Taking their name from the word for heart in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, OKAN, is a Juno-Award winning women-led ensemble that fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms in songs about immigration, courage and love.
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Albums and Vinyls.
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Born in Havana, Cuba, Elizabeth Rodriguez is a classically trained violinist who served as concertmaster for Havana’s Youth Orchestra. Magdelys Savigne hails from Santiago de Cuba and graduated with honours in orchestral percussion from Havana’s University of the Arts. Both are also Grammy-nominees for their contributions to Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, of which they are former members.
"OKAN‘s vocal- and percussion-driven tracks evoke their homeland yet also reflect the vibrant Cuban-Canadian community.”
— NOW Magazine
Magdelys Savigne
Having recently worked with Bomba Estereo, Lido Pimienta and Bianca Gismonti, OKAN follows up on their Juno-nominated and Independent Music Award-winning debut album Sombras, with their JUNO Award-winning album Espiral, out on the Lulaworld Records label.
"Espiral, the astonishing followup to their Juno-nominated 2019 debut, push[es] Latin jazz into new and unexpected territories...[Espiral is] lush and vibrant, urgent but specific and deeply intentional.
— CBC Music