The live album from Havana Meets Kingston, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London, is now available on streaming platforms and in stores!
This unique project began in 2014 when Australian producer Jake Savona traveled from Jamaica to Cuba for the first time and envisioned the sounds of both islands coming together. A year later, he repeated the journey, this time joined by a legendary team of reggae musicians (including Sly & Robbie!), and the story was written. There was magic in the air in Havana; the studio sessions were electrifying, the musical chemistry was palpable, and fortunately, an introductory video for the project went viral.
This helped the project gain an international audience, and the two studio albums, released in 2017 and 2022, received worldwide critical acclaim.
For the first time in history, Cuban and Jamaican musicians toured together, blending the sounds and styles of both islands. Havana Meets Kingston appeared at major festivals
in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Europe, and had the privilege of performing at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms in 2018
This concert was filmed and aired in its full 90-minute length by the BBC.
Now, Baco Records offers you the chance to relive this special concert on vinyl or through streamingYou can also access the entire live performance on YouTube.
On stage, you'll find singer Brenda Navarrete, vocalists Randy Valentine, Solis, and musicians Julito Padrón (trumpet & percussion), Rolando Luna (piano), Bopee Bowen (guitar),
Matthieu Bost (saxophone & percussion), Inor Sotolongo (percussion), El Manu Garcia (drums), Valess Assouan (bass), all led by Australian producer Jake ‘Mista’ Savona on keyboards
that night.
For 90 minutes, passionate and energetic voices in Spanish, English, and Jamaican patois weave through rhythms and melodies typical of Cuba, while deep bass lines characteristic of Jamaica pulse beneath.
The performance includes a mix of tracks from the two studio albums, with original songs and covers of Cuban classics such as the iconic 'Chan Chan' by Compay Segundo and 'El Cuarto de Tula' from Buena Vista Social Club, all reworked by a rhythm section adding a thunderous reggae aesthetic.
The live album from this incredible evening is now available at this linkThe full live performance is also available on our YouTube channel !