Direct from Havana, Cuba - Daptone Records is proud to present the debut single by Orquesta Akokán. Featuring some of Havana's most formidable musicians playing with a groove, a tumbao, that hasn't been heard for decades, Orquesta Akokán is a classic Mambo-inspired force of nature.
“Mambo Rapidito”, a lively up-tempo one-chord vamp in the vein of Prado or Moré, boasts an undeniable energy - ripe for a freshly polished dancefloor!
On the flip, "Un Tabaco para Elegua", describes a tambor (an afro-cuban religious ceremony) over a slow, bubbling groove - a perfect compliment to sipping distilled sugar cane. The two massive sides offered up were recorded at the pre-revolutionary 1940s era Areito studios in Centro Havana where the spirit of Aragón, Tata Güines and Elena Burke still reverberate through the walls.
