Watch OKAN’s Tiny Desk Concert

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

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