Billy Cobham & Asere

When jazz drumming icon Billy Cobham first teamed up with the innovative and stylish young Cuban group Asere at WOMAD 2002, no one could quite have anticipated where their union would end up. Six years on, the result is a stunning collaborative album ‘De Cuba y De Panama’. The warmth of the relationship that has developed between these two powerhouses radiates loud and clear through their music as they bring the full Cuban experience to the stage, exploring soul, jazz and funk influences all mixed up with a kicking Latin vibe.

Panama-born but raised in New York, Billy Cobham has played with a list of musicians that reads like a who’s who of modern music, including Miles Davis, George Benson, Oscar Peterson, and Herbie Hancock. Asere’s groundbreaking interpretation of Cuba’s musical traditions has produced a creative, pioneering repertoire, deeply respectful of their predecessors yet with an thrilling contemporary edge, blessed with inventive song writing and a soulful groove. Put Billy and Asere together, and you have something very special indeed.

“The intricacies of Afro-Cuban rhythms are taken to breathtaking places by these fantastic musicians” Thomas Brooman, Artistis Director, WOMAD