Bobi Céspedes

Bobi Cespedes

Featuring Luis Alberto Urrea | October 2007

The compelling voice of Bobi Céspedes, when mixed with the sounds of African rhythms, colorful jazz, rich R&B traditions, astounding percussion, and down-home funk, created an exuberant musical alchemy that revitalized the soul. Cuba's soulful diva provided a distinctive interpretation of the folk tales and people of African-Cuban culture in English, Spanish, and Lucumi, the mother tongue of the descendants of the Yorubas of West Africa in Cuba. Having already defined herself as a dynamic performer, Bobi Céspedes founded "Siguaralla," an Afro-Cuban ensemble that presents religious music as a means of exploring the spirit of Cuban rhythmic expression. The storytelling, song, and percussion intrinsic to her shows have become teaching methods to demonstrate the Bembe, guiro, rhumba of Havana, and other traditional celebrations of Cuban and Caribbean cultures, and her dedication to captivating and educating audiences with the sources, form, and spirit of her music and message is clear in each performance.