For some classical music lovers, you can’t have a proper summer without a bit of Proms – the annual, eight-week celebration of music that takes place mostly at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
However, this week our interest was piqued more than usual, as collective Havana Meets Kingston brought their fusion of roots reggae, dub, dancehall, salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban sounds to the Hall – with great success.
Taking a major place in the band is Brenda Navarrete; already a prestigious Cuban artist, Brenda has earned accreditations as a singer, instrumentalist, ensemble and percussion instructor.
With a solid foundation of Latin Jazz and Afro‐Cuban influences, she’s busy touring with Havana Meets Kingston, and showed off her impressive skills at the Proms on Tuesday (31st July). Before the concert, Brenda told Pride about her style of music, the commonalities between Jamaican and Cuban music, and her African influences.
On what it’s like to perform at her first ever Proms…
I’m feeling so excited – first, to be in London, it’s my first time in London; and to be part of this interesting project, with Jamaican people and my own people, Cuban people, playing in this BBC event is a dream, you know?
On how Jamaican and Cuban music overlap…
I think it’s the same energy. The sounds of Jamaican music and Cuban music are different, but the energy – we put on the stage the same energy and love. The Cuban rhythm is fast and inspires the people to dance, and the Jamaican music, in this case, is more quiet apparently. We’re different cultures, but similar at the same time – like a big family.
On how she started…
I was around eight years old, and my sister said ‘What do you wanna do? Music? Sports?’ I loved music, and I wanted to be a percussionist, but she told me, ‘Percussionist? That’s a little strong, it’s a strong instrument’. I was hyperactive, and I loved to sing, but I wanted to play percussion – so she brought me to music school, I did a test and I was accepted. I spent 10 years of study, study, study – and now I’m here. Singer, percussionist, producer, dancer, composer, it’s all in the work.
On her musical inspirations…
I have many, many people. I love classical music, I love reggae music too. I love jazz, so I have many. When I was young, I loved Debussy, an impressionist. This is my first thing I listened to in Cuban music school – so he was my first inspiration, with Beethoven, Mozart, people like that. Gospel music, I love; Cuban music is my music. I love R&B too… many! If I tell you one person, it’d be too short – we’d need 10 hours to get them all!
On her Yoruba spiritual inspirations…
It’s African tradition – the African people came to Cuba many years before. Transculturation [fusion of cultures] happened in Cuba, and I love it. On my first CD, Mi Mundo, I have many songs about Orisha and the history; Baba Elegguá is my first song, and the last is A Ochun. I feel a big connection, I feel these energies in me – the beauty of a woman in Ochun, and Eleggua with that traditional rhythm and song.
On what she wants to achieve with her music…
My objective is to promote the Cuban culture. Not ‘pure’ cuban, as I mix with jazz, and now with reggae, with gospel – but to bring these Cuban rhythms to the world. More than myself as an artist, I want to promote the Cuban culture around the world. I love the Cuban people and energy so much. It’s not a rich country, but the the riches of Cuba is found in our energy.
Havana Meets Kingston was at the Royal Albert Hall on 31st July as part of the BBC Proms, if you missed this you can catch the concert on BBC Four on Friday 3rd August, 11.00pm.
