16 Rayos

by Orquesta Akokan

Overview

Orquesta Akokan is a multi-generational big band, comprised of top musicians from Cuba and New York's Latin music scene. Their sound is a reinvigorated take on the golden era of Cuban mambo (the 1940s) combined with rumba, son, tumbao, and cha-cha-cha wedded to Latin jazz. The band's acclaimed 2018 self-titled Daptone debut was recorded at Havana's Areito Studios and was followed by an enthusiastically received international tour. In the spring of 2021 the group re-assembled at Havana's legendary Egrem Studio (home to literally hundreds of classic recordings since the '60s, including the Buena Vista Social Club's) and cut ten brand-new originals. Mambo has always carried the ghost traces of religious tradition in its DNA, in particular Santeria's, the distinctly ritualistic Cuban meld of African vodou and Roman Catholicism. This set uses spiritual mambo as an inspiration and leaping-off point for exploration. The album title references a Yoruba legend where the sun's 16 rays were gifted by the deity Olofi to sky father Obatala, enabling him to care for the earth's children. Set-opener and first single "Mi Conga Es de Akokan" weds the driving, low-end serpentine rhythms of the conga to powerful, ringing, swinging mambo horns with vocalist Jose "Pepito" Gomez leading the band in feverish call-and-response. "Cuatro de Octubre" commences with an unaccompanied rhumba chant by Pedro Francisco Almeida Barriel, followed by knotty, cascading horns and percussion in cut time with gloriously dark exchanges between brass instruments and Michael Eckroth's piano montunos. As infectious as the fast tunes are, the band reveals its secret soul on the ballad "La Guajira del Mar," with atmospheric brass harmonies and gorgeous string interplay. "El Inflador" is a furious yet unbelievably sweet dancefloor mambo with gloriously arranged vocal and brass harmonies. "Orchidea" offers a solo piano intro combining classical piano and dissonance before the rhythm section guides the horns, congas, and timbales into a gloriously architected cha-cha-cha. "Llegue con Mi Rumba" also finds Almeida Barriel in excellent form as he engages the band's punchy, joyous groove and kaleidoscopic sense of swing. On the title-track closer, Gomez trades lines in duet and call-and-response with guest vocalist Xiomara Valdes (a first-call session singer who has worked with Omara Portuando and many others) as shadowy trumpets, dark trombones and ethereal, ecstatic strings wind around the drummers and Valdes' sweet, tender falsetto. The group unites around their vocal improvisations with a more stately horn articulation and cha-cha rhythm. As enjoyable and edifying as Orquesta Akokan's self-titled debut was, 16 Rayos is more sophisticated and inspired. While the first album amounted to a raucous, utterly enjoyable soulful dance party, this set is an emotional, spiritually satisfying, labyrinthine musical journey one can dance to. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	10/22/2021
Label:	Daptone
UPC:	0823134006423
Rank:	144449

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Orquesta Akokan   Primary Artist
Jamil Schery   Sax (Tenor)
Harold Madrigal Frias   Trumpet
Amelia Febles Diaz   Violin
Anabel Estevez Acosta   Violin
Brian Pozo   Guiro
Jenny Pena   Violin
Lino Dariel Piquero Bueno   Bass
Jainardo Batista   Vocals
Heikel Trimino   Trombone
Yansa Samada Valdes   Flute
Cesar Lopez   Flute,Sax (Alto)
German Velazco   Flute,Sax (Tenor)
Pedro Francisco Almeida Berriel   Featured Artist
Roberto Vizcaino Guillot   Percussion
Evaristo Denis   Sax (Baritone)
Roberto Vizcaino   Percussion
Renier Mendoza:   Percussion
Xiomara Valdes   Featured Artist
Jacob Plasse   Tres,Bandleader
Reinaldo Melian   Trumpet
Jose "Pepito" Gomez   Vocals
Yoandy Argudin   Trombone
Michael Eckroth   Piano

Technical Credits

Heikel Trimino   Group Member
Daniel Gneiding   Lettering,Sleeve Design
Jamil Schery   Group Member
Harold Madrigal Frias   Group Member
Roth   Executive Producer
Amelia Febles Diaz   Group Member
Anabel Estevez Acosta   Group Member
Brian Pozo   Group Member
Jenny Pena   Group Member
Jose Miguel Pozo Arrieta   Assistant
Lino Dariel Piquero Bueno   Group Member
Jainardo Batista   Coro,Group Member
Chris Connors   Engineer,Mixing
Yansa Samada Valdes   Group Member
Cesar Lopez   Group Member,Musical Coordinator
German Velazco   Group Member
Eddie Venegas   Coro,Group Member
Pedro Francisco Almeida Berriel   Composer
Roberto Vizcaino Guillot   Group Member
J.J. Golden   Mastering
Sugarman   Executive Producer
Evaristo Denis   Group Member
Jacob Blickenstaff   Photography
Roberto Vizcaino   Group Member
Renier Mendoza:   Group Member
Jacob Plasse   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Luis Soto   Coro,Group Member
Reinaldo Melian   Group Member
Jose "Pepito" Gomez   Composer,Group Member
Yoandy Argudin   Group Member
Michael Eckroth   Arranger,Composer,Group Member