OKAN
ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT
BIOGRAPHY
Charged with the profound power of their African ancestry. OKAN takes their name from the word for 'heart' in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. Fusing these Cuban roots with indie jazz, folk and global rhythms, OKAN delivers songs about immigration, resistance and joy in Spanish, Yoruba and Spanglish.
Following their Tiny Desk NPR Alt Latino debut and a tour supporting Grammy-winners Rodrigo y Gabriela, OKAN’s recent release Okantomi was awarded the 2024 Juno Award and included in NPR Alt Latino, Le Monde, and CBC Music’s “Best of the Year” lists.
OKAN is co-led by Cuban-born Grammy & Latin-Grammy nominees: violinist and vocalist Elizabeth Rodriguez and her wife, percussionist & vocalist Magdelys Savigne.
LINKS TO LIVE VIDEOS
DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS
Okantomi (Lulaworld Records, 2023)
Espiral. (Lulaworld Records, 2020)
SINGLES
'Amiga Infiel with Aiona Santana (2026)
'Pumpum' with Monir Hossn (2025)
‘Conecta’ with Daniela Darlin (2024)
‘Que 1 Chingx Classic Roots Remix’ (2024)
‘Que 1 Chingx’ with Boogát (2024)
‘Bailando en tu Vibra’ with Ramon Chicharron (2024)
‘Iglu’ (2023)
‘Yemaya (Ile Lade)’ (Lulaworld Records, 2021)
PRESS
Aritsts Everyone will Be Talking about at SXSW
5 SXSW 2026 Artistas to Add to Your Playlist
— Austin Vida
“…traveling through the ether… resolution, fire, love…”
— Adriane Pontecorvo
“…dynamic force, intertwining Afro-Cuban roots…”
— Bill King
JAZZIZ - ‘10 Albums you need to know’ by
“A stimulating fusion of Afro-Cuban traditions…”
— Matt Micucci
“On the surface, it is pure joy. Looking a little deeper, it is also joy as a form of resistance. That is the power of OKAN.”
“…a lush and radiant sonic garden that defies genres, between jazz, classical music, and pop.”
The top 20 Canadian albums of 2020 - CBC Music
“Espiral es exuberante, vibrante y poderosa, y un testimonio del poder de Okan.”
— Andrea Warner
“OKAN creates deep, intelligent jazz grooves inspired by Afro-Cuban culture and a world of sounds.”
— Catalina Maria Johnston
Okay Africa - 9 songs you need to hear this week.
“An Afro-Cuban concoction that captivates the ear.”
“The group masterfully combines Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz, trova, soul, Brazilian music, and flamenco.” — Angel Romero
“OKAN’s tracks, driven by voice and percussion, evoke their homeland and also reflect the vibrant Cuban-Canadian community.”
NOW Magazine’s Critics Picks for best albums of 2019
— Chaka V. Grier
The Afro-Cuban-rooted group OKAN presents its first full-length release with jazz influences, paying tribute to the sound traditions of Santería (a syncretic religion that emerged from the Yoruba faith, brought to Cuba by displaced Africans during the era of the slave trade). From the opening title track, the listener is thrown into OKAN’s striking contrast of styles. The song begins with an Afro-Cuban chant, sung in Yoruba, similar to the melodies of Daymé Arocena’s most recent release, Sonocardiogram. — Charlotte Algar
ADVANCING | CONTACT
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Stage plot | Input list for quartet
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Stage plot | Input list for quintet
