#4926, From the Soundcheck Podcast: OKAN, Daymé Arocena
Hear in-studio sessions from the Soundcheck Podcast series from Canadian-based Afro-Cuban duo OKAN and Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena.
Canadian-based Afro-Cuban duo OKAN takes their name from the word for heart/soul in the Afro Cuban religion Santeria. Both co-leaders, composers and multi- instrumentalists Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne are classically-trained musicians (violin and percussion and orchestration); and their music combines the traditional chants and rhythms of the Afro-Cuban tradition with jazz, electronica, and pop. The Juno-Award winning OKAN plays compositions from their latest record, Okantomi, in-studio.
Also, hear from Daymé Arocena, an Afro-Cuban singer from Havana now based in Puerto Rico, hwo has been performing semi-professionally since she was 8 years old. She was trained as a composer, arranger, choir director, and band leader (Wikipedia) at conservatory, in addition to being “a practitioner of the Santeria religion, and a master of its profound musical tradition,” (Afropop Worldwide). Arocena was also part of the band Maqueque, an all-female band of young Cuban artists blending folkloric Cuban music and jazz (NPR Music).
Since emerging as a solo artist, her songwriting has been a winning mix of jazz, soul, Caribbean, rumba, and folkloric music, imbued with Yoruban spirituality. But her latest release, Alkemi, celebrates the sounds of North American and Latin pop, intentionally so, as she picked Eduardo Cabra of Calle 13 to help produce on the album, which also features guests and sounds from around the Caribbean. Daymé Arocena and her band play some of the songs from Alkemi, in-studio. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4926, From the Soundcheck Podcast: OKAN, Daymé Arocena (First aired 9/23/2024)
ARTIST: Monte
WORK: Mirla [1:00]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, 2021
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/monte
INFO: youtube.com, also available via Apple Music or Spotify
ARTIST: OKAN
WORK: Oriki Oshun [4:13]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Jan. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/canadian-based-okan
INFO: okanmusica.com
ARTIST: OKAN
WORK: Okantomi [4:57]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Jan. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/canadian-based-okan
INFO: okanmusica.com
ARTIST: OKAN
WORK: La Reina del Norte [3:52]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Jan. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/canadian-based-okan
INFO: okanmusica.com
ARTIST: Daymé Arocena
WORK: American Boy [4:28]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Mar. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/dayme-arocena
INFO: daymearocenamusic.com
ARTIST: Daymé Arocena
WORK: Como Vivir Por El [3:24]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Mar. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/dayme-arocena
INFO: daymearocenamusic.com
ARTIST: Daymé Arocena
WORK: Por Ti [3:59]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, Mar. 2024
SOURCE: newsounds.org/story/dayme-arocena
INFO: daymearocenamusic.com
