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Band "Tokame": Cuban music on European soil
April 17, 2016 (Cultura Latina)
Band Tokame: A special example of cultural migration
The band members are employed exclusively in Germany and in Switzerland living Cuban professional musicians. Tokate is a special example of cultural migration!
"Tokame" is a twelve-piece "Cuban" orchestra with four-part brass section, set with two trumpets, saxophone and trombone, a rhythm section with congas, drums, timbales, piano and bass as well as the three-headed frontline, consisting of two singers and one singer.
Tokame is a high caliber Allstar band of Cuban musicians living here. The second peculiarity results from the participation of the English singer Aquilla Fearon with her Jamaican roots. Bandleader and composer Branko Arnsek has written some salsa titles for her English language.
The titles on the new CD "Eres la tierra mas linda" (you are the most beautiful country ... meaning of course Cuba) have names like "Dime que tu quieres" (Tell me what you want), a "Guaracha" with pop influences, but also quite danceable for Timberos, or "Look at me", a "Conga" (the Carnival music from Santiago de Cuba), extremely animating, almost dancefloor suitable. The frontline at Tokame shares Aquilla with Mayelis and Michel. Each of the three singers has tailor-made songs. The Spanish texts are written by the Cuban Maria Luz Laffita. Michel sings, for example, the Chagui "En la casa de Vicente", the secret favorite of the orchestra, or the timba "Esa mujer" or the title song "Eres la tierra mas linda", a purebred Cuban salsa in the style of Los Van Van, the most famous of the Cuban orchestras. For Mayelis, Mary has written the rumba "No te meta con migo", the guaracha "Mentiroso" (liar) or the merengue "Se acabo el abuso" (The abuse is over). In addition to these vocal numbers, the orchestra also plays instrumental tracks to feature the band's instrumentalists, such as Ardiles Ruiz, who has already immortalized on Orquesta Reve CDs with his solos, or Yuliski Gonzales, who plays in bands like Havana D Primera or the "Nuevos Classicos de Son" by Nene, or Dalia Prada, the pianist and bandleader of the Cuban women's band "Son Damas". These are titles like the Danzonete "Danzoneton" and the Latin jazz piece "El paseo".
With its musical concept, Tokame serves the Cuban audience or the salsa dancer as well as the lovers of jazz, latin-jazz and world music. Live is and was the band to see and hear at festivals and galas but also in big clubs.
The current live cast:
Aquilla Fearon, Michel Valdes Martinez, Mayelis Guyat, vocals; Alexander Febles Cachacha, Felix Hernandez, Maurice Remedios, Percussion: Oslen Ceballo Brian, Yuliesky Gonzales, trumpets; Ardiles Ruiz, trombone; Tony Martinez, saxophone; Dalia Prada, piano, Branko Arnsek, bass and lead.
Discography:
"Con la clave" - (2011) 59music
"Eres la tierra mas linda" - (2016) 59music / H'Art
Website: www.tokame.info