Orquesta Akokán at The Freight

Orquesta Akokán
The Freight & Salvage
Live performance
Berkeley, CA
August 7, 2026

Orquesta Akokán had just flown in from its European tour and was playing the first of its Bay Area weekend performances at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage, currently called "The Freight." They hit the ground running with "Con Altura," (With Altitude), a seeming oxymoron, were it not that the band simply took off again, filling the dance floor until the final "adios" some hundred minutes later. Tenor saxophonist Jamil Schery played a rippin' solo that elevated the atmosphere all the more.

Their Latin genres are varied, but the 12-piece band was initially fashioned around the mambo and son big bands of the 1940s and '50s—bands like Machito, Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Perez Prado, and other Palladium regulars—but in a thoroughly modernized representation. Their repertoire easily extended into pre-salsa and salsa. They are a swinging modern dance band of the moment and not at all retro.

Next up was "Pan con Tibiri," which kept things flying with a torrid baritone sax solo by Josh Lee. They later played a fine version of their hit, "Caracoles," followed by "La Fiera," which had a percussion introduction and fiery solos by the young premier Cuban conguera Yolanda "Yuya" Rodríguez and timbalero Keisel Jimenez. These drummers were a driving force that greatly energized the proceedings. Yuya had her own adaptation of the Cuban "mano secreta" (secret hand) conga technique, which was highly engaging in its effect. Another energy source was, of course, the dancing and the antics of the flamboyant lead vocalist Héctor "Papote" Jiménez, attired in a pink sport jacket in contrast to the rest of the band, who wore black and white.

"Pregonero" featured the top-notch six-piece horn section, including the aforementioned saxophonists.

One of the set's noteworthy tunes was "Un Tabaco pa' Eleguá," meaning a cigar for Eleguá, who is the Yoruba Orisha, or deity, of the Crossroads, where heaven meets earth. A tribute to Eleguá commences every Santería religious ceremony. Santería is the most popular animistic religion in Cuba and is syncretic with the Catholicism of the Spanish colonialists.

A special mention to producer and tres guitarist Jacob Plasse, whose hollow-bodied tres was amplified and whose inspired solos carried throughout the set. And a special mention as well to bandleader, pianist, and arranger Michael Eckroth, whose catchy and swinging montunos—rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic figures—were like spark plugs. Also, a tip of the hat to bassist Lino Dariel Piquero Bueno, whose musical ministrations were like a solid hub of centrifugal force.

Akokán has been translated from Yoruba as "from the heart" and "from the soul." Heart and soul were in abundance on this evening, and the audience was left sweating—and smiling.