OKAN: Tiny Desk 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

[@nomihamm5690]

I saw OKAN live at sf jazz a few weeks ago without knowing anything about them and I was completely blown away. they bring such an incredible amount of energy to the stage (i knew someone who overheard the concert and thought they were a big band lol). Every individual musician is incredible, together they are unstoppable. Absolutely see them live if you get the chance, it will change your life.

[@Below-Average_Joe]

This music has an incredible groove! The drums and percussion are tight and the bassist is incredible all by himself.

[@rhortac]

Canada will melt with so much Afro-Cuban heat!

[@OKANMusica]

Love this comment. Hahahaha 😅

[@omniphoriusvcf907]

Incredible heart and talent. What a gift for all of us.

[@dlxinfinite7098]

Wow! My Afro-Cuban women show out....what a show

[@LightWarriors4Life]

Beautiful voice and rhythm 🎼 Loved the violin 🎻 parts. 🙏🏼❤️

[@lisamalone5219]

Yeah Exactly 🎻👀🎼💙🩷💚💜💛 🌍✌️ LoveWins. 😁🙏⭐

[@LightWarriors4Life]

@@lisamalone5219 music is love, as love is Light 😊💫☀️

[@ShawnBoyetteAlso]

I love OKAN and am so happy that they're here on Tiny Desk! I've seen them live twice, and cannot recommend the experience highly enough. If they're in your area, go see them; it's a party you won't forget.

[@steveymcneckbeard]

What a beautiful woman.

[@JayStiles-kt2pm]

Yes indeed

[@LanguidAndBittersweet]

Too bad you were busy staring instead of listening to the fantastic music. You missed out.

[@dreamteamleader9098]

Okay now I see why people mistake me for LATINO, or PUERTO RICAN or ITALIAN ( a couple times) love the sounds and the resemblance is striking from time to time. People of color are often mistaken for many different cultures now that the world is seeing more of us around diverse places. ❤❤❤❤

[@lillustpotion]

The violin teacher rn 😡🥹😡🥹

[@estrella-tita35]

OKAN base in Toronto Canada are 100% Cubans.They are amazing musicians. 2 time Juno Awards winners I'm so proud of them..way to go!

[@andreasabbah7963]

Love the Canada shout out❤

[@kathialara1617]

WOW WOW WOWW!!!! muchas gracias por compartir este video, y priorizar y dar luz a artistas afro latines es súper súper importante!! que bonito video y que talentosos todos!!!!!!!!

[@sergiocolas4421]

Sí es muy importante dar visibilidad a artistas afrolatinos, principalmente a mujeres afrolatinas.

[@OKANMusica]

Ashe. 🎉

[@blackmambaqueen238]

Wow mucha inspiración! Que hermosa música! ❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉 gracias por este tiny!

[@mistahisaac7545]

Just dreaming of my turn! Thank you for this fam! What an outstanding performance! ❤❤❤

[@DavidAlejandroPerez]

The pianist is top shelf! Great show

[@MundiaKamau]

Great performance. Viva OKAN, Viva Cuba, Viva Canada. There appears to be a sizable Cuban community in Canada. After Alex Cuba, this is the second Tiny Desk Concert I've watched, of Cuban music artistes with links to Canada. Regards, Michael M. Kamau, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa, 25th September 2024.

[@christopherrodriguez2424]

Agua, agua! Que hermoso!

[@lilimacmc6886]

These women are equally BEAUTIFUL & TALENTED!! 🥰 Hope hear more from them for many years to come!!

[@dianiscataclarinete2923]

❤❤❤❤OMG even is one of MY dreams come true!!! Beautiful girls I studied with 🥹 !so proud of you guys!. Amazing concert, now I have to watch OKAN live!!!!

[@StJohnLara]

So much energy, rhythm and joy! And of course, multi-talents. Bravo!!

[@mkfscorpio]

Beautiful music! So glad to see women in the band! And as percussionists!! 💫💫🤩❤❤

[@pamelarw58]

Fantastic Vocals & Music so much love & JOY!!!❤

[@JayStiles-kt2pm]

Excellent work by OKAN

[@hollivybez]

Straight up vibes

[@richboovertime]

this was beautiful 😢 of joy viewing this

[@marcosmello9310]

Got the chills from the drum solo!! It's been a while... Beautiful music

[@reginiahorton6621]

Great job !!! Love the smoothness of it! Beautiful voices

[@yeliz__]

I'm blown away! They're absolutely amazing!

[@GeminiSun888]

Luv their sound!👏🏾🙌🏾🫶🏽

[@luisamariagonzalezramirez353]

Omg!!!! So proud what an amazing band

[@OKANMusica]

Hahahaha. 😅you should Be proud. This is part of your work too.

[@skyydineo]

revolutionary!!!!OKAN TOO THE WORLD🌍

[@Laura-zd8wu]

Just wonderful girls!!!!! You are amazing 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🌞🌞🌞🌞

[@StephenLee529]

YESSS…! 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 thank you for sharing this wonderful group…! Yes…now I have to see them live..?

[@Demasiocorazon]

Me salvo el dia

[@Raffpio]

Che meraviglia

[@misstee4662]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@BestFitSquareChannel]

Joy, Joy, Joy 🌞🤸🏾‍♂️♥️

[@unhombreunhombre2363]

Que bueno🎉

[@Time.Space.Heal.]

Mucho Bravo!

[@st.keise_official]

Shine your light fam ✨ beautiful 🥰

[@leilaikusura4904]

Their sound reminds me of the duo Les Nubians as well as Putumayo sound. It's so beautiful! My heart is full. Once again Tiny Desk, you aced this🎉🎉🎉

[@marcofilippini5429]

A music is beautiful Think !!!Thank you OKAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kimruffin8039]

New OKAN fan as of this concert!!! Play it y'all!!! So many incredible layers. The percussion was among many favorites. Thank you!

[@elrafa782]

Good vibes for sure 🙏

[@MrDsmith1959]

Hey Yissy G good to hear you waiting on a new release

[@aichakoylahie4852]

j’adore ❤️

[@jossysama5095]

My Afro Latinas powerful women yazzzzzzzz wooow❤❤

[@erflingnot]

🙌🏻

[@chukwuemekaokoye6252]

🎉

[@MGAMMUSIC]

wow! Just WOW soo good.

[@MC-Cjoda]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@jossysama5095]

Beautifullll ❤❤❤🎉🎉

[@GuyMichelMusic]

That was incredible

[@Mamske]

🌞🌻✨️

[@TrinitySax]

love

[@Rollinghard7]

Perfecto

[@andreareveron326]

so good

[@AndoresuPeresu]

La segunda cancion tiene unas referencias cheveres a Cuba

[@OKANMusica]

Somos Cubanas!!!!!

[@AndoresuPeresu]

@@OKANMusica pos claro, solo escribi para el que perdio el mensaje dirigido a la represion. Gracias por su musica!

[@yardenjalenchichester3283]

Laroyé! ❤🖤 Ore Yèyé o! 🍯

[@PhoenixCharredEagle]

Great performance!

[@antoniousai1989]

I'm not 100% sure, but is that language Yoruba?

[@ruthbevans46]

Yes it is

[@julianmateoo]

LAS MEJORES, LAS MEJORES DEL MUNDO MUNDIAL

[@OKANMusica]

😂😂😂 la recomendación viene de cerca. Abrazos.

[@yolandaperez5549]

👏❤

[@alexcordova5534]

Ken smith bass 🔥🔥 que bola tiburon

[@torontorox]

✌🧡

[@IronyAmI]

Day 9 of requesting an Ichiko Aoba tiny desk

[@PhearNoneGearGadgets]

🎻

[@michaelpheysey]

Saw them last night opening for Rodrigo Y Gabriella in Salt Lake City. Listened to the Tiny Desk on the way up but it did not prepare us for the energy and musicianship that we saw on stage. Totally blown away, and they just lit up my kids who were reluctant attendees. We had the great fortune of meeting them in the merch tent and getting a few pictures and some signed merch. I hope this exposure blows them up like some other TD artists, they deserve it.

[@xitapedrao1377]

Qual é o país de origem ?

[@tanyaalexander1460]

I believe she said Cuba

[@BestFitSquareChannel]

🇨🇺​@@tanyaalexander1460

[@BestFitSquareChannel]

🇨🇺

[@magdelyssavigne3843]

Cuba

[@antoniousai1989]

Cuba but I think they are speaking Yoruba, an African language present in Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, and Togo.

[@telayajackson1.0]

I want to know what they are saying in their native language. I only got "okan" for "heart".

[@gcyn]

Their performance is very nice! Thank you for introducing them here. I am happy to encounter their performance and song. By the way, what does the word "OKAN" refer to here? Is it the Yoruba word for "conscience"? "heart"? "mind"? By coincidence, in one dialect of Japanese there is a word "OKAN". It is a word related to women and love... it is a casual expression for mother. And, again by coincidence and without any special meaning, the Japanese word for "conscience" is "ryou-shin", which is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for "both parents". It is a word play between Yoruba and Japanese.

[@sinid.uma_infinidade]

Invite Warpaint pls!

[@englewoodmusic]

SO chub rn

[@maramiosha6561]

Justin Bieber nexttttt please

[@charlesdavidson5006]

8281 Kurtis Ways

[@SusannaElroy]

35471 Leila Club

[@loktong68]

"God is too big to fit in only ONE religion" well saying!!!! 🥺

[@DarkestSoulsBand]

Se OKAN ha un cane, di chi è il cane?

[@AngelicaKolsan]

Mmom m

[@lilimacmc6886]

🔥🔥🔥

[@simoncartaye8321]

🤩🤩🤩

[@andreasabbah7963]

Saw them pre covid at a jazz church concert in Toronto. Loved them then. Love them now. So happy to see them on TD!!❤❤❤❤

[@migdaliarosado4137]

👏🌻👑🌻👑🌻👑🌻👑👏 Me encanta Bendiciones a Mi Oshun Yalorde💛💛💛💛💛 Ustedes me alegraron mi corazón

[@elliotselmon7581]

LOVE IT!!!

[@rosechisholm58]

OKAN is incredible. Saw them on Hornby Island last summer and they are SO POWERFUL.

[@migdaliarosado4137]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💛🌼💛🌼💛 Se la comieron

[@kincamell2]

Stellar

[@susanbelyea6735]

Fantastic show! Amazing talent and heart❤❤❤❤❤

[@HumeWebb-r8f]

Hall Kenneth Brown Matthew Brown Charles

[@n.g.3741]

I’m definitely here for this! 💜💜

[@hominiskobo]

Yissy García!!!

[@TheAfrolatino972]

Qué belleza

[@ebsellers5636]

INCREDIBLE!!!!

[@AMtwoG]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@RAsVault]

What a revelation!

[@MariachiEnValencia]

❤❤❤🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺🎻🎻🔥🔥🔥

[@n.g.3741]

Where do I buy tickets for the tour!?

[@bogdanmirzakabilov]

Too much talking kills the flow. The music is great, but all these talks...

[@erlineandrews]

How strange to complain about a musician speaking between songs. Might as well just listen to the studio albums. Forget about live performances.