Artist Spotlight: Orquesta Akokán

"We wanted to make sure it was vibrant, a cross section of influence, involving people who were familiar with today's music, but also the old style. There's a lot of younger guys who were students in what is considered to be the Juilliard of Havana. So several of the guys in the band have this natural mentor/mentee relationship. It's a joy to be around. They just really... feel joy when they're performing and it translates with everybody."

Akokán Co-Founder and Producer Jacob Plasse

"It's the kind of deceptively simple complexity that made listening to classic orchestras of Tito Puente, Machito and Perez Prado such a joy. These guys execute it perfectly."

NPR