SEP 22-25 | TRADITIONS IN TRANSITION
Sep 25, 2022
Miner Auditorium
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
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Original show description below.
Please note: Dance floor is General Admission standing room only. If you would prefer seats, please select a different level for this show.
“The vocalist Pepito Gómez has a siren sound that reaches right back into the 1940s, when the punchy pop music known as mambo overtook Cuba. He’s embracing that affinity with a new 16-piece band, featuring some of the island’s greatest instrumentalists” (The New York Times).
Brainchild of pianist and arranger Michael Eckroth, producer Jacob Plasse and vocalist José “Pepito” Gómez, this loving salute to the Cuban mambo revolution of the 40s and 50s, and in particular the work of legendary vocalist and bandleader Beny Moré, began with a recording project at Havana’s historic Areito Studio in 2016.
Named for the Yoruba word meaning “from the heart,” the multi-generational big band assembled for the recording was culled from the ranks of Cuba’s finest, including members of Irakere and Los Van Van, and the alchemy they created inspired Eckroth, Plasse, and Gómez to transition the band from a one-time assemblage for the recording studio to a working band for the concert stage.
Their self-titled 2018 Daptone Records debut was recorded live to tape in the historic studio, and they returned for the production of their new album, 2021’s 16 Rayos, a scintillating release that showcases the expansive influence of the legendary Perez Prado and the telepathic cohesion of a now-veteran ensemble with several years of performing under their collective belts.
Their new album, 2021’s 16 Rayos, is a scintillating release that showcases the expansive influence of the legendary Perez Prado and the telepathic cohesion of a now-veteran ensemble.
An homage to the great mambo music of the '40s and '50s, this big band of seasoned Cuban musicians makes the dancefloor burn.
All Music Guide
An homage to the great mambo music of the '40s and '50s, this big band of seasoned Cuban musicians makes the dancefloor burn.
All Music Guide
Watch & Listen
Orquesta Akokán
Mi Conga Es De Akokán
Orquesta Akokán
Fiebre De Mambo
Orquesta Akokán
Mi Conga Es De Akokán
Orquesta Akokán
Fiebre De Mambo
SEP 22-25 | TRADITIONS IN TRANSITION
SEP 22
Cutting Edge Double Bill
NATE SMITH + KINFOLK / IMMANUEL WILKINSSEP 23