Mista Savona Pres. Various Artists
Havana Meets Kingston Live!
This is how The Times described the concert you are holding in your hands - when an exceptional group of Jamaican and Cuban musicians took to the stage of London's Royal Albert Hall one by one for the BBC Proms, and brought Havana Meet Kingston on stage. A little background: This unique project was born in 2014 when Australian producer Jake Savona first traveled from Jamaica to Cuba and imagined the sounds of the two islands coming together. A year later he repeated the trip, this time joined by a legendary crew of reggae musicians (including Sly & Robbie!) and history was made. There was magic in the air in Havana; the studio sessions were sizzling, the musical chemistry was tangible, and luckily, an introductory video to the project went viral. This helped quickly build an international audience for the project and the debut album was released in 2017 to worldwide critical acclaim. Soon after the band was on the road - the first time in history musicians from both islands toured together, blending the sounds and styles of both islands. Havana Meets Kingston appeared at headline festivals in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe, then had the privilege of performing their repertoire at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms. This concert was filmed and broadcast in its entirety of 90 minutes by the BBC, and now it can be enjoyed here as the first ever live album from Havana Meets Kingston. In Jake Savona's own words - "nerves were on edge before this performance, even among our most seasoned musicians, but what happened on stage that evening was unforgettable - a kind of zen calm and focus which allowed us to communicate on stage effortlessly, and above all allow pure magic and the power of the music to flow through us all. The response from the audience has been ecstatic, the love in the room is tangible and it is a memory we will all cherish forever. As The Times magazine noted, it was an explosive musical performance; and it's one that the whole world can now enjoy. Many people contributed to making this project possible. We would like to start by expressing our gratitude to the extremely gifted musicians who brought this London concert to life - thank you so much for making this concert so special, powerful and memorable.