Upcoming Events
OKAN @ ASPENWed, Mar 25Paul JAS Center- OKAN @ ASPENThu, Mar 26Paul JAS Center
OKAN @ JAZZ SERIES FAENA THEATERWed, Jun 24Faena Theater
🌻Oriki Oshun🌻 (Live Duo Performance)
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.
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Magdelys Savigne
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.
"OKAN‘s vocal- and percussion-driven tracks evoke their homeland yet also reflect the vibrant Cuban-Canadian community.”
— NOW Magazine
Taking its name from the word for heart or soul in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, 2-Time JUNO Winner OKAN fuses Afro-Cuban and other global rhythms with jazz, folk and classical forms.
Embracing genres and roles that have historically been dominated by men, co-leaders, composers and multi-instrumentalists Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne bring a fresh perspective to Latin and world jazz fusion through their powerful vocals, incredible musicianship and potent lyrical content.
Both are JUNO-nominees for their work with Battle of Santiago and Grammy-nominees for their contributions to Jane Bunnett and Maqueque of which they are former members.
Having worked with Bomba Estereo, Lido Pimienta, Bianca Gismonti among others, OKAN follows up on their Juno-nominated and Independent Music Award-winning debut album Sombras, with their JUNO Award-winning album Espiral, and a JUNO Award-winning album OKANTOMI, out on the Lulaworld Records label.
OKAN
"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
