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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.
OKANTOMI is now for sale in our Shop.
Albums and Vinyls.
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
Mil
Palabras
De una mirada salen mil palabras
Que resuenan como eco
Y palpitan por si solas.
Del dolor salen salen nuevas llagas
Que se curan con el tiempo
si dejas pasar las horas.
Del desamor nacen otras cosas
Que no sabia que existian
Pero me han colmado toda.
De la oscuridad eres la luz
Y con ella alumbra el nuevo ser
Que existe y llora.
De nuevos besos salen como flores
Deseos insaciables
Que no paran aunque llores
De mas esta decir que me perdones
Por cada triste adios que te pedi
Sin concesiones.
Aunque duele aun
Se que pasara
Junto a ti el tiempo corre sin parar
No me dejes ir
Vamos a esperar
Aunque el trago amargo no pueda ocultar.
Quiero comenzar
Y llegar al fin
Y dejar las huellas que me vean partir
No regresare
A la oscuridad
Más vale querer y no mirar atras.
Si tu supieras cuanto yo daria
Por curar cada momento
Triste y solo de tu vida
Pero primero yo tendria
Que reparar mi corazon
Que me han dejado hecho astillas.
Con tu mirada llego al infinito
Que valentia tu le has dado a este corazoncito
No tengo miedo, solo necesito,
Que me prometas ese amor
Que no se halla en cualquier sitio.
From a glance come a thousand words Sounding like an echo
And they beat by themselves.
Out of pain come out the sores
That melt with the wind
And they let the waves pass.
Other things come from lack of love
I did not know that they existed
But they have filled me all.
From darkness you are light
And with it shines the new being
That exists and cries.
New kisses come out as flowers
Insatiable desires
That does not stop even if you cry
Needless to say, forgive me
For every sad goodbye I asked you
Without concessions.
Although it hurts
I know it will pass
Next to you, time runs endlessly
Do not let me go
We're going to wait
Although the bitterness I can not hide.
I want to start
And get to the end
And leave the traces that see me leave
I will not come back
To the darkness
Better to love again and never look back.
If you knew how much I would give
To cure every moment
Sad and lonely of your life
But first I would have
To fix my heart
That someone left destroyed.
With your eyes I reach infinity
How much bravery you have given to this little heart
I'm not afraid, I just need,
That you promise me that love
That nobody can find anywhere.
D’un regard sortent mille mots
Qui sonnent en écho
Et battent d’eux-mêmes
De la douleur sortent et ressortent de nouvelles plaies
Qui guérissent avec le temps
Si tu laisses passer les heures
De la peine d’amour, naissent autres choses
Que je ne savais pas qui existaient
Mais elles m’ont complètement comblée
Tu es la lumière de l’obscurité
Et avec elle, tu éclaires le nouvel être
Qui existe et pleure
De nouveaux baisers poussent comme des fleurs
Des désirs insatiables
Qui n’arrêtent pas même si tu pleures
C’est trop que de te demander ton pardon
Pour chaque triste adieu que je t’ai demandé
Sans concessions
Même si ça fait encore mal
Je sais que ça passera
Avec toi, le temps fil sans arrêt
Ne me laisse pas partir
Nous allons attendre
Même si le goût amer ne peux cacher
Je veux commencer
Et aller jusqu’au bout
Et laisser que les empreintes me voient partir
Je ne reviendrai pas
À l’obscurité
Mieux vaut aimer sans regarder derrière
Si tu savais combien je donnerais
Pour guérir chaque moment
Triste et seul de ta vie
Mais d’abord je devrais
Réparer mon coeur
Qu’on a laissé en éclats
Avec ton regard j’atteins l’infini
Quel courage tu as donné à ce petit coeur
Je n’ai pas peur, j’ai seulement besoin
Que tu me promettes cet amour
Qui ne se retrouve pas n'importe ou
