OKAN: Tiny Desk Concert

OKAN: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

This Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 NPR Music celebrates artists from all corners of Latinidad with an 'El Tiny' takeover.

Felix Contreras | September 24, 2024

Spending time with the Afro-Cuban sounds of OKAN is to be immersed in the sounds of tradition mixed with the present.

Co-leaders Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne lead their five-piece band through the melodic and rhythmic celebration of their heritage with a sense of fun that can mask the intensity of the musicianship.

From the opening chant of the group’s first number “Eshu Nigüe (Elegua),” all the way through “La Reina del Norte,” OKAN is another example of musicians who honor the role of tradition while stretching the boundaries of how that tradition is expressed. And I’m not mad at the fact that every song is another reason to dance.

SET LIST

“Eshu Nigüe (Elegua)”

“Okantomi”

“Oriki Oshun”

“La Reina del Norte”

MUSICIANS

Elizabeth Herrera Rodriguez: lead vocals, violin

Magdelys Savigne: lead vocals, percussion

Camila Cortina: piano, vocals

Yissy García: drums

Gerson Lazo-Quiroga: bass, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Felix Contreras

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant

Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro

Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Michael Zamora

Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #okan