{"id":42437,"date":"2018-03-26T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2018-03-26T15:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/orquesta-akokan-cuba-from-the-heart\/"},"modified":"2021-09-06T15:45:02","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T13:45:02","slug":"orquesta-akokan-cuba-from-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/orquesta-akokan-cuba-from-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Orquesta Akok\u00e1n: Cuba, From the Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The orchestra, which brings together all-star Cuban and New York musicians, brilliantly resurrects the great era of mambo.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Akokan <\/span><\/i>means “from the heart” in Yoruba, a dominant African language throughout Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian cultures and religions. Through these cultures and religions, much sacred and secular music has been born; and well after the abolition of slavery, the music continued to travel the globe. Orquesta <\/span>Akokan<\/span><\/i> is also the name of this orchestra, which is reminiscent of Banda Gigante  of Benny Mor\u00e9, aka “El Sonero Mayor.” In fact, beginning with Jos\u00e9 “Pepito” Gomez\u2019s singing on the very first track, we are transported to Havana in the 50s, when the mambo reigned supreme. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Cuban born and raised singer grew up with the songs of “El Benny” or the tireless Perez Prado (the album gives a nod to “Babarabatiri”). It was in New York, where Pepito Gomez had taken up residence since 2008, that he met Jacob Plasse, founder of the label Chulo Records, and Mike Eckroth, pianist and Cuban music aficionado. Eckroth ended up arranging the album, which is as ambitious as it is successful, and which is scheduled for release March 30th.<\/span><\/p>\n