Okan

Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms. 2021 JUNO Award winner!

Taking their name from the word for heart in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria, the women-led ensemble OKAN fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms in songs about immigration, courage and love.

Having recently worked with Bomba Estereo, Lido Pimienta and Dayme Arocena, OKAN recently followed up on their Juno-nominated and Independent Music Award-winning debut album Sombras, with their sophomore release Espiral. This album recently won a 2021 JUNO for World Music Album.

Espiral delves deeper into the group’s rich Cuban roots, finding renewed inspiration in this rich musical heritage. The Santeria influences are most evident in the title track, Espiral which uniquely blends guajira, the folk genre of Eastern Cuba, with Santeria-derived chants. 

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.

The Summer Season concerts will take place under the open air covered pavilion at the Huntsville Fairgrounds. These are in-person socially distanced shows with a maximum audience capacity of 100. Concerts will follow guidance and regulations set out by the Simcoe/Muskoka District Health Unit.