Orquesta Akokán - AMÉRICA! Orquesta Akokán

Recorded live to tape at Penrose Recorders by Gabriel Roth, AMÉRICA! expands on the classic Mambo sounds that the band has become known for — blending Latin soul, boogaloo and salsa - all while staying true to their Cuban roots.

On their fourth studio record, the band introduces an all-star line-up of new singers including Mariam Elhajli and Carolina Oliveros (of Combo Chimbita). Elhajli and Oliveros both tap into the raw energy of Celia and La Lupe, but turn the lens toward something more intimate: themes of loss, upheaval, and the weight of the immigrant experience.

PRESS FOR ‘CARACOLES’ (2024)
‘It’s a non-stop cavalcade of cha-cha-cha and mambo that should bring any dancer out of their shell’ 4/5 Boxed Review in MOJO
'This hugely danceable reboot of the 1950s Cuban sound features slick solos and a Palo Mayombe priest on vocals. Fresh and joyous.' 4/5 The Guardian
'Whether it's mambo, chachacha or bolero, Caracoles holds music to dance to , music to send the spirits soaring stratospherically' 5/5 Lead Review - Songlines
‘Caracoles bring echoes of Machito and other 20th-century Cuban titans into the present, imbuing their rambunctious big-band sound with tenacity and deep spirituality—revitalised by Ruiz, who intertwines references to the afro-cuban religion of Palo Mayombe within his lyricism’ VINYL FACTORY RELEASES OF THE WEEK