OKAN: The Cuban Duo Conquering Canada with Jazz and Santería

In a small Toronto apartment, two Cuban women found something more than a home away from the island: they found love, creative freedom, and a voice that would resonate all the way to Canada’s most prestigious music awards. They are OKAN, the Afro-Cuban duo that has won two JUNO Awards—Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys—and now brings the sacred drums of Santería to stages around the world.

From Havana to Toronto: Two Paths Converge

Elizabeth Rodríguez was born in Havana and showed exceptional violin talent from childhood. She trained in Cuba’s rigorous classical system, eventually becoming concertmaster of the Havana Youth Orchestra. In 2013, she arrived in Canada to perform at a classical music festival in Hamilton and never went back.

Magdelys Savigne comes from the other end of the island: Santiago de Cuba, birthplace of son and rumba. She graduated with honors in orchestral percussion from Havana’s University of the Arts. She arrived in Toronto in 2014, recruited by legendary Canadian saxophonist Jane Bunnett to join her band Maqueque.

The two Cubans met in that band—a project dedicated to mentoring Cuban women musicians—and the connection was instant. Not just musical: in 2017 they married and founded OKAN.

“Okan means heart or soul in Yoruba. It’s the word we use in Santería to speak of our deepest selves,” Elizabeth explains in interviews.

Santería as Musical Root

What sets OKAN apart from other Latin jazz projects is their profound connection to Afro-Cuban religion. Elizabeth was initiated into Santería at age 15. Magdelys, though a lifelong practitioner, recently went through the intense initiation ceremony.

“The batá drums I play on stage represent the religion. They speak for the Orishas, they speak for the dancers. They’re the key piece,” explains Magdelys.

The irony isn’t lost on either of them: in Cuban music schools, training was strictly classical. Beethoven, Mahler, Vivaldi. Popular Cuban music was forbidden in the classroom.

“They literally stripped you of your culture and heritage completely,” Elizabeth recalls. “It took years of therapy and growth to reclaim what was ours.”

Three Albums, Two JUNO Awards

OKAN’s work speaks for itself:

• Sombras (2019): Their debut album earned them a JUNO nomination and an Independent Music Award
• Espiral (2020): Winner of the JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year in 2021
• Okantomi (2023): Second JUNO Award in the same category in 2024

Their songs fuse nearly-forgotten Cuban genres—changüí, timba, pilón—with jazz, folk, and classical music. They sing in Spanish, Yoruba, and even “Spanglish.” They collaborate with artists like Cuban singer Daymé Arocena, Colombian artist Lido Pimienta, and Bomba Estéreo’s lead vocalist.

Touring in 2026: Brooklyn and Beyond

This February, OKAN continues their North American tour. On February 12, they perform at BAM Brooklyn as part of the free BAM Free Music series celebrating Caribbean music and its diaspora. They recently collaborated with the Walla Walla Symphony in a concert blending their music with works by Latin American composers.

They’ve also participated in NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and have opened for Grammy winners Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Family, Music, and the Future

Elizabeth and Magdelys have a son named Orun—meaning “heaven” and “son” in Yoruba—who already travels with them on tour. “Most of the pros for me is that we take family pictures in different places, every time. Those memories we’ll cherish in the future,” says Magdelys.

Their next album, they hint, will explore reconciliation between their two worlds: the classical training they received in Cuba and the ancestral music of their African roots.

“When people go to Cuba and say ‘Everyone looks so happy here!’, it’s not just the weather,” Magdelys reflects. “It’s because we have the music, the arts. It’s all an expression of ourselves. And we’re never going to let anybody take that away from us. They’ve tried many times, but nobody can.”

Learn more:
🎵 Official website: okanmusica.com
📸 Instagram: @okan.band
🎫 Tour dates: High Road Touring