Orquesta Akokán [from Cuba] @ Presidio Theatre // SF
Straight out of Havana, Cuba – Orquesta Akokán – a blazing ensemble of deeply soulful mambo.
Orquesta Akokán is a powerhouse ensemble that breathes new life into the classic mambo sound, infusing it with a contemporary edge while honoring its rich Cuban heritage.
Orquesta Akokán is celebrating the release of the new release on Daptone Records, Caracoles, that explores mambo in all its depth and breadth. The group has received a multitude of awards including Billboard Latin Music Award, Telemundo Latin American Music Award, Songlines Music Awards, and a Grammy nomination.
The group’s name derives from the Cuban Yoruba word “akokán,” meaning “from the heart”—a fitting description for their passionate, soul-stirring performances.
Wednesday, April 2, 7:30pm (lobby opens one hour before showtime).
Presidio Theatre in the Presidio National Park
99 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco [see map below].
Buy tickets here! https://www.presidiotheatre.org/show/2025-orquestra-akokan/
- If you need assistance with ticketing or have any other questions, please contact our Box Office:
- boxoffice@presidiotheatre.org
- 415-960-3949
Videos: [click here to see more].
About show:
Assembled and led by Cuban vocalist José “Pepito” Gómez, Orquesta Akokán is a big band collective of the finest musicians on the island, both young and old.
They bring their unique brand of Cuban mambo to the Presidio Theatre with the group’s signature sense of akokán–a Cuban Yoruba word meaning “from the heart.”
Orquesta Akokán is celebrating the release of the new release on Daptone Records, Caracoles, that explores mambo in all its depth and breadth.
The group has received a multitude of awards including Billboard Latin Music Award, Telemundo Latin American Music Award, Songlines Music Awards, and a Grammy nomination.
About the musicians:
Jacob Plasse continues his extensive exploration of Latin music, faithful to a path that began in 2007 when he co-founded salsa brava band Los Hacheros.
Michael Eckroth, renowned as a renaissance musician, applies his profound knowledge of Cuban music and a longstanding history of collaborating with iconic greats from the Latin music and the jazz worlds, from Pedrito Martinez to John Scofield .
Papote Jimenez singing style is a masterful fusion of raw power and intricate phrasing, blending Cuban son, Puerto Rican Bomba, and Afro-Caribbean influences with effortless improvisation. His rich, gritty tone and explosive energy, honed during his tenure with Los Hacheros, make him one of the most dynamic and soulful voices in contemporary Latin music.
A light joyousness permeates the tunes’ radiant riffs, thanks to the spellbinding virtuosity of percussionists who revel in the same rhythmic fleetness of the Cuban maestros while adding their own stamp to the beats: Keisel Jimenez (Havana d’Primera, Arturo O’Farrill, Alain Pérez,
Pedrito Martinez) and Yuya Rodriguez (daughter of renowned musician and percussionist Octavio Rodriguez Rivera, and winner of Cuba’s Fiesta del Tambor in 2019).
Grounding the percussionists is the formidable bassist Lino Piquero Bueno, who has performed and recorded with luminaries such as Alain Pérez, Issac Delgado, Habana d’ Primera, Omara Portuondo, Buena Vista Allstars, Danay Suarez, and more.
The fierce, dynamic horns are led by alto saxophone player Roman Filiu, former member of Chucho Valdés´I Irakere, Cuba’s greatest jazz band; tenor sax Jamil Schery; baritone saxophonist Jose Cruzata; father and son trumpeters, Reinaldo “Molote” Melián (Chucho Valdés, Gonzalo Rubalcaba) & Reynaldo Melián and trombonist Heikel Fabian.
Quote:
“The vocalist Pepito Gómez has a siren sound that reaches right back into the 1940s, when the punchy pop music known as mambo overtook Cuba. He’s embracing that affinity with a new 16-piece band, featuring some of the island’s greatest instrumentalists” (The New York Times).
Notes:
- For most performances, the lobby opens one hour before showtime and the auditorium opens 30 minutes before showtime.
- Yes for most performances we offer snacks, soft drinks, beer, and wine. Please note beverages are allowed in the auditorium, but food is only allowed in the lobby.
About the beautiful theater:
The Presidio Theatre is located at 99 Moraga Avenue in the Presidio of San Francisco across from the bowling alley and 3 blocks from Tunnel Tops.
WE ARE NOT THE MOVIE THEATER ON CHESTNUT STREET!
