured fine musicians and vocalists such as former Batachanga vocalist Ricky Rangel, congueros Eddie Borrero and Sandy Perez of Los Muñequitos De Matanzas and keyboardist Coto Pincheira who relocated to New York.

Tito García had been fitghing against, cancer, which took his life at the end

Tito resurfaced after his bout with Cancer in 2020 to relaunch La Internacional but the comeback was short lived due to his health issues. He later hosted some outdoor rumba sessions near his new home of Vallejo but those dates were limited due to COVID restrictions. He relapsed during his recent trip to Costa Rica and died due to complications with his recovery.  He will be sorely missed.

Don’t forget coming up on Friday, May 6th at 8 pm with be the tremendous Cuban music double bill of “El Tren De Cuba”…Los Van Van and Alexander Abreu y Havana d’Primera at the UC Theatre, 2036 University Avenue in Berkeley. Two of the powerhouses of Cuban Popular music are appearing together for the first time in the US and on only certain dates of the tour…SF Bay Area residents are blessed to have this double bill play here!  DJ Antonio will spin in-between sets.  I will be your MC for the evening. Run to get your tickets because they’re going fast!  For more information, go to jaffeevents.com

Salsa superstar Oscar D’Leon and his orchestra will visit the SF Bay on Saturday, May 21 at Roccapulco, 3140 Mission St. in San Francisco. Oscar is still one of the dynamos to watch perform live…a tremendous show!  Guayacan Orquesta from Colombia will also play on Friday, May 13 at the Mission Street hot spot.  Also coming to Roccapulco Sat. June 11th…the Homenaje A La Musica Cubana featuring Mayito Rivera, Alain Perez, Yeny Valdes, Lily Hernandez “La Amaona” and Julio Cesar “JC Five” plus DJ Walt Digz (SF) and DJ Jimmy Rumba (LA) and on Thursday, July 7th…the explosive sounds of Pupy Y Los Que Son Son direct from Cuba.

Oscar D’ León will be in the San Frrancisco Bay Area on 21 May

SF JAZZ and the San Francisco Jazz Festival are featuring an impressive array of Salsa, Cuban and Latin Jazz starting Wednesday June 8 with Pacific Mambo Orchestra.  Followed by Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Grammy nominee Aymee Nuviola 6/9; Chucho Valdes with Dianne Reeves and Joe Lovano 6/12; Changui Majadero 6/13, Danilo Perez Global Messengers 6/14; Issac Delgado’s Con Tumbao Project w/Miguel Zenon, Oscar Hernandez, Pedrito Martinez, Alain Perez, Tony Succar and more 6/18.  SF JAZZ and Stanford University co-presents Eddie Palmieri and Arturo Sandoval at Stanford’s Frost Amphiteater on July 23.  Info: www.sfjazz.org.

The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival will begin Saturday, May 7th from 1 to 2:30 pm with a free concert featuring local treasure Jesus Diaz y Su Habana Afro-Cuban Ensemble featuring a lineup of heavyweights from Cuba and the SF Bay including Ariacne Trujillo Duran, Leider Chappotin, Raul Pineda, Roberto Junior Vizcaino, Karl Perazzo, Jeff Cressman, Melecio Magdaluyo and Julio De La Cruz.  The Yerba Buena Gardens is located on Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets in San Francisco.  Visit ybgfestival.org for more information.  There will also be an after party featuring Jesus Diaz and the Habana Afro-Cuban Ensemble and DJ Carlitos Way at the Elbo Room, 311 Broadway in Oakland.

The San Francisco Carnaval and much more

The annual Carnaval San Francisco is back on the streets of San Francisco on Sat, May 28 and Sun. May 29th with the theme Colores De Amor.  The two day festival will take place on Harrison between 17th and 22nd Streets from 11 am to 6 pm.  The grand parade will take place on Sunday, May 29th starting at 9:30 am on 24th and Byrant Streets.  Scheduled to perform will be Jesus Diaz y Su QBA, Momotombo, Sambada, Javier Navarette & His Socially Distant Friends, Dos Four, Puro Bandido, Namorados da Lua, Annette Aguilar & West Coast Stringbeans, Susanna y Orquesta Adelante, Magna Fresq, Los Allegres Callejeros, Aqua Pura, Mariachi Juvenil, Azul Latino and more.  Headliners TBA.  Food, Beer, Crafts, DJ areas and Cannabis gardens on the grounds.  Free!   For more information: carnavalsanfrancisco.org.

There is a new Salsa scene happening on Thursdays starting May 12th at Charley’s LG, 15 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos presented by your friends at International Salsa Magazine.  Opening night at this state of the art club will feature the swinging sounds of the multi-talented vocalist/conguero Edgardo Cambon and Candela.  I, Luis Medina from KPFA/WSR and International Salsa Magazine will be your DJ.  World Salsa Radio DJ El De La Clave will also be in the house. Dance lessons by Migi & Angel starts at 8:00 pm.  Music starts at 9 pm.  The upcoming schedule is the following: Julio Bravo and Salsabor 5/19, Manny Martinez and La Rebeldia 5/26 and the Charanga sounds of Orquesta La Moderna Tradición 6/2.  Thursday nights just got hotter in the South Bay…be there!!

Edgardo Cambón at The Seahorse Restaurant, Sausalito

The Ramp at 855 Terry Francois Blvd in San Francisco continues to present Salsa orchestras on Saturday afternoons starting at 5 pm.  The night is closed on June 7th for a private event, The Ramp’s first Salsa festival featuring 2 bands: Gary Flores y su orquesta Salsa Caliente and Eric Rangel and Orquesta America 5/14, The Latin Rhythm Boys 5/21 and Louie Romero and Mazacote on May 28th.  DJ Mendy spins in-between sets and after the live music from 9 to 11 pm.   The Ramp has a great patio overlooking the SF Bay and serves food and drinks.

The Seahorse located at 305 Harbor Drive in Sausalito features live music plus KPOO-KPFA DJ Jose Ruiz on Saturday and Sundays.   Sat, April 30th features La Clave Del Blanco, Rene Escovedo Salsa Band with Ric Feliciano Sun 5/1; Edgardo Cambon & Candela Sun, 5/8; Orquesta Timbalero Sat, 5/14; Louie Romero & Mazacote Sun, 5/15; Susanna y Adelante Sat, 5/21; Orquesta La Original w/Alexis Guillen 5/22; Pepe Y Su Orquesta Sat. 5/28; and Orquesta Taino Sun. 5/29.  Enjoy the fine Italian cuisine, beer, wine and ambiance both indoors and the outdoor patio at this scenic spot just crossing the bridge to Marin County.

The Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery St. in San Francisco is a favorite spot to dine, have drinks, enjoy a cigar in the courtyard and dance to hot Salsa music.  The calendar for May includes Manteca 5/6, Orquesta Timbalero 5/7, Somos El Son 5/13, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble 5/14, N’Rumba 5/20, Edgardo y Candela 5/21, Orquesta Taino 5/27 and La Clave Del Blanco 5/28.

René Escovedo will perform at the Seahorse Restaurant, Sausalito, on May 1

DJ Walt Digz has a hot Wednesday night Cuban scene “El Timbon” happening at the Slate Bar, 2925-16th Street in San Francisco.  Digz also hosts his own livestream called “El Timbon” featuring the latest Timba, Cuban Salsa and Cubaton videos every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 pm on Twitch.  He also keeps busy by hosting the monthly Fresquecito Saturday nights at La Furia Chalaca in Oakland and the outdoor El Timbon En El Callejon Sundays from 3 to 8 pm at Vida Cantina, 56 Belden Place in San Francisco.  Digz also continues his original Friday La Tropi-Cal monthly at Il’ Pirata in SF with Añejo Productions now going on their 21st year!

Berkeley’s Ecology Center will present the Berkeley Farmer’s Market Salsa Festival on Saturday, May 21 from 10 am-5 pm.  This free event will feature Christian Pepin and Orquesta Bembe, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Peruvian keyboardist Erick Peralta and Band, Berkeley High School Youth Ensemble and the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble.  Dance performance and Dance lessons by Rebecca Galindo.  Food, crafts and more. For more information, visit www.ecologycenter.org. 

Don’t forget to check out my radio programs: Con Sabor now in it’s 25th Anniversary Year on KPFA 94.1 FM every Saturday night from 9 to 11 PM PST and Sabiduria Con Tumbao every Wednesday night 5 to 7 pm PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

That’s it for this month!  Ciao 4 now!

Izis La enfermera de La Salsa talks about her passion for music and nursing

This is our interesting conversation

Right now we are talking to Izis La Enfermera de La Salsa Good afternoon, Izis, how are you today?

I’m super happy and feel very blessed. I believe that being healthy is already a great blessing.

One of the things about you that has caught my attention the most is the name you chose. Why are you called Izis La Enfermera de La Salsa?

I have been a military nurse for the last 15 years. I mean, I’m a soldier in the United States Army. I work for the army as a nurse.

La Enfermera de La Salsa

So you use that name because of your first profession.

That’s correct. I loved the name because I believe that music has the power to cure, distract and heal. So, I think that mix was perfect. The fact remains that the name comes from my profession, but I also use music as part of the cure for my patients.

You come from a musical family. Evidently, that also influenced the path you took later on. What did you like most about the musical world while still a child?

I was born in Puerto Rico and my parents are Puerto Rican, but I moved out because my dad served in the army, so I followed in his footsteps. Indeed my family is musical and specialized in jíbaro music, which is very typical in Puerto Rico. I think this was the connection with my native island and my family, so to speak. When I listened to their songs, it inspired me to follow this path and, in particular, salsa was the genre with which I have made the strongest conection. My parents listen to a lot of salsa music and I fell in love with it. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be involved in these activities of dance and song.

Your first instrument was the flute. Do you play any other instruments?

I play a little bit of cuatro, which is the Puerto Rican string instrument, but I focus more on the flute and the vocal part. I used to play flute in classical music when I was in school, but I never thought I would use it in salsa. It’s the perfect combination.

How have you managed to combine your facets as a singer and a nurse?

That’s the question my family, friends and co-workers always ask me. My answer is that my profession requires 12 hours, but the advantage I have is that I don’t have to work every day. I take advantage of my spare time to pursue my other passion which is music; that’s why I always tell people that music is like my baby. Those who have children know that you have to make many sacrifices for them. That’s the same thing I do for music. Sometimes, it may happen that I don’t sleep or eat well, but I pour all that passion into music.

When asked how I combine both facets, I think I use my two passions to serve others. What feeds my heart and soul is to serve, so I serve my nation as a nurse and soldier. As a singer, I serve my community and anyone who listens to my music. That’s what fills me with energy.

Izis playing the flute

Salsa as a medicine

I recently interviewed Jérôme Martin, a Frenchman who runs an Internet site called La Salsa Es La Cura. When asked why he uses that name, he replied that salsa and music heal everything, whether it’s a physical or emotional pain, do you agree with that statement?

I totally agree. Karina, I began my career as a general nurse, but there came a point where I had the opportunity to specialize as a labor and delivery nurse. However, I felt I was missing something and that’s where I made the change for mental health. It is in this field that I have seen results related to music.

Although I was not a psychiatric nurse, I have had moments in which I have cared for patients with pills as I have mentioned in other interviews, but I felt they needed something more. When I started singing to them, I started noticing physical and mental changes. I remember a comatose patient who, when she came back, told me that all that she remembers was my voice. So, I myself have seen and experienced what music can do for your health.

Psycho-oncologist Argelia Melet states that the physical part won’t improve unless the mental part is well. In fact, she uses music in several of her therapies. It has much to do with what you are telling me.

That’s is absolutely true. If you don’t feed your body and your mental health, you are going to fail in many things.

Izis performing on stage

How was your musical activity during the pandemic?

As a soldier, at that time, the army had sent me to a town in the middle of the desert and that’s when I knew that I would not be able to have so much musical activity because I was far away from everything. I did events for the military community here and there, but all that is over because of Covid.

At that time, I started recording and connecting with other people through a virtual initiative called Corro Con Salsa with which people can listen to this genre from anywhere and at the same time. The point of the show is to exercise with music and that project combines everything I believe in, that is, the physical, mental health and music. That made me cheer myself up a bit, as I was a little sad not to see my audience. As artists, the audience is our fuel.

During the pandemic, I got connected to my musical roots, that is to say, my uncle, my aunt and my cousins. We join together to make a song together online, which I don’t believe we could have done without Covid due to our occupations.

Let’s talk about your new album and the genres in which it focuses on.

You know that my passion is salsa, but I sing anything. I usually record salsa, but I have also recorded several bachata songs and one or another merengue song. However, I am no longer focused on albums because the release of a full album is not like it was before. Now, what I’m doing is releasing one song at a time. I’m releasing a Madonna song in a salsa version called Like A Prayer. I have been releasing songs in English because I live in the United States, so if I want Americans to understand me and feel the same passion for salsa, we have to have something in common, that’s where the language comes into play.

Besides music and nursing, what other passions do you have?

I love to paint. I paint on hats, shirts and many other things. This passion for art is like an extension of my passion for music and my way of connecting with the public because, oftentimes, I perform on stage and then I go to my sales kiosk where I interact with my fans, sign autographs, paint hats, among other things.

Almost all of my designs are related to music. In fact, many important artists have used them such as Larry Harlow, La Sonora Ponceña, El Gran Combo, and so on. Almost all my designs include musical notes, maracas, drums, among other musical elements.

One of the hats where Izis has painted

Enriching conversation with Afrocuban music group Okan

Here is the interview

We are here with the Cuban Group Okan whose members, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magbelis Savigne, are based in Canada. How are you, girls?

All right, thank you very much!

It’s a real pleasure for me to have you here. How’s it going?

We’re doing great and trying to start over after this big break. We are ready to be on tour very soon and do more things.

Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne, members of the group Okan

Where is the name Okan coming from?

We wanted a name that had something to do with our Afro-Cuban roots, so we were doing some research on the closest thing to what we wanted. So, Okan comes from the Afro-Cuban dialect meaning heart. Elizabeth’s saint’s name is Okantomi which means Heart of Oshún, so we thought that sounded perfect for the kind of music we make that comes from our heart. We wanted to pay homage with that and have a name that Canadians could easily use. There have always been problems with the band’s name because they didn’t know how to say it, so Okan seemed to us the most appropriate.

In your music, the essence of Cuba stands out over everything else, but I imagine that your songs are also a mix of what you have learned since you left your country.

Yes, definitely. We have understood and learned that Cuban music is very good, but there are also many other things in the world. Living in Toronto has helped us to see how diverse music is and how similar it is to Brazilian or Turkish music, so you can say that we are influenced by different cultures and try to make music from the heart, from what we learned and from what surrounds us. In that sense, Toronto has many things to take advantage of

Which foreign rhythms have you been including in your work?

In addition to Cuban rhythms, we have also included Brazilian rhythms. We love Brazilian music and have a great love for Brazil – we include classical music genres as well because the two studied classical music in Cuba, so we are also influenced by that. Our next album is going to have a bit of Afrobeat, so it will be a bit more commercial than what we’ve done at the moment.

Living in Toronto helped Elizabeth and Magdelys to see how diverse music is

What did Jane Bunnet mean to you and other artists of your kind?

For us, she represented the opportunity to be able to go to festivals and learn more about the business. Of course, we learned by ourselves, since she taught us nothing. However, those tours gave us a lot of experience. The most important thing about playing with Jane Bunnet was to have gained experience and participated in important events we would’t have attended on our own. I think the most important thing was being able to achieve so much on our own and to play Afro-Cuban music representing the Afro-Cuban race and culture

Future genres

Are there any rhythms or genres that you don’t like or haven’t tried?

One of the songs on our next album is influenced by the rock of the 60’s because we like it a lot. Right now, there is some kind of Cuban reggaeton that has become very popular, but we haven’t done anything with that urban genre. We don’t really listen to the latest kind of reggaeton, so we prefer Afrobeat. We don’t say we’ll never do it, but we have to find some exponent of the genre who knows more about it to inform us. We have done some collaborations with Lido Pimiento and Bomba Estéreo.

We want to recover old Cuban genres that many people don’t know, which is why we have sung mozambique, pilón, changüI, among others. Cuban music is very broad and we got a long way to go in that regard.

I have noticed that the coloring is very important for you and this can be seen in your album covers and outfits, which are very colorful. What do you want to reflect with that?

What happens here is that clothes are super boring (chuckles) because many people dress in black or gray. In contrast, in Cuba and Latin America in general, people have always worn much more colorful clothes and we took that. Also, we met a Nigerian designer, who is the one who makes our clothes and outfits; besides, our Afro-Cuban roots also come from Nigeria, so we wear those clothes in honor of our ancestors. At first, we were doing this because it looked nice, but then people started asking why we did it, so it’s part of us now.

The coloring is very important for Okan

What reaction does the Canadian public to your outfits and music?

For the most part, the reaction is very positive. Many people say they came back to life when they hear us sing. We met a Cuban woman who had many years without going to Cuba and was very excited to hear us and that made us very happy because that’s the reason why we make music. Even though Canadians don’t understand the language, they like it because they see the chemistry between us and the musicians. People can see that and connect to us, even if they don’t understand the lyrics.

What have been the biggest obstacles you have had to face as immigrant artists?

The first problem is that people in this part of the world don’t respect the music done by professional musicians as much as they should although everyone consumes this product. In fact, payments do not correspond to the work done because people think that having a concert is very simple, but that implies a lot of prior preparation, songs written, sound tests, rehearsals, among other things. After all that, they want to pay 100 pesos for a concert. Music is not appreciated as a career and we consider that to be one of the main challenges we have had to face.

The other issue is that we come from a system in which we are not taught how the music business works. Behind it, there is a huge industry and a huge business, so you have to suffer so much to learn it.

Language is another barrier that closes many doors. Our advice to those who hear us is to know that it is possible make a living from music, but you have to speak the language of the country where you are living. You also have to find a good manager who believes in you and in your music; if it is someone born in the country, so much the better.

These girls have to face some obstacles as immigrant artists, but it was all worth it

How do you see the role of the internet in music?

We believe that excess is bad. It’s not fair what Spotify and other digital platforms pay, but you also have to understand that your music gains access to a larger audience. We’ve heard of people listening to us from Russia, Poland, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Australia and many more countries. You have to see the positive part and understand that you can reach audiences from anywhere in the world. We can’t view the internet as an enemy, but as a tool and an advantage; it has its negative aspects, but many positive things.

What will be the name of your new album?

The name of our new album will be Okantomi, Elizabeth’s saint’s name and each track will be very different from the other one in terms of rhythms. We will have many guest artists and a super special song dedicated to Cuba in relation to the current situation, but seen from the point of view of Cubans in exiles. It will be called No volví. 

Occupations when you are away from the stage

We give music, violin, singing and piano lessons.