Stemming from a 20-year exchange of friendship, culture, music, religion and ideas between the UK and Cuba. Lo Ke Ba create orginal Afro-Cuban music that draws inspiration from a mix of modern and traditional styles – Salsa, Timba, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Batá and Bembe.
Who: Lo Ke Ba
Latin
Text for Promotionof live show:
Lo Ke Ba is a ten-piece Salsa band playing exciting, original, contemporary Afro Cuban music. The music of Lo
Ke Ba is a celebratory mix of the beautifully rich range of musical traditions and styles rooted in Cuba. Lo Ke
Ba live takesthe audience through the worlds of traditional Afro Cuban folkloric music, classic salsa and
contemporary timba into the world of Lo Ke Ba -an elegant, energetic combination of tradition and creativity
that brings the vibes, makes you dance and leaves you wanting more.
Expect to hear modern and tradtional classics from the worlds of Cuban Salsa and Timba as well as tracks
from their new album ‘Delirio’,which has receivedacclaim in the UK, the USA and across Latin America.
“…masterful arrangements and feel good vibes that has ‘classic’ written all over it.
Fabulous!” - Songlines Magazine - Jane Cornwell (UK)
“… amazing contemporary Salsa” – Snowboy (UK)
“ tremendo tema, rico para el bailador!” DJ Mambin (USA)
“My favorite song is track #1 ‘La Copa’. This song got my attention from the start” DJ Walter
b. Nice – NYC (USA)
Lo Ke Ba is fronted by Adriana Lord and Pedro Enrique Medina, both well respected and
loved Cuban vocalists who are well-established at the centre of Cuban music in Brighton.
The songs are written by Adriana with percussionist Richard Kensington and pianist Matt Baker with
contributions from Santiago “Chaguito” Garzón Rill based in Havana.
More detail of the backstory to the album ‘Delirio’:
From 2002, percussionist Rich Kensington journeyed from the UK to 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 in Havana 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 in 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 a 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 by
Adriana, about the world as they see it, the lives they have led and the struggles they have
encountered, within themselves and between people.
www.bandsintown.com