LoKeBa

About

Peggy's Skylight | Nottingham

Wednesday 7th September 2022

Horn-fuelled driving original Afro-Cuban music, with a 3-piece percussion backbone, fronted by singer Adriana Lord. Performing son, salsa, timba, cha cha cha, rumba, bata & bembe.

Doors at
7pm (Diners)
7:30pm (General Admission)
Performance 8-10pm (with interval)

Tickets: £8-£16

Delirio by LoKeBa is an original album of Afro-Cuban music that draws inspiration from a mix of modern and traditional styles – Salsa, Timba, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Batá and Bembe. It grew from a 20-year exchange of friendship, culture, music, religion and ideas between the UK and Cuba.

Since 2002, percussionist Rich Kensington has journeyed from Croydon to visit his teacher, friend and mentor Chaguito (Santiago Garzón Rill) in Havana. Ten years after his first trip, he sat on the roof of the Hotel Lincoln listening to what Frank 'El Matador' Oropesa had to say: 'It's good to have spent all of these years coming to Cuba to learn our traditions but now you must make the music your own'. The message from the world renowned bongocero planted the seed that was to become Delirio.

Not long after recording with Rich in the studio of El Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñero, Adriana Lord set off on her own journey, from Cuba to the UK. After establishing herself as a singer on the UK music scene, Adriana once again met up with Rich and the pair started writing, joined by Matt Baker on piano. Matt completed the circle with his own journey to Havana to meet and work with Chaguito on ideas for the album, bringing not only Chaguito's words and melodies, but the events which surrounded their writing, to the songs themselves.

In Delirio, Adriana, Rich and Matt create eight songs, sung in both Spanish and English. Songs about the world as they see it, the lives they have led and the struggles they have encountered, within themselves and between people, under two opposing ideological systems. It's an album that makes you want to move and gives you something to think about.

The Axis Trio – Rich, Dave Boston (bongos and batá) and Simon Bowhill (timbales and batá) – form the percussive backbone to LoKeBa. The album features performances from Colombian singer and percussionist Rodry-Go, trumpeter Giovanni Siveroni and trombonist Landy Díaz and grooves on a bed of bass provided by Dimitris Christopoulos and baritone saxophonist Nichola Pope. Delirio was produced by Richard Kensington and Matt Baker in collaboration with Alex Wilson and Eliane Correa. It was mixed and mastered by Jose Mendoza. The cover design is by Cuban artist, RAUPA.