Exactly how one or two Cuban feamales in Canada formed the latest prize-effective band, OKAN

Exactly how one or two Cuban feamales in Canada formed the latest prize-effective band, OKAN

Age Rodriguez jokes, grateful it is really not videos interviews. 1 / 2 of your own Afro-Cuban, genre-agnostic, and you may Juno award-winning duo OKAN, she laughs that they are maybe not constantly right up so it very early. Warm on her behalf very own, the active change when the woman spouse (in most definitions of your own term) Magdelys Savigne touches. The 2 lady riff for each most other easily, picking up for every single other people’s phrases and you will sneaking inside little laughs and you can smirks.

Magdelys originates from Santiago de Cuba, whenever you are E grew up in the main city area, Havana. One another municipalities has actually various other remedies for sounds, that have Santiago are more traditional. Additionally, they might be one another typically coached, and therefore brings in specific Western european taste. Today each other based in Canada, obtained bonded its isle society and you may Western european procedure for the sonic hot-pot that is Toronto’s music scene.

The brand new identity track and you may opener towards the record album guides with an enthusiastic Afro-Cuban chant. It broadly translates to the storyline away from a beneficial goddess to arrive in the another residential property and you may undertaking an alternate lifetime. The latest parallel is obvious. But more which centers the heritage, that is inseparable of OKAN.

From that point, Espiral bleeds into the so many different genres – cha cha cha, pilon and you will bolero, while also adding the fresh appearance from the players up to him or her… Sets from Brazilian shifts, to help you Turkish rhythms. This is the definition at the rear of Espiral. New voice spirals, it goes around Cuba and you can wider, picking right up other types.

Even after both becoming produced during the Cuba, they really fulfilled when you look at the Canada. Age got heard of Magdelys inside Cuba… it actually was hopeless on her behalf not to.

Despite a definite reverence having Cuba, its link to the newest area are challenging – to utilize their own phrase

The ladies met when Age auditioned for Magdelys’ ring. “I called for a singer to journey around, and it are top if they could play a tool. She arrived to the fresh bend immediately. She you certainly will play remarkably and play the violin. She could do it all,” Magdelys gushes. The 2 hit it well instantly, “Things led to various other, with day…,” she le into rehearsal.”

“Mags advised me to make my own personal tunes. I felt that We wasn’t happy to build musical and be a composer, and you can she try the one who driven me personally,” Age waxes.

“It is (OKAN) all of our baby. Our first baby that we created with her and you can that which we do for OKAN try pouring our minds engrossed.”

So it like try central so you’re able to OKAN, hence by itself means heart throughout the Afro-Cuban dialect

It’s simpler having Magdelys. Instance Age, she misses this lady members of the family, “My personal mom – We have not viewed the lady during the extended. That’s essentially everything i miss.” She demonstrates to you. “Anywhere that have a water, I am able to wade. There are a lot Cubans around the world…if i miss Cubans, I will go there.” She continues on to liken it in order to a bad ex. “You look back and you just remember the tough times out-of the relationship which will be brand of unfortunate.”

But that is before, today they’re one another delighted to have what is next, particularly live shows, which have put-out Espiral throughout a good pandemic. “OKAN is an entire some other experience live!” Rodriguez beams. Once you hear the album you become including you may be RichMeetBeautiful in the a performance. You might pick out for every single device with unique understanding – the guitar, Elizabeth’s violin, Magdelys’ percussions, castanets, an such like.

Their track Baila Canada is a standout and is about getting someone swinging. It is overly busy and features one another lady into the sound, and a particularly live violin solamente out-of E. It’s an inside-laugh… In their nearly 10 years when you look at the Canada, they’ve unearthed that the people do not dance. They generated the newest tune to unwind them up. OKAN isn’t concerned about one to any more just after becoming cooped upwards having a long time, they might be sure everybody’s itching to move…. plus they are willing to gamble.

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