Straight outta Havana

>> >> Give a cigar to Cuban hip hop unit Orishas

by SCOTT C

Cuban hip hop outfit Orishas are the leaders of the pack in their native homeland. After configuring in France for a more calculated assault on the hearts and minds of music lovers everywhere, the group released A lo Cubano, a proud testament to the everyday lives of their countrymen, and not too shabby on the beats either. Taking their name from the gods of Afro-Cuban religion, this group is changing the way that Cubans express themselves in music, and spawning a lot of copycats in the process. I spoke to group member Yotuel with the help of my translator, Ed.

Mirror: That's a pretty big-balled move, taking on the name of the gods of Afro-Cuban religion, don't you think?

Yotuel: We took the name more as a symbol to identify with all the Cubans all over the world, so that when they hear the name Orishas, they will automatically know that this is a band that comes from Cuba.

M: Have you guys toured extensively to reach the Cubans of the world?

Y: We've done France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy and very soon Canada. So we meet more Cubans all the time.

M: How were you introduced to hip hop in the first place?

Y: A lot of American radio stations get picked up because Cuba is so close to the States, but me and Ruzzo were part of another group called Amenaza. We came to France on a cultural exchange and met Livan, who proposed a project to mix hip hop and Afro-Cuban music. It was supposed to represent the rhythmic version of hip hop in America, but it would also represent everyday life in Cuba.

M: Is there a strong hip hop scene in Cuba?

Y: The hip hop scene in Cuba is stronger than ever. I calculate between 200 and 250 groups right now who perform rap in some form or another. The problem is the means and resources are scarce. Hip hop in Cuba is not a sample-based culture, so the technology is just not there. One of Orishas' objectives was to show that the hip hop scene in Cuba is alive and kicking.

M: So, how many songs on your album are sampled from Cuban standards or classics?

Y: The only sampling we did was for "Chan Chan," which samples Compay Segundo. Everything else was written and composed by Orishas, recording as much live stuff as possible. The project was adapted so that we could perform everything the way it sounds on the record. When we come to Canada we'll have two MCs, live percussion and a DJ, but by the same token, we can do the same show with 10 to 25 musicians on stage.

M: I learned last week that the only way to listen to A lo Cubano is in the car with all the windows down, volume cranked, and cruising a long, heavily populated main drag.

Y: It's exactly the same in Cuba! :

Outdoors at the Jazz Fest's Blue Dry stage, Bleury and deMaisonneuve, on Thursday, June 29, 7:30pm, free