Nestled in the warmth of the Caribbean Sea, two islands boast two unique musical traditions, both evolving completely independently from the rest of the world to generate distinctive and colourful elements. The island nations of Cuba and Jamaica are only about 100 miles apart, and yet their soulful, lively styles haven’t crossed paths. Until now.
In a bold, ambitious undertaking, Australian producer Jake “Mista” Savona has merged a handpicked band of Jamaican musicians with celebrated Cuban virtuosos to create Havana Meets Kingston, an expansive tapestry of cultural collaboration between the jazz-inflected Cuba and the deep roots reggae of Jamaica. “Cuba and Jamaica are two of the most potent music scenes in the world,” says Savona. “These little islands have these independent and self-feeding music scenes. They don’t really need to look outside of themselves for inspiration because there’s so much there.
“I was in a Cuban café on my first trip and there was a band [playing]. I was listening and imagining a Jamaican style over it. I did some research at home and eventually I started to make plans – I flew into Jamaica, picked up the band and took them into Cuba. It happened because it seemed crazy that it hadn’t happened before,” says Savona.
To the untrained ear the unique elements of each islands’ music may be hard to hear and yet, as Savona explains, they’re distinctive. “Both islands have such rich traditions,” he says, “I’ve been going to Jamaica since 2004. Since a young age I’ve loved Cuban music. Havana has such an amazing music scene and because they’re so cut off from the world, a lot of people don’t know about it. I fell in love with the music.
“Jamaica is all about bass, big subby bass that makes you shake. Cuba has this Afro-Cuban jazz virtuosity that’s so striking and Cuban musicians are so good at their instruments. Jamaican southern reggae allows for the bass line and vocal. It was fun bringing together those two elements, those two cultures, to find the balance between them.”
Over ten days at the infamous Egrem Studio in Havana, Savona flew his Jamaican musicians to meet the Cuban contingents to record this album of creative freedom and discovery. “I don’t think the project would’ve worked if I’d gone into the islands and recorded separately,” he says.
“What glued it all together and produced the magic of the album was actually the ten days we spent in Havana, when I flew seven Jamaicans into Cuba, including Sly and Robbie and percussionist Bongo Herman. That was my core Jamaican section and then I had over 30 Cuban musicians come in over ten days.
“There’s a massive language barrier but the cliché that music is a universal language, well, it’s not a cliché, it’s true. It wasn’t hard to get these sessions rolling, these guys are master musicians. There’s a lot going on but the music breathes and you feel the energy of that studio room. This album was all about finding the balance between the music and styles.”
Later this month, Savona will tour Australia with The Havana Meets Kingston Sound System, a small-scale version of the album’s musicians that features Randy Valentine and Solis. “We’ll be showcasing heaps of material from the album,” says Savona. “I did a show with Randy in Malta this year and it was my favourite show – he’s such a talented singer and rapper and it was really his first proper tour outside of Cuba. I think people are going to love it. Next year we’re taking the whole band on tour in Australia and Europe – six Jamaicans and seven Cubans.”
It would be amiss to say that Savona has pulled this project off single-handedly when there is such a vast spirit of collaboration involved. Havana Meets Kingston is the culmination of sound and soul across several nations. “If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from my life as a musician it’s that anything is possible, you just have to be bold enough to ask, be brave enough to take the first steps. Often you have to ask for help but when the idea is good, people want to be a part of it.”
