Cuban big band Orquesta Akokán returns with 16 Rayos on Daptone Records, a triumphant follow up to their Grammy nominated debut from 2018. Led by dynamic singer José “Pepito” Gómez, producer Jacob Plasse and arranger Michael Eckroth, and fused with the “island’s greatest instrumentalists” (New York Times) from storied groups including Irakere, NG La Banda, and Los Van Van, the band united in Havana once again to record at Egrem Studios.
The cohesion forged by several years of international touring (including stops at Lincoln Center, WOMAD Australia and New Zealand, North Sea Jazz Festival, Festival Salsa al Parque, Kennedy Center and many more) blossomed into an intimate dialogue between good friends, allowing for fearless musical exploration, risk-taking, development and expression. Contemporary sensibilities, mixed with a deep spiritual reservoir and knowledge of folkloric traditions, propel the grooves into previously uncharted vistas while dismantling the conventions of what is considered mambo.
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