LEANA SONG: ORISHA LOVE SONGS VOL.2, Oru Cantado
Shawn Hennessey’s project, Leana Song, is a fusion of Afro-Cuban Orisha songs with electronic, folk and jazz. This second volume, “Orisha Love Song Vol.2 - ‘Oru Cantado’ presents new arrangements of 19 traditional Orisha songs, with Batá drums at the center. The arrangements are electro-folkloric, and draw influences from samba, house, trap, and experimental. This new album features Bakithi Kumalo, Paul Simon’s long time bass player, folkloric singer Naivis Angarica, recorded in Cuba, and gospel-latin pianist Orlando Fiol, and saxophonist and composer Maxfield Gast. Recorded entirely in Ableton Live, Shawn plays the guitars, layers vocals, sequences beats, and plays over 100 different percussion instruments, to form this homegrown amalgamation of Afro-Folk.
Leana Song released their debut CD “Orisha Love Song’s Vol.1” in 2008. This recording contemporary salute to six Orishas, (spiritual beings representing forces of nature) from the Yoruba tradition/religion Santeria. Orisha worship was first brought to Cuba by Yoruba slaves in the nineteenth century. It was then combined with Catholic religious practices and spread to other Latin-American countries and the United States. After 15 years of training, Shawn became ‘Omo Aña’, or child of the spirit of the drum, and is able to play the sacred drums in ceremonies.
Musicians:
Shawn Hennessey - Voices, Guitars, Percussion, Synths
Bakithi Kumalo - Bass
Orlando Fiol - Piano
Naivis Angarica - Voice
Maxfield Gast - Saxophone
plus Shakoor Sanders and Ryan Tennis
