Inside The Interview

Inside The Interview is All About Jazz’s narrative-driven profile series that goes beyond standard Q&As and our Catching Up With format to reveal the deeper story behind each conversation. Each article blends reporting, context, and carefully selected quotes into a cohesive read, paired with a companion podcast section featuring highlights from the interview.

OKAN: Joy as Resistance, Rhythm as Home

by Steven Roby
September 7, 2025

Afro-Cuban duo OKAN creates music that bridges gaps--between Havana and Toronto, ritual and dance floor, refined conservatory training and raw street style. Their name, taken from Santería, means “heart." That rhythm energizes everything they perform: violin complemented by luminous vocals, batá drums, and cajón intertwined with jazz harmony and songs that emphasize joy as both an inherent right and a strategic choice. Co-leaders Elizabeth Rodriguez (violin, vocals) and Magdelys Savigne (aka “Mags") (percussion, vocals) originate from Cuba's classical ...

Dominique Fils-Aimé: Jazz as Freedom, Healing, and Connection

by Steven Roby
September 5, 2025

Montreal vocalist--composer Dominique Fils-Aimé discusses music as essential as breath--something vital, grounding, and shared. In conversation, a few recurring themes emerge: freedom as the driving force of jazz, healing as the restorative power of music on the body, and connection--among people, across generations, and through history--as the quiet foundation that allows songs to travel. These ideas are not mere abstract concepts for her; they influence how she writes and constructs a live set--especially in intimate spaces like SFJAZZ's Joe Henderson ...